Marking the markers?

Faculty of Education, Humanities and Sciences Symposium on Assessment, 12th March 2007

Assessment is a generic term for a set of processes that measure the outcomes of students' learning, in terms of knowledge acquired, understanding developed, and skills gained. It serves many purposes. Assessment provides the basis for decisions on whether a student is ready to proceed, to qualify for an award or to demonstrate competence to practice. It enables students to obtain feedback on their learning and helps them improve their performance. It enables staff to evaluate the effectiveness of their teaching.

Quality Assurance Agency 'Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher Education', Section 6 Assessment of Students, May 2000, paras 6 and 7.

Assessment plays a significant role in the learning experience of students. It determines their progression through their programmes and enables them to demonstrate that they have achieved the intended learning outcomes. It is assessment that provides the main basis for public recognition of achievement, through the awarding of qualifications and / or credit.

Quality Assurance Agency 'Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards in Higher Education', Section 6 Assessment of Students, May 2000, paras 6 and 7.

National Student Survey 2005 data

E, H&S Faculty Average

U o G Sector

The criteria used in marking have been clear in advance

3.9 3.9 3.7

Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair

3.9 3.8 3.8

Feedback on my work has been prompt

3.0 3.0 3.3

I have received detailed comments on my work

3.7 3.6 3.5

Feedback has helped me to clarify things I did not understand

3.3 3.2 3.4

Assessment and feedback 3.5 3.5 3.5 

NSS 2006

Landscape

English

History

P. Geog

Psychology

Sociology

Teacher Tng

Hum Geography

Theology

UoG

Clear criteria

4.3 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 3.9 3.5 4.4 4.4 3.9

Fair 4.3 4.0 4.1 3.8 3.9 4.1 3.4 4.0 3.9 3.8

Fdback prompt

3.8 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.5 3.4

Fdback detailed

4.1 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.9 4.1 3.6 4.0 4.1 3.7

Fdback clarified

3.7 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.6 4.0 3.4

Assessment

4.0 3.8 3.9 3.8

3.8 3.8 3.4 3.9 3.9 3.6

 

M ean 55.2

M edian 56.0M ode 58.0S tandard D eviation 8.5

Skew ness -0.5R ange 50.0M in im um 30.0M axim um 80.0C ount 65.0

• is legible

• is balanced - Highlighting the work's good and bad points

• is detailed and explicit - Linking feedback to script comments

• is honest and direct - Not tactful at the expense of being truthful

• is consistent - Positive feedback followed by a mark of 35% is confusing

• moves from the general to the specific

• highlights grammatical errors

Good Feedback..

• is illegible

• contains pointless comments that do not provide any information

• contains subjective comments irrelevant to the assignment

• contains ambiguous comments that are difficult to interpret

• is detached from the assessment criteria

Bad feedback…

What should we do about this?

• Review the NSS Survey summary sheet for 2006

• In small groups, discuss the mechanisms for improving feedback to students

• Agree a set of concrete practical suggestions for immediate implementation

• Summarise your ideas on a flip chart sheet

2006 Landscape

English

History

Phys Geog

Psychology

Sociology

Teacher Training

Human Geography

Theology

UoG

The criteria have been clear

4.3 4.0 3.9 4.1 4.1 3.9 3.5 4.4 4.4 3.9

Arrangements and marking have been fair

4.3 4.0 4.1 3.8 3.9 4.1 3.4 4.0 3.9 3.8

Feedback prompt

3.8 3.7 3.6 3.4 3.2 3.4 3.2 3.5 3.5 3.4

Detailed comments

4.1 3.8 3.8 4.2 3.9 4.1 3.6 4.0 4.1 3.7

Feedback clarified

3.7 3.5 3.8 3.7 3.6 3.5 3.2 3.6 4.0 3.4

Assessment

4.0 3.8 3.9 3.8 3.8 3.8 3.4 3.9 3.9 3.6