Collaborative Evaluation as Learning

LSBU LTEU Lunch ‘n’ Learn11 Dec 2008

Colston SangerBCIM Faculty L&T Fellowsangerc@lsbu.ac.uk

The abstractYou know all about assessment of learning, as well as formative assessment for learning. But what about assessment as learning?

In this lunchtime session, I will describe how in the units I teach I have been introducing assessment at every conceivable opportunity.

I will review what has happened to date and what I plan to do next.

(Actually, I no longer talk about ‘assessment’: I prefer ‘collaborative evaluation’.)

Structure of this talk

• BCIM Faculty L&T proposal, 2007-8

• What I did

• Results so far

• What next?

BCIM L&T Fellowship project• Collaborative Evaluation as Learning

‘To investigate practical means of providing continual self, peer and tutor collaborative evaluation in ways that promote student engagement – in a context of constructive alignment of individual learning agreements, intended learning outcomes and, where possible, work-based live assignments within two MBA units.’

The context - I• 2006-7, co-teaching on two MBA units,

Managing Projects and Consulting Skills

• Disappointing quality of some student assignments– Despite encouragement to get feedback on

early drafts– Misgivings regarding the originality of

particular assignments

• Looking for ways of increasing student engagement and hence achievement

The context - II• BCIM Faculty L&T award, 2007-8

– And again for a related project, 2008-9

• Unit Leader for MBA Managing Projects since 2007-8– Also Unit Leader MBA Research Methods,

Dissertation Project, 2007-8

• 2008-9– Co-teaching new MBA Stage 1 core unit

Business Process and Organisation Design– Unit Leader for new MBA Stage 2 core unit

Critical Management Inquiry (includes research methods)

Why ‘collaborative evaluation’ and not simply ‘assessment’?

• ‘Because I want to focus not so much on the assessment of the tangible artefacts of learning as on the development (as evidenced by their in-class interactions) of students’ awareness and critical judgement of multi-party or multi-stakeholder perspectives, particularly where criteria may be more emergent than given.’

• A key skill in managing projects – and a critical aspect of study at postgraduate level

‘Constructive alignment’?• An iterative, incremental process of

alignment and refinement of intended learning outcomes, learning activities and evaluation

– Cf., innovation or change projects in today’s more fluid organisational contexts

– Where the process of managing the project is also an iterative, incremental process of learning what is required and what can be achieved

Biggs, R (1999), Teaching for Quality Learning at University, Buckingham: SRHE and Open University Press

What I did• Learning agreement

• Check-in • In-class group activity – self

and peer evaluation• Group presentations• Class review

• Unit review

• Self-evaluation of individual assignment

• Subsequently, adapted for a Research Methods unit and a Residential

• Has fed into the design of a new core MBA unit, Critical Management Inquiry

Examples – Learning agreement

MBA-M-111 Managing Projects

• What particularly do you want to gain from this unit?

• How do you propose to go about it?

• What work-based or other live project do you have in mind for your individual assignment?

• What additional help or resources might you need? – e.g., what support or additional resources can you call upon at work?

• How will you know when you’re done? – e.g., what are your success criteria?

• Then what?

Example -Check-in

Example – Outcomes

Example – Group presentations

Example – Group activity, self and peer evaluation

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Example – Class review

Example – Unit review

Example – Work-based project, self-evaluation

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One minute activity break

• What do you do?

– What else could you do in your teaching sessions to encourage this kind of meta-learning?

Results - I

Results - II‘You treated us with respect and as adults. You listened to us and directed us well. Your seminar format was very refreshing.’

‘I enjoyed your different approach, particularly the "around the table discussions".’

‘The three months we spent doing your sessions were a lift to my career.’

Results - III• Engagement is all

• Alignment of intended learning outcomes, activities and evaluation to encourage the development of higher level skills

– But of course…

– ‘Calibrating’ the process of learning to provide many small opportunities for reflection

– Dwell time

What next?• Learning as a social activity

– Less teaching, more time for learning

• Lead with groupwork/simulation/case study– Project-based and Inquiry-based learning, as in

forthcoming Critical Management Inquiry unit

• Threshold concepts

• ‘Naturalising Reflection’

Questions, discussion

• What did you or I learn that if we don’t discuss, we might forget?

• What still puzzles us?