High Impact Assessment and Feedback

High Impact Assessment and Feedback ‘Assessment and feedback practices should be designed to enable students to become self-regulated learners, able to monitor and evaluate the quality and impact of their own work and that of others’ David Nicol (2010)

Dr Andy Clegg

Aims ยง To identify what makes effective (high impact)

assessment and feedback ยง To reflect on student perceptions of assessment and

feedback in relation to the NSS

ยง To look at practical ways of enhancing and assessment

and feedback

Assessment and Feedback Activity 1 • What makes effective (high impact) assessment and feedback?

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback

NUS – Working to Improve Assessment 1. Should be for learning, not just of learning 2. Should be a continuous process 3. Should be timely 4. Should relate to clear criteria 5. Should be constructive 6. Should be legible and clear 7. Should be provided on exams 8. Should include self-assessment and peer-to-peer feedback 9. Should be accessible to all students 10. Should be flexible and suited to students’ needs

REAP Project University of Strathclyde

Assessment and feedback for effective student learning

[Re-engineering Assessment Practices in Higher Education]

A guide for staff on implementing the University’s Assessment and Feedback Policy

01

The 4 Principles of Assessment and Feedback The 4 principles are:

Principle 1:

Principle 2:

Principle 3:

Principle 4:

Assessment and Feedback Practices Promote Effective Student Learning

Assessment and Feedback Practices are Appropriate, Fair, and Transparent

Assessment and Feedback Practices are Clearly Communicated to Students and Staff

Assessment and Feedback Practices are Continuously Reviewed

03

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback Checklist What is the overall programme of assessment across the degree?

How can you engage students as partners in the assessment design and feedback process?

Is there any employer engagement in the assessment design?

Have you considered the most appropriate assessment method reflecting learning outcomes, student engagement, attainment of knowledge and skills?

Have you considered staff and student workloads?

How are students inducted into your approach to assessment and feedback?

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback Checklist Do you have a process in place to ensure that feedback is returned in a timely manner (within 3 weeks) How are student perceptions of assessment and feedback captured in your module evaluation form?

Are you using the minor change process effectively to change the assessment?

Are staff talking about assessment? Do you know what other colleagues are doing?

Are you being innovative?

Would you want to do the assessment you are asking students to do?

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback Checklist Is it clear to students how intended learning outcomes are aligned to the assessment criteria?

Have you provided clear guidance on all elements of the assessment process?

Have you provided specific and clear assessment criteria?

Have you / are you using rubics / linking to the undergraduate assessment criteria?

Have you made sufficient provision for tutorials and other opportunities for students to discuss the assessment?

Enhancing Assessment and Feedback Checklist Is marking more than ticks on a script?

Is work adequately moderated? Is there evidence of this?

Is feedback meaningful and ‘feeding forward’ – will it allow students to improve?

What balance do you have between formative and summative assessment?

Assessment and Feedback

So what’s the problem?

What’s the Problem?

Committed and innovative lecturers Variety of assessment types Lots of written feedback on assignments Learning outcomes and criteria clearly specified

…looks like a ‘model’ assessment environment but it does not support learning well…

Students: Don’t think there is a lot of feedback or that it is very useful, and don’t make use of it Don’t think it is at all clear what the goals and standards are

….are unhappy and this equates to poor NSS scores!

Assessment and the NSS Activity 2: Q6: Assessment arrangements and marking have been fair • What does this mean to you?

• What criteria elements are you judging on?

• What does fair mean?

Themes: Fairness

“I get the grade I think I deserve’

Themes: Fairness “Fair means or should mean that each student receives a mark that accurately represents their contribution, effort and above all the quality of their own individual pieces of work that they produce…

It is not fair for any student to be given a mark that is representative of others peoples’ work – after all I am working for my own degree – not a group degree!

I wish all my work, or at least a lot more of it, had been assessed individually’

“People should get the grade they deserve and work for’ “Fair means being honest…’

“Have the right to negotiate/appeal your mark in conjunction with preset criteria’

Themes: Assessment Criteria “Feedback to explain how each criteria point has been marked’ “Whether my work is marked on the criteria I thought it was on’ “Judging on my own understanding of peer assessment’ “Clearer criteria and lecturers to make sure it is understood’ “Fair means if it has been marked against the assessment criteria’ “Ambiguous marking criteria’

“Marking criteria – conflicting markers - super annoying!’

“All assessments have been marked against the criteria given by lecturer and not by favoritism’ “The fact the criteria is ignored – not clear and then you get penalised’ “Simple criteria – no jargon!’

“Ask students at the start of the module how they interpret the marking criteria’

Themes: Group Work and Peer Assessment “Students should have more

“Group work is needed it’s just

control on people who don’t contribute in the group’

not managed correctly!’

“There is little support or

option’

arrangements in place to deal with students who do not pull their weight!’

“Put into groups with students

“We were able to work with individuals we work with ’

“Group work is needed it’s just not managed correctly!’

“Free-riding’

“Self-selection needs to be an

who were not on the same ability level’

“We pay for this degree and will try and get the highest mark we can get…so when the given the opportunity why would we award less than 100% when hard work has been put in?’

Themes: Communication and Consistency “When the second marker writes

“Every lecturer works differently

comments it shouldn’t be sarcastic!’

which does not help’

“Why tell us one thing on the

“Nobody actually listens!’

draft comments then different on the real thing!’

“Why do the 1st and 2nd markers not even agree?’

“If more than one lecturer teaches a module, feedback and marks should be consistent’

“Don’t want feedback just the grade’

“Tell me how to succeed not fail!’

Summary Key themes covered: ยง What makes effective assessment and feedback ยง Student perceptions of assessment and feedback in

relation to the NSS ยง Practical ways of enhancing and assessment and

feedback