ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Key Contacts Meeting

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Assessment

• Types of assessment

• Making assessment fit for purpose

– Aligning with learning objectives

– Aligning with syllabus

• Student motivation

• Time costs for staff

• Other issues

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Feedback

• Forms of feedback– Coursework

– Exams

– Generic versus individual

– Mechanising feedback

– Peer assessment

• Getting students to engage with feedback

• PDP

• Other issues

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

What makes a bad assessment?

• Too much upfront detail, too much information

• Poorly phrased question (not too specific if you want to encourage creativity)

• Very technical question on its own (need something more to test application)

• Not aligning question with what you want them to achieve

• Breaking down in too much detail marking scheme (or no detail)

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

What makes a bad assessment?

• Not aligning question with student level (but does allow students to be show their range of abilities)

• Broken down assignments more appropriate at level 1 than level 3

• Multi part assessment good for testing range of abilities

• Can be easily answered by wikipedia

• Regurgitated questions (partic. Quant. Quest)

• Over assessment

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

What makes a bad assessment?

• Tutor doesn’t recognise diversity in students – important to set out expectations in language that students can understand

• Making it marking scheme too clear so students aim at minimum pass

• Good assessment can feedback on teaching

• Set at end of term and marked over vacation

• End of term exams where students learn least

• Important to have a variety of assessment

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

What makes a bad assessment?

• Timing of assessment and feedback to help further learning

• An exam that draws on a number of modules could be important

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Designing assessment for an individual module

• Variety and flexibility – weekly assignments, projects, exams, applied projects etc

• Exams/tests good because of plagiarism

• Different assessment for undergrads/postgrads?

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Designing assessment for a degree programme

• Assessment desire, change over degree (e.g. level 1 core skills..)

• Large classes – need systems of moderation for teaching team

• Challenge of large groups – cohorting, buddying etc

• METAL good exemplar of question structure etc

• Coordinating assessment over the years – assessing different skills in different years

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Effective use of feedback

• Legible; timely; forward-looking (how can they improve?); follow-up if necessary; structured by learning objectives; balanced – positive and negative; reflections from previous year’s cohort

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Plagiarism: issues and solutions

Issues• How serious?

– More conscious of it– Internet makes it easier

• Poor English (overseas st)– Study cultures

• Student understanding of plagiarism– Why is it an issue?– Need to provide evidence– Referencing– Wikipedia?

Solutions• Catching students early• Advice in feedback• Abandoning open-ended

essays; use of problem-based assignments– But still problem of

student collaboration

• Précis of article• Don’t penalise poor

English• Turnitin

– Do students see their own report?

– How reliable?

ww

w.e

con

om

icsn

etw

ork

.ac.

uk

Plagiarism: issues and solutions

Issues• What does plagiarism include?

– Deliberate or accidental

• Is there best practice in the use of Turnitin?– How often do you use it?– Above what score do you

penalise?

• What sanctions?• Pressures on staff if students fail

through plagiarism• Problems at postgrad. level• Buying hard copies• Pressure to move away from

coursework

Solutions• Regular contact with

students• Use of vivas• Use of Turnitin is as

educational tool• Designing out

plagiarism• Internet detective• Courses on use of

Internet