‘Key Issues in Assessment and Feedback: The only feedback I received was two

ticks and a question mark!’

University of SurreyFaculty of Arts and Human Sciences

14 January 2011

Professor Brenda SmithProfessor Brenda Smith

Key aims are to..Key aims are to....

Help students to LEARN through assessmentHelp students to LEARN through assessment

EMBED FEEDBACK as an integral part of the EMBED FEEDBACK as an integral part of the learning & teaching processlearning & teaching process

Encourage THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF Encourage THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF STUDENTS in the whole process of assessment STUDENTS in the whole process of assessment and feedback to enhance their learningand feedback to enhance their learning

1.Certification

3.Learning

4.Sustainability

2.QualityAssurance

Why do we assess?

Key Issues with assessment? Key Issues with assessment?

Students are often not given the ‘Big Picture’ - students want an Students are often not given the ‘Big Picture’ - students want an ‘e-bay’ or ‘Amazon’ experience‘e-bay’ or ‘Amazon’ experience

Students are not actively involved in the whole process Students are not actively involved in the whole process

Insufficient feedback that comes too late - & not integral to the Insufficient feedback that comes too late - & not integral to the learning processlearning process

Limited assessment methods that may not be aligned to LOsLimited assessment methods that may not be aligned to LOs

Assessed work bunched towards the end of a semesterAssessed work bunched towards the end of a semester

Unclear or no specific criteriaUnclear or no specific criteria

Feedback rather than feed-forwardFeedback rather than feed-forward

Little value placed on self or peer assessment as a graduate skillLittle value placed on self or peer assessment as a graduate skill

Too much emphasis on marks at the expense of assessment for Too much emphasis on marks at the expense of assessment for learninglearning

Skills & Knowledge –

Learning Outcomes

Timing

Clear Criteria

Feedback/forward

Methods

CONSTRUCTIVE ALIGNMENT

Skills AuditSkills Audit

Skill Taught? Practiced

?

Assessed?

Action

Communication - oral and written

Team working and interpersonal skills Analysing and solving problems

Methods of AssessmentMethods of AssessmentAssignments and the learning Assignments and the learning

opportunity they offeropportunity they offer

Communicate information & ideas in other than the

written word

Become more adept at writing in different forms,

formats & ‘genres’

To understand the benefits & challenges of working

collaboratively

Methods of AssessmentMethods of AssessmentAssignments and the learning Assignments and the learning

opportunity they offeropportunity they offer

Communicate information & ideas in other than the

written word

Become more adept at writing in different forms,

formats & ‘genres’

To understand the benefits & challenges of working

collaboratively

Seminar, poster, video, video conferencing, pod or vodcasts or other

multimedia

Designs; proposals; book reviews; case reports; web pages; journal articles

Group problem solving; joint book reviews; team presentations; role plays; group

exhibition

Methods of AssessmentMethods of Assessment

Essay, essay plan, journal article, book review, Essay, essay plan, journal article, book review, exhibition, poster, video, case study, In-tray exercise, exhibition, poster, video, case study, In-tray exercise, dissertation, podcast, vodcast, radio broadcast, lab dissertation, podcast, vodcast, radio broadcast, lab report, fieldwork reportreport, fieldwork report

Exam – unseen, seen, open, take homeExam – unseen, seen, open, take home

Portfolio, reflective journal, individual or group Portfolio, reflective journal, individual or group presentation, web design, MCQs, Spreadsheets, project presentation, web design, MCQs, Spreadsheets, project plan, case report, questionnaire, draft and reviewplan, case report, questionnaire, draft and review

Do you give students a choice of assignments – i.e. say a Do you give students a choice of assignments – i.e. say a choice of essay titles to choice from? Or, could they choice of essay titles to choice from? Or, could they

choose to give a presentation or produce a report that choose to give a presentation or produce a report that would still fulfill the LOs?would still fulfill the LOs?

Being InclusiveBeing Inclusive

Do you ensure your assessment modes, Do you ensure your assessment modes, content and delivery allow for content and delivery allow for

cultural and learning differences that cultural and learning differences that enable all your students to contribute enable all your students to contribute to society effectively and inclusively?to society effectively and inclusively?

Providing learning opportunitiesProviding learning opportunities

Do you give your students opportunities Do you give your students opportunities

to practise a skill to practise a skill

or or

write a draft with feedbackwrite a draft with feedback

(this feedback could come from their (this feedback could come from their peers) peers)

before being summatively assessed?before being summatively assessed?

Student DiariesStudent Diaries

What could go in themWhat could go in them??Is the schedule of Is the schedule of

assignments and the assignments and the feedback on these feedback on these

assignments made clear assignments made clear to students across the to students across the

year?year?

Do you provide multiple Do you provide multiple opportunities for small opportunities for small low stake assessments low stake assessments

with feedback?with feedback?

University Of

Surrey

Timing of AssessmentsAre they spread throughout the

semester?

2009

20102011

Are your students Are your students always clear about always clear about your criteria? How your criteria? How

can we help to ensure can we help to ensure a common a common

understanding?understanding?

Criteria

Do you check that students really understand your criteria?

Key issues in Key issues in feedbackfeedback

Students can’t read our writingStudents can’t read our writing

Students only think it is feedback when it is written downStudents only think it is feedback when it is written down

The feedback given is often not very useful & comes too lateThe feedback given is often not very useful & comes too late

Little or no use is made of peer/self assessment and Little or no use is made of peer/self assessment and feedbackfeedback

Students have little opportunity to collate feedback over Students have little opportunity to collate feedback over time and act upon ittime and act upon it

Very little use is made of feedback as a normal part of the Very little use is made of feedback as a normal part of the learning & teaching processlearning & teaching process

Different ways of giving feedback are limitedDifferent ways of giving feedback are limited

All I get is a grade next to All I get is a grade next to my matriculation number my matriculation number without any indication on without any indication on how I am actually doinghow I am actually doing

I got an essay back where I got an essay back where the only comment was ‘use the only comment was ‘use

a bigger text size’, there a bigger text size’, there was nothing on how to was nothing on how to

improve my gradeimprove my grade

For a rather lengthy For a rather lengthy scientific report, the scientific report, the feedback I received feedback I received

consisted of a mere two consisted of a mere two ticks and a question markticks and a question mark

I have never received I have never received feedback for any of my feedback for any of my exams and this means I exams and this means I

don’t know how to improve don’t know how to improve for the third year when the for the third year when the

marks really countmarks really count

Don’t use bullet points!

Students want more useful Students want more useful feedback. The also want feedback. The also want more verbal and face-to-more verbal and face-to-

face feedback.face feedback.

What can we stop doing to What can we stop doing to enable this to happen?enable this to happen?

PODCAST/VODCAST PODCAST/VODCAST lectures?lectures?

Why did I get 37% ?

When I get to sit down When I get to sit down with my tutor and discuss with my tutor and discuss my work – that’s probably my work – that’s probably the best form of feedback the best form of feedback

I can getI can get

We need to explore students’ We need to explore students’ expectations of assessment and expectations of assessment and

feedbackfeedback

Inducting studentsInducting studentsGet students confident with Get students confident with

assessingassessing Give students in groups a selection of essays - Give students in groups a selection of essays -

Excellent, Good, Average & FailExcellent, Good, Average & Fail

Students decide individually which essay fits into Students decide individually which essay fits into which category and then compares notes in small which category and then compares notes in small groupsgroups

Then get students to tease out the differences & Then get students to tease out the differences & express these differences as criteria express these differences as criteria

Students then provide feedback on each piece of Students then provide feedback on each piece of work in their groupswork in their groups

Students then provide guidelines for effective essay Students then provide guidelines for effective essay writingwriting

What has each student/group learned?What has each student/group learned?

Get students actively involvedGet students actively involvedUse feedback as an integral part of Use feedback as an integral part of

the curriculumthe curriculum

In small groups get students to exchange an In small groups get students to exchange an assessed piece of their work and compare the assessed piece of their work and compare the feedback comments with group membersfeedback comments with group members

Do they understand the comments?Do they understand the comments?

How would they respond to the comments?How would they respond to the comments?

What would they do differently next time if:What would they do differently next time if:

a) They re-did the same assignmenta) They re-did the same assignment

b) Applied the learning to a new and different b) Applied the learning to a new and different piece of work?piece of work?

Quick ways of giving feedbackQuick ways of giving feedback

Generic feedback within 24 hours on the VLEGeneric feedback within 24 hours on the VLE

Face-to-face feedback with the whole group or small Face-to-face feedback with the whole group or small groupsgroups

Peer feedback in groupsPeer feedback in groups

Use technology - Audacity, Dragon, Statement BanksUse technology - Audacity, Dragon, Statement Banks

Self-feedback - help students develop the skills of self Self-feedback - help students develop the skills of self reflectionreflection

Students want more face-to-face feedback – what Students want more face-to-face feedback – what can we stop doing to enable this to happen?can we stop doing to enable this to happen?

Understanding...?Understanding...?

This report is not logically structuredThis report is not logically structured

This essay is not sufficiently This essay is not sufficiently analyticalanalytical

We need to develop the skills of self- We need to develop the skills of self- assessment & encourage students assessment & encourage students to be active in this processto be active in this process

Should we stress self and peer Should we stress self and peer assessment as a graduate skill?assessment as a graduate skill?

Involve the studentsInvolve the students

Student Staff

These are areas of my work which I think are good

Please comment on the following areas

What I want to improve or do differently next time

The mark I think it deserves is

USING FEEDBACK TO LEARN

LEARNINGMost significant feedback comments

What did you understand these to mean?

ANALYZISINGThings that I did that attracted positive commentsThings that I did that attracted critical comments

Any recurring trends or comments?

PLANNING AND FEEDING FORWARDThings I can do to build on the positive feedbackThings I can do to address the critical feedback

Ref: P Race (2007). How to get a Good Degree

A Way ForwardA Way Forward

The single most important thing for The single most important thing for me to keep doing in the future is..me to keep doing in the future is..

The single most important thing for The single most important thing for me to improve in my future work me to improve in my future work on the basis of this feedback is…on the basis of this feedback is…

Getting students to reflect on their Getting students to reflect on their learninglearning

Dialogue Starters.Dialogue Starters..... How How did this essay make you think differently?did this essay make you think differently?

Which part of the assignment do you feel less confident Which part of the assignment do you feel less confident about?about?

What was the most challenging part of this assignment?What was the most challenging part of this assignment?

Jot down 2 things you have learnt doing this assignment Jot down 2 things you have learnt doing this assignment that you did not expect to learn?that you did not expect to learn?

What advice would you give to students doing this What advice would you give to students doing this assignment?assignment?

If you were to do this assignment again, what one If you were to do this assignment again, what one change would you make?change would you make?

Ref: P Race 2009Ref: P Race 2009

Hot Ten TipsHot Ten Tips

Help students to want feedback, not just the Help students to want feedback, not just the markmark

Give some feedback quicklyGive some feedback quickly

Think of a variety of ways of giving feedback Think of a variety of ways of giving feedback + actively involve the students+ actively involve the students

Have an appropriate balance of formative and Have an appropriate balance of formative and summative assessmentsummative assessment

Link feedback to learning outcomes and Link feedback to learning outcomes and criteriacriteria

Hot Ten TipsHot Ten Tips

Use feedback as an integral part of your Use feedback as an integral part of your lectureslectures

Ensure your feedback includes feed-forwardEnsure your feedback includes feed-forward

Use self & peer assessment and feedbackUse self & peer assessment and feedback

Give students practice in understanding and Give students practice in understanding and using feedbackusing feedback

Make feedback interesting and motivationalMake feedback interesting and motivational

Quality Enhancement? Do you….Quality Enhancement? Do you….

review your assessment and feedback practices on an review your assessment and feedback practices on an annual basis?annual basis?

seek the views of students on their assessment and seek the views of students on their assessment and feedback practices to ensure continuous improvement by feedback practices to ensure continuous improvement by engaging in a dialogue?engaging in a dialogue?

ensure that when changes are made as a result of dialogue ensure that when changes are made as a result of dialogue that the outcomes are fed back to the students?that the outcomes are fed back to the students?

engage as a course team in peer observation and in engage as a course team in peer observation and in reviewing the feedback that students receive? reviewing the feedback that students receive?

critique your own feedback practices to ensure that it critique your own feedback practices to ensure that it enhances student learning?enhances student learning?

Any Any Questions?Questions?

Involve your students as active partners in the learning process