Re-assessing innovative assessment workshop

Dr Erica Morris (Consultant in Academic Practice, HEA)

To explore contemporary assessment perspectives, emphasising

the use of innovative assessment and principles aligned with

assessment for learning

An opportunity to

• explore the notion of ‘assessment for learning’, and associated

guiding principles

• consider the rationale for diversifying assessment methods

and using authentic assessment tasks, enhancing the

development of graduate attributes and skills relevant to

employability

• review and plan for changing assessment practices to enhance

student learning

Overview of workshop

2

3

Structure of workshop

Timing Session

11.15 am Current assessment perspectives, assessment for

learning model; short activity

11.45 Activity – Considering diverse forms of assessment for

learning: challenges and opportunities

12.15 pm Plenary

12.35 Looking at assessment literacy

12.45 Activity – Integrating assessment literacy

12.55 Insights, reflections and actions

1.10 Conclusions

1.15 Close of workshop

“innovative assessment could be any

form of assessment which involves the

application of a new technique or

method … however, innovative

assessment has come to mean more

than that; it is a term we use which

encompasses a whole range of different

techniques and methods, not all of

which are new inventions. What unites

them is a common goal: to improve

the quality of student learning”

(Mowl 2006, p2)

4

What do we mean by innovative assessment?

Innovative with regard to

• Being characterised as authentic or

work relevant

• Technology-enhanced assessment or

learning

• Changing the nature of student

engagement and participation

Assessment for learning:

“challenges and blurs the boundaries

between assessment and teaching”

(Sambell et al 2013, p151)

5

Re-assessing innovative assessment

• Building on two decades of work

on assessment in higher education

• Response to issues and concerns

in assessment practice

• Assessment Standards: a

Manifesto for Change

– Assessment Standards Knowledge

exchange (ASKe)

• Six evidence-based tenets – Unpacked, re-cast

– Assessment review tool

– Evidence base

6

Transforming assessment

The debate on standards needs to focus on how high

standards of learning can be achieved through assessment. This

requires a greater emphasis on assessment for learning rather

than assessment of learning

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Assessment for learning

• Authentic assessment – engaging, meaningful assessment tasks

• Students developing as learners – effective attributes and skills to self-

assess and evaluate their own learning

• Informal feedback – e.g. in-class group discussions, peer-review

• Formal feedback – range of forms of feedback, used at a number of stages

• Practice, rehearsal – opportunities to learn and practice

• Formative and summative – appropriate balancing of these two types of

assessment

(Sambell et al 2013)

A consensus in the field

8

Assessment framework Emphasis: examples

Carless (2009)

A framework for learning-

oriented assessment

Tasks should be designed to stimulate

productive learning practices

Assessments should involve students actively

in engaging with criteria, quality, their own

and peers’ performance

Boud and Associates (2010)

Seven propositions for

assessment reform

Assessment for learning as pivotal

Inducting students in assessment cultures

and practices

NUS

Assessment and feedback

benchmarking tool, with 10

principles

Diverse forms of assessment

Formative assessment and feedback

Self-reflection and peer learning

• Social work module: observations of practice

• Develop a glossary as an assessment

– Identified academic terms, writing definitions, indicating

sources

– Personal, illustrative evidence of relevance of term (e.g.

from practice observations, peer discussion)

• Encouraging research reading, learning to writing

concisely

• Looking at different theoretical perspectives, linking

theory and practice

Example: developing a glossary

9 Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p18)

• Business Studies module looking

at corporate management

• Assessment related to

workplace improvement

• Managers from organisations:

talks on workplace problems

– Students suggesting solutions

through presenting these

– Posters to disseminate ideas for

workplace improvement

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Example: problems in the workplace

Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p22)

Assessing Method or type

Knowledge and understanding Information leaflet, web resource,

reports

Thinking critically and making

judgements

Journal or reflective diary, briefing paper,

newspaper article, oral presentation

Problem-solving and developing

plans

Research bid, case study analysis, action

plan

Communication skills Group or individual poster, student-led

seminars

And others …

Forms of assessment

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Based on Butcher et al (2006); handout on assessment methods

(PedRIO, Plymouth University)

Engaging – Meaningful – Realistic

Considering diverse forms of

assessment for learning

• What are the challenges?

• What are the particular

opportunities?

How might these relate to

particular subject or disciplinary

areas?

Activity: group discussion

12

Considering diverse forms of

assessment for learning

• Challenges?

• Opportunities?

How might these relate to

particular subject or disciplinary

areas?

Plenary

13

Active engagement with assessment standards needs to be an

integral and seamless part of course design and the learning

process in order to allow students to develop their own,

internalised conceptions of standards and to monitor and

supervise their own learning

14

Looking at assessment literacy

• Methods for sharing standards with students

– Regular formative tasks, feedback with dialogue, use of exemplar

assignments, discussion of criteria, and self and peer assessment

• Student understanding of assessment and standards

help them as developing autonomous learners

– Reflect on and review their own progress and development

• A grasp of assessment in relation

to learning

• An understanding of assessment

– Principles of valid assessment

– Terminology

• The meaning of assessment criteria

and standards

• Self and peer-assessment skills

• Using appropriate approaches or

techniques for assessment tasks

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What is assessment literacy?

Price et al (2012)

In what ways could assessment

literacy be integrated?

• An understanding of assessment

• The meaning of assessment criteria

and standards

• Self and peer-assessment skills

• Using appropriate approaches or

techniques for assessment tasks

Pairs or small groups of three

16

Activity: integrating assessment literacy

Insights, reflections and actions

What changes could you make?

17

Pause for final thought

18

Conclusions

The Assessment Compact

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Assessment Compact at Oxford Brookes University

1. Engage in dialogue with

tutors and peers

• Talking opportunities: unsure about

assessment tasks, standard of work

expected, explore ideas

• Supportive, constructive and timely

feedback

2. Self assess your work

and be prepared to assess

the work of others

• Practise in self and peer-assessment:

developing understanding of good

quality work

• Drafting, using exemplars, marking

3. See yourself as a

member of your learning

community

• Engage with all study activities

• Reflect on feedback, checking your

understanding with others

Based on www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/

Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) – ww.brookes.ac.uk/aske/

(ASKe) Assessment: Your entitlements and obligations – the Compact digested. Oxford Brookes University. Available from:

www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/

ASKe (n.d) Assessment Standards: a Manifesto for Change; Feedback: an Agenda for Change. Available from:

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/Manifesto/

Boud, D. and Associates (2010) Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education. Sydney: Australian

Learning and Teaching Council.

Butcher, C., Davies, C. and Highton, M. (2006) Designing Learning: From module outline to effective teaching. London and New York:

Routledge.

Carless, D. (2009) Learning-oriented assessment: Principles, practice and a project. In L.H. Meyer, S. Davidson, H. Anderson, R.

Fletcher, P. M. Johnson and M. Ress (Eds.), Tiertiary Assessment & Higher Education Student Outcomes: Policy, Practice & Research (pp.

79-90). Wellington, New Zealand: Ako Aotearoa.

Mowl, G. (2006) Red Guides, Paper 17: Innovative student assessment: what’s the point? Northumbria University. Available from:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/currentstudents/undergraduatemodules/reinventingeducation/coursepages/mowl_-

_innovative_assessment.pdf

NUS (n.d) Assessment and feedback benchmarking tool.

Price, M., Rust, C., O’Donovan, B., Handley, K., with Bryant, R. (2012) Assessment Literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student

Learning. Oxford Brookes University, Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.

Sambell, K., McDowell, L. and Montgomery, C. (2013) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

The Higher Education Academy (2012) A Marked Improvement: Transforming assessment in higher education. Available from:

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assessment

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References