innovative and efficient assessment dr helen barefoot university of hertfordshire professor mark...
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Innovative and Efficient Assessment
Dr Helen Barefoot University of HertfordshireProfessor Mark Russell King’s College London
We know assessment is important…• What influenced students most was not the teaching
but the assessment” (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004, p. 4)
• Assessment is the senior partner (in CA) – get it wrong and the rest collapses (Biggs, 2003, p. 165)
• The methods we use to assess students are one of the most critical of all influences on their learning”. (Ramsden, 1992)
• If you want to change student learning then change the methods of assessment (Brown, Bull & Pendlebury, 1997)
And yet …
What is your biggest assessment challenge?
The ESCAPE project
The ESCAPE Process
Individual dialogue with
project manager and review of
current practice using
appreciative inquriy
Two day event module teams:
* sharing of challenges
* exploration of pedagogical values and
beliefs * consideration of principles of good practice
Assessment redesign with
support from the project team
Assessment implementation
with support from project
team
Evaluation of assessment
practice
Event for module teams.:
dissemination of experiences / sustainability
planning
• Context: 100% coursework module, large student numbers
• Pedagogy: Peer assessment• Challenge: Not enough self reflection, too much
moderation• Technology: Data gatherer
Briefing workshop
Laboratory experience
Writing of individual
report
Peer marking activity
Mark and give
feedback
Technology enhanced peer assessment – Fang Lou and Helen Barefoot
SA A NAND D SD0
1020304050607080 This peer assessment activity
was beneficial for my learning
SA A NAND D SD0
1020304050607080 As a consequence of the peer assessment I
feel better prepared for my next lab report
SA A NAND D SD0
102030405060708090 I benefited from marking
another persons work
SA A NAND D SD0
102030405060708090 I benefited from considering my own re-
port in relation to the piece of work I was marking
Num
ber o
f stu
dent
resp
onse
s
(Barefoot et al, 2011)
Regular in-class, low stake tests (EVS) - Fang Lou
• Context: 100% coursework module, large student numbers
• Pedagogy: Low stake regular tests• Challenge: little opportunity to gain feedback on
understanding, poor attendance/engagement in lectures, difficulties in providing timely feedback
• Technology: Electronic Voting System (EVS)
Previous assessment schedule New assessment schedule
Laboratory report (20%) Laboratory report (20%)
Poster presentation (20%) Poster presentation (20%)
Formative progress test (0%) Formative progress test (0%)
Summative progress test 1 (Sem A) (25%) Summative progress test 1 (Sem A) (25%)
Summative progress test 2 (early Sem B) (10%)
10 EVS drop quizzes throughout module (10%)
Summative progress test 3 (Sem B) (25%) Summative progress test 3 (Sem B) (25%)
Original assessment pattern
Redesigned assessment pattern
• Context: Sports studies students struggling with physiology
• Pedagogy: team work, staff engagement with the student learning
• Challenge: students struggling with scientific nature of module, poor performance on lab reports, large marking burden
• Technology: Wiki
Group laboratory reports – James Johnstone
“Assessment redesign has been a win: win experience for all of us. The whole process is paperless: the reports are written, submitted, marked, moderated and returned
with feedback online, which is both efficient and effective. Students are more engaged and supportive of one another,
and I am left wondering why we ever thought marking 250 essays four times over was an appropriate way to assess this module.” (James
Johnstone, module leader).
ESCAPE ThemesGood assessment for learning … …Engages students with assessment criteria…Supports personalised learning…Focuses on student development…Ensures feedback leads to improvement…Stimulates dialogue…Considers staff and student effort
SummaryBenefits arising from the assessment innovations include:• Improved interactivity within lectures• Improved student activity beyond the lecture• Prompt feedback• More opportunities for peer learning• Reduced marking load• Improved self-awareness of learning and self-
regulation
ESCAPE Resources• https://
jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/ESCAPE-Project
• Blog http://escape-uh-jisc.blogspot.com/
References• Barefoot, H.C, Lou, F. & Russell, M.B. (2011) Peer Assessment: Educationally
Effective and Resource Efficient, Blended Learning in Practice, (5), pp 21-35
• Biggs, J.B. (2003). Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham: Open University Press/Society for Research into Higher Education. (Second edition)
• Brown, G., Bull, J., & Pendlebury, M. (1997). Assessing student learning in Higher Education. New York: Routledge.
• Gibbs, G., & Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports
students' learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1(8), pp 1-12
• Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to teach in higher education. London: Routledge.