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.