Spring/Summer 2015
AQD LEARNING & TEACHING NEWS
Assessment Update
Contents • Page 3, Alice Helm Alabaster (welcome) • Page 4, Jessica Robinson, Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy • Page 6, Caron Jackson & Justine Bigland, Assessment Regulations Update • Page 8, Professor Sue Bloxham, Update • Page 10, Dr Esther Jubb, Anonymous Marking Update • Page 12, Kay Donnellon, Use of Rubrics • Page 16, Ashley Hunt, Major Incident • Page 18, Tom Davidson & Stewart Ralph, Simulated Learning Ambulance • Page 20, Dr John Campbell, Use of Posters in Assessment • Page 22, Ann Thanaraj, Effective feedback Through Audio • Page 24, David Hepworth, Creative Use of IT • Page 26, Dr Naomi K. van der Velden, Immediate Feedback to Effectively Promote Learning • Page 28, University Staff That are making an impression on the body of assessment literature in the HE sector • Page 30, Mark Carver, Feedback and Workplace Learning • Page 32, Dr Pete Boyd, RIPLE Update • Page 34, Learning Technology Update • Page 40, Dates for your Diary.
Cover image: Kurosawa Michiyo (flickr) [Creative Commons License 2.0].
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Contents: Spring/Summer 2015
AQD Teaching & Learning Newsletter, 2nd Edition, Assesment.
General News
4 6 8
Jessica Robinson Launch of the University’s new Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy. Caron Jackson & Justine Bigland Assessment Regulations Update. Professor Sue Bloxham
Professor Sue Bloxham tells what she has been working on since she left the University of Cumbria.
Assessment
10 12
16 18
Dr Esther Jubb
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Dr John Campbell Why not include a poster assessment as part of an overall assessment strategy in your next course validation?
Feedback
22 24
Ann Thanaraj Effective feedback through audio. David Hepworth Vivamus feugiattonulla at tutors Using convallis IT creatively help lacinia. Vestibulum semper, velitto develop skills in relation vehicula tristique cursus. assignment marking.
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Anonymous Marking update from Dr Esther Jubb, plus anonymous marking top 5 tips! Kay Donnellon Use of Rubrics in Multiprofessional Support for Learning and Assessment in Practice Modules.
Creative Assessment & Authentic Assessment Ashley Hunt Forensic Science, major Incident. Unique assessment based practice. Tom Davidson & Stewart Ralph Update on Developing Paramedic Practice and the Simulated Learning Ambulance
Dr Naomi K. van der Velden On-going assessment and immediate feedback to effectively promote learning.
Research
28 30 32 34 40
University staff that are making an impression on the body of assessment literature in the HE sector. Mark Carver
Student experiences of feedback on workplace learning. Dr Pete Boyd Research Institute for Professional Learning in Education (RIPLE) update. Learning Technology Update What’s happening in the world of leraning technology... Dates for your Diary
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General News The AQD service was launched in January 2013. The service has a broad remit covering both quality assurance and enhancement as well as broader developmental agendas. Welcome to the Spring/Summer 2015 edition of the AQD Learning and Teaching Newsletter. Assessment was chosen as the theme as it is such an important part of the learning, teaching and student experience. The aim is to update you with some regulation changes, dispel a few myths and showcase some amazing assessment practice that is happening in both faculties. This sharing and enhancing of practice is a key feature of AQD, and we hope that you find it inspiring and useful. The University is at the cutting edge of research into assessment and our Emeritus Professor Sue Bloxham outlines some of The AQD team consists of: the recent research she has been doing with the Higher Education Academy. Learning Technologists Contact - Andy White From the Faculties we have examples andy.white@cumbria.ac.uk of creative and authentic assessment, ex: 5765 giving the students a memorable ‘real life’ experience. The use of technology features Academic Quality strongly throughout this edition with Contact - Alice Helm-Alabaster alice.helmexamples of how innovative technology alabaster@cumbria.ac.uk tools can help with feedback, anonymous ex: 4326 marking and rubrics. These can help meet those turnaround time targets. Feedback Academic Developers is a key issue for students and we have Contact - Dr Esther Jubb highlighted some programmes that have esther.jubb@cumbria.ac.uk found new ways to enhance this part of ex: 2729 their practice. I hope you enjoy reading this issue. If you feel that your Programme could feature in the Autumn/Winter edition of the newsletter please let one of our academic developers know. We are always on the lookout for new and innovative practice. Alice
If you need support please do not hesitate to contact AQD. We are always happy to support you implement new innovations along with any traditional aspects of your general academic practice.
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Jessica Robinson: New LTA Strategy
Academic Quality & Development (AQD), Head of Service
I am delighted to tell you about the launch of the University’s new Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy (2014-17). This strategy was developed in consultation with academic and professional service colleagues and our Students’ Union. Using consultancy from our involvement with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education’s ‘Changing the Learning Landscape’ project we facilitated a number of consultation events involving colleagues from Faculties, Departments, Professional Services and some of our students. The new approach sets out to provide a high level institutional strategy which expresses our aspirations for learning, teaching and assessment at the University of Cumbria and for this to driven through the development of departmental responses. Departmental responses will be used to drive curriculum design and delivery at the local level, supported by colleagues from the professional services. A set of institutional targets is currently under discussion and these will be considered by Academic Board later this year. Learning Teaching & Assessment Strategy 1. To place student learning at the heart of what we do: We deliver and develop programmes that facilitate learning that is experiential, creative and sustainable; that brings together theory and practice in a powerful combination to provide an educational experience that is inspirational for students and relevant to their future aspirations. 2. To promote learning partnerships: Our programmes shall continue to be developed in partnership with students, professional organisations and services
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General News and academic teams to ensure that they are relevant and valuable to our region and wider society.
6. To ensure quality provision through robust review and enhancement processes:
3. To embrace innovative approaches to learning, teaching and assessment:
We review and enhance the provision of all learning opportunities and teaching practices on a systematic basis with our partners to ensure they remain up to date and fit for purpose.
We will continue to encourage high quality flexible learning opportunities that meet the needs of our students and our institutional context. Programmes are designed to be accessible and inclusive through flexible delivery and the appropriate use of learning technology to support a high quality student experience. Using proven and innovative teaching methods we will ensure that students develop the skills necessary to the contemporary professional environment. 4. To continue to recruit well qualified, high quality staff: Our teaching staff create, share and disseminate new knowledge through their disciplinary research, teaching, academic enterprise and partnerships and use their pedagogical and professional expertise to promote an environment for students to realise their full potential. Staff who support student learning provide high quality, student focused services which, in combination with their taught programmes, provide a holistic student experience.
The new Strategy is available on staffnet: http://goo.gl/NnBWSw
AQD Learning & Teaching FEST 20 1
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Keynote speaker: Helen Beetham (Consultant in High er Education)
5. To provide staff development opportunities appropriate to a University focused on student learning: We provide opportunities for staff development enable staff to achieve recognised professional qualifications appropriate for the enhancement of the student learning experience; in addition to promoting the development of research and scholarly activity indicative of a University where the learning is at the heart of our values.
Fusehill Street (FH S), Carlisle, Monday 2 9th June 2015
Keep that date FREE!
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Assessment Regulations: Update 2015
Justine Bigland, SaMIS & Caron Jackson, AQD
Justine Bigland, Assessment Manager in SaMIS manages the operation of Assessment processes that are impacted upon by the Academic Regulations; including Academic Appeals, Extenuating Circumstances and Malpractice along with the assessment board process. The University’s academic regulations are reviewed annually to ensure that they remain relevant to our programmes and that we are working in line with other HEIs. As regulations change there are sometimes misunderstandings. Below is the summary of the main changes: Marking & Moderation: Second Marking: Feedback, annotated comments and the mark awarded by the first marker should be available to the second marker (Reg: Appx 3b, 1.2.1) Exceeded Word Count: where the word limit has been exceeded the full submission should be marked and awarded the appropriate mark. It is for the MAB to reduce the mark in accordance with the sliding scale of penalties outlined in the regulations (Reg: Appx 3c, 3.5.1). Reassessment: reassessment submission should be awarded the appropriate mark. This will be capped at the MAB – ensuring that a full record of the mark is available on the student profile in case of an EC claim or Academic Appeal. Level 6 modules that form part of Level 7 awards have a 50% pass mark and normal condonation regulations apply (Reg: F5.6).
Non-physical assessment (e.g. presentations, exhibitions, performances etc.): the regulations now require appropriate systems to enable internal and external moderation activity. This could be through joint observation or using video/ audio recording. (Reg: Appx 3d, 7.6.3) Extenuating Circumstances (ECs) EC claims must be accompanied by independent documentary evidence, such as, medical certificate, hospital/doctor’s letter, solicitor’s letter or death certificate. Newspaper articles, copies of internet pages or photographs will not normally be considered as verified evidence unless such documents directly link the student to the circumstances. Students must keep their Personal Tutor informed of any adverse personal circumstances. Where circumstances are of a nature that verifiable evidence is not available and the course tutor or personal tutor is aware of the situation they may provide a letter of support as evidence. Depending on the EC claim submitted and the details completed in the EC form there may be some instances when a student may receive a valid EC outcome for one element of assessment within a module but not another (Reg: F12). In such cases, where both elements of assessment have been failed, it is standard practice for the earlier assessment attempt to be offered first as the outcome of this assessment may impact on the potential requirement for the remaining assessment to be undertaken. You can view some scenarios here which should help to make this clear. Name changes within the Regulations There have been a couple of processes that have had name changes this year in an attempt to make them clearer for both students and staff.
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General News ‘suspension of studies’ is now ‘intercalation’ (Reg: D1.6) ‘Part-time deferred/ external student status’ is now ‘reassessment without attendance’ (Reg: G4). Module Assessment Boards Module Assessment Board (MAB) membership has been revised so that relevant staff on non-academic contracts may be included in the membership and may include staff with delivery and/ or management responsibilities within a programme or partnership (Reg:F11.6). The independent panel member at the MAB is a full panel member, they count towards the quoracy of the board and can participate as a full member. Members of both the Module and/or University Assessment Boards are expected to attend for the whole of the meeting to ensure parity of treatment for all students. Regulations now permit attendance at any assessment board by the Head of Academic Quality & Development (Reg: F11.3). New Regulations and Process New in the regulations in 14/15 is the potential for the UAB to offer an exceptional third (or second at postgraduate level) reassessment opportunity (limited to 20 credits per level on awards of 60 credits or more). The UAB has to be satisfied that there is a reasonable prospect of successful completion and this can only be offered once all reassessment attempts have been undertaken and exhausted.
Caron Jackson, Senior Policy Officer in AQD, has oversight of Academic Regulations, Procedures and Processes – ensuring, though annual review, that these continue to be ‘fit for purpose’. Development of Integrated Year 0 has led to a number of regulatory changes: No APL permitted in Year 0(Level 3) of an integrated Year 0 Honours award Progression to Level 4 with 100 credits, 20 credits must be recouped before commencement of Level 5 The Good Assessment Guide will be updated and will include guidance on what is considered a valid submission to ensure that students are not gaining resubmission opportunities through invalid means. Exchange agreements for ERASMUS students will now provide greater detail and clarity concerning any opportunities for overseas students to take their examinations in their home institution (as long as the partner is a formally recognised HE institution as identified by UK NARIC). ‘MAB Chair Blackboard site’ contains all relevant information for MAB Chairs and is updated regularly. The Assessment Board schedule has been published (http://goo. gl/5QtYBr) Chairs and independent MAB members are encouraged to check the schedule and note dates for their diaries.
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Professor Sue Bloxham: Update
Emeritus Professor of Academic Practice: Faculty of Arts, Education and Business
It is just over a year since I left the University of Cumbria and began working independently for the Higher Education Academy, Quality Assurance Agency and, now, HEFCE. Most of this work is focused on higher education assessment so AQD have asked me to provide a personal view of what’s happening in that field at the moment. Here it is and it’s a pretty lively time (lively, that is, for a sad assessment aficionado like me!). At the central and governmental level, the quality assurance of assessment standards is at the top of the agenda. There is a full review going on, but my particular interest is in the evaluation that HEFCE has just commissioned of external examining. HEFCE want to ask the sector, and other stakeholders like employers and professional bodies, whether external examining is still ‘fit for purpose’. Does it deliver comparable standards across different universities and colleges? They are asking whether the whole idea of comparable standard across different universities is still tenable. For further details on the work on external examining go to https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ project/10874 for details. Another development which has the support of government and which could
affect both academic and administrative staff is the pilot study on replacing the honours degree classification (1sts, 2i, 2ii, etc) with an american-style Grade Point Average marking system (http:// goo.gl/4fF5S6). There are lots of drivers for this including the fact that last year over 70% of students received a 1st or 2.i. This is devaluing a 2.ii and making it hard for employers and others (including students’ themselves) to distinguish levels of achievement amongst the one in every two students who is awarded a 2.i. Twenty one universities have been involved and the report, which I have had the interesting challenge of writing, should be published later this spring. In terms of more prosaic developments and assessment enhancements which are likely to directly benefit students’ learning, there are also some interesting things going on. Increased emphasis is being placed on taking a programme approach to assessment planning. A HEA funded project, PASS, has identified that failure to assess at the programme level is associated with atomisation of assessment tasks with students and staff failing to see the links and coherence in a programme. Assessment that is limited to the module level discourages formative assessment and means that students are often assessed before they have been able to achieve the complex learning we expect at university. You can find out more and see some inspiring practical examples on the PASS web site (http://goo.gl/yBXV6K). Another interesting project which has resources for teams wishing to evaluate and enhance their programme assessment environment and enhance students’ experience of assessment across a programme is TESTA (www. testa.ac.uk). Have a look, or better still, come to a masterclass on TESTA at the
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Assessment 2015 Assessment in Higher Education Conference (aheconference.com/preconference-master-classes/) in June. A major area of enquiry in the assessment research field is the idea of developing student and staff assessment literacy. There is growing understanding that giving students clear assessment briefs with detailed assessment criteria or marking schemes often isn’t sufficient to help them grasp the task requirements. It needs more active and inductive methods. The QAA have taken this on board and the new Quality Code chapter on Assessment (B6) (http://goo.gl/cwUujd) includes developing assessment literacy as an indicator of quality in learning and teaching. Have a look and if you would like help with ideas for doing this, try Price, M., Rust, C., O’Donovan, B., Handley, K., with Bryant, R. (2012) Assessment Literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student Learning. OCSLD, Oxford Brookes University. Margaret Price is also doing a master (or should it be mistress – perhaps not) class on assessment literacy at the AHE conference if you are interested. Oxford Brookes have also recently published a really useful web resource on writing assessment briefs for students plus ideas for helping students understand the requirements. Go to. http://goo.gl/ARjeSn Lastly and closely linked to assessment literacy, improving assessment for learning continues to be an important theme in research and development of assessment. There have been some useful new resources for this published in the last year or two. Have a look at Sambell, K., McDowell, L. and Montgomery, C. (2012) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Before I finish, I can’t miss an opportunity to plug the international Assessment in Higher Education Conference (www. AHEconference.com). This conference is owned by the University of Cumbria with two of your colleagues (Amanda Chapman and Pete Boyd) on the organising committee which I chair. Some of you will remember our first small conference in the Carlisle Gateway building in 2008. It is now a large two day event to be held in Birmingham in June this year. Submissions have been received from over 23 different countries and we are expecting to fill the venue with 170 delegates. So it promises to be a truly international event, magnificently administered from a little office in Carlisle by Linda Shore. If you are keen to develop your assessment practice, there will be lots of papers by practitioners reporting on real assessment experiments and challenges. See you there. Sue Bloxham Emeritus Professor of Academic Practice Faculty of Arts, Education and Business. .
Assessment in higher education conference, Birmingham, 24 & 25 June 2015. For all enquiries contact: aheconference@cumbria.ac.uk or visit: http://aheconference.com
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Dr Esther Jubb: Anonymous Marking
Principle Lecturer, Academic Quality & Development (AQD)
Anonymous marking has been part of the assessment agenda for a number of years, the Students’ Union have been actively campaigning for an increase in the amount of student work that is marked anonymously. We have seen a steady increase in the adoption of anonymous marking and thought that for those who have yet to take the step, or are still considering whether it is a good fit with their assessment strategy, they would appreciate some tips from colleagues who have been using anonymous marking for a while. We spoke with Mark Magas (Lifelong and Inter-professional Learning) and Tim Barry (Medical and Sports Science) about their experience of using anonymous marking within their practice and their departments. From our conversation we have, in the spirit of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity, produced ‘Top 5 Tips for Anonymous Marking’. Anonymous Marking, Top 5 Tips 1) Assessment Design: think carefully about the design of your assessments and if they are appropriate for anonymous marking. Some types of assessment, where they draw heavily on reflection or practice/work based learning may not be easily anonymised. A good assessment mix for students is vital and we would not want to lose authentic assessment opportunities by trying to make anonymous marking fit where it isn’t appropriate. 2) Implementation: Consider when to implement anonymous marking. It is much easier with a new cohort who have no prior experience of the assessment process at the University. If you want to introduce to existing cohorts do it at the beginning of the year and explicitly discuss the process with them.
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Assessment 3) Communication: when introducing anonymous marking take a little time to explain the process, technology and administration of anonymous marking to your students. Questions that will need to be answered are; Why are we using anonymous marking? What submission process will be used? What will anonymous marking look like to them and to you? At what point is marking no longer anonymous? Why is anonymous marking not used on some assessments? As with any assessment students need clear, accurate information about what, when, where and how to submit their work. What works really well is to have a separate Assessment area within your Blackboard module site where all assessment instructions, briefs, guidance and submission points are housed. 4) Technology: Online submission (via Turnitin or via Blackboard) allows students to submit their work anonymously. However, what these submission tools cannot do is remove student names from the front page or headers/footers of documents. Explaining and showing students what the anonymous marking process looks like to you when you are marking their work will help them understand what they need to do in order for their work to remain anonymous. 5) Managing exceptions: When students have been granted extensions, or where Extenuating Circumstances have been claimed, it may not be possible to mark the students’ work anonymously. The implications of extensions and Extenuating Circumstances for anonymous marking should be clarified with students so that they appreciate how the extension(s) and/or the Extenuating Circumstances influence their ability to remain anonymous. The functionality of online submission tools may have a role to play
in the management of such exceptions, and further guidance on this can be sought from the Learning Technologies Team. AQD have produced some guidance on using Turnitin for anonymous marking this can be accessed via: http://goo.gl/d3rDWZ If you would like to discuss how to use Blackboard for online anonymised submission please contact your Faculty facing learning technologist or email AQD@cumbria.ac.uk .
DO YOU KNOW Turnitin can manage peer assessment using peer evaluation and grade mark You can use Pebblepad to create templates for feedback Pebblepad and the Blackboard Blog tool are great for continuous developmental feedback such as for a placement diary Speak to your Faculty facing Learning Technologist in AQD for more advice
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Kay Donnellon: Use of Rubrics
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Science
Use of Rubrics in Multiprofessional Support for Learning and Assessment in Practice Modules The use of a rubric has been piloted with the Multiprofessional Support for Learning and Assessment in Practice Modules (or mentorship as more commonly known as) at levels 5, 6 and 7 within semester 1 of this academic term. A rubric can be defined as an easily applicable form of authentic assessment. A rubric simply lists a set of criteria, which defines and describes the important components of the work being planned or evaluated. A given criterion is then stated in several different levels of completion or competence, with a weighted score assigned to each level (http://goo. gl/4zrHl2). A rubric is an assessment tool that clearly indicates marking criteria. There are two types of rubrics: holistic and analytical. Holistic rubrics group several different assessment criteria and classify them together under grade headings. An example is given opposite.
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Assessment A •Always prepared and attends class •Participates constructively in class •Exhibits preparedness and punctuality in class/class work •Works well with others and is a team player •Demonstrates initiative and improvement •Seeks to understand and acknowledge others’ thoughts •Often reaches full potential if sufficiently challenged •Class assignments have something extra about them •Exceptional content knowledge •Demonstrates ability to integrate new knowledge into work •Challenges his/her own thoughts and ideas B •Usually prepared and attends class •Participates constructively in class, works well with others, and is a team player •Excellent content knowledge •Completes all class assignments; occasionally adds something extra •Demonstrates initiative and improvement •Seeks to understand and acknowledge others’ thoughts •Stretches to reach full potential C • Sometimes prepared and attends class • Average content knowledge • Occasionally or only challenges thought when encouraged by others • Assignments reflect average work • Sometimes an active participant in class; works well with others D • Rarely prepared or attends class • Rarely participates constructively in class • Assignments are late, incomplete, or not turned in at all • Low level of content knowledge • Does not strive to reach potential.
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Kay Donnellon: Use of Rubrics (continued)
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Science
Analytic rubrics, on the other hand, separate different assessment criteria and address them comprehensively. The top axis includes values that can be expressed either numerically or by letter grade. The side axis includes the assessment criteria. This is the type developed for the mentorship modules as: • Provides diagnostic information to the lecturer. • Gives formative feedback to students with a general example given below. (http://goo.gl/ZdV4up). Criteria
50-59%
60-69%
70-79%
80-100%
Knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies of literary texts
Demonstrates limited knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies
Demonstrates some knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies
Demonstrates considerable knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies
Demonstrates thorough and insightful knowledge of forms, conventions, terminology, and strategies
Critical and creative thinking skills
Uses critical and creative thinking skills with limited effectiveness
Uses critical and creative thinking skills with moderate effectiveness
Uses critical and creative thinking skills with considerable effectiveness
Uses critical and creative thinking skills with a high degree of effectiveness
Communication Communicates of information information and ideas and ideas with limited clarity
Communicates information and ideas with some clarity
Communicates information and ideas with considerable clarity
Communicates information and ideas with a high degree of clarity and with confidence
Spelling and grammar
A few errors
Some errors
No errors
Several errors
The rationale for this approach has been identified by a number of authors who suggest that a rubric should give clear guidelines to the marker on how to evaluate or grade a piece of work through the defined criteria, whether this is a portfolio as in this case, presentation or essay. Since the criteria for assessments are clearly defined and linked to the University grading criteria, different markers can arrive at similar conclusions when comparing a given piece of work to each of the graduated criteria on a rubric. This therefore promotes a consistent approach which is vital in the marking of these modules since they are delivered over a number of different campuses and sites each semester, at three different levels with a large team of markers.
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Assessment As a guide for planning, a rubric can give students and markers clear targets of proficiency to aim for. They may also be useful in self and peer assessment to assist in developing skills of analysis and critique and is a potential future consideration within the mentorship modules to assist in improving student performance (us.iearn.org/professional_ development/multimedia/assess/rubric. html). The criteria and performance-level descriptions in rubrics help students understand what the desired performance is and what it looks like. Effective rubrics show students how they will know to what extent their performance passes the desired level on each criterion of importance, and if used formatively can also show students what their next steps should be to enhance the quality of their performance. This claim is backed by research at all grade levels and in different disciplines (http://goo.gl/QrFqbp). The use of rubrics was considered due to the following: • The same comments are written on a number of different students’ assignments. • The marking load is high, and writing out comments takes up a lot of time. • Students repeatedly question the assignment requirements, even after you’ve handed back the marked assignment. • Specific components of the marking scheme need to be addressed for student and marker’s use both prior to and following the assignment submission (http://goo.gl/UXl6om).
Evaluation Staff were asked for their evaluation of the use of the rubric and overwhelmingly the response was positive. One staff member found it took longer to mark the work initially but once became used to the system it became quicker. Comments were received as follows: • Loved it • It’s quicker and easier to mark the work • Brilliant! • Liked it keep it! • Took less time From this led a discussion of the need for consistency in the written element of the feedback was highlighted which can be completed with use of the rubric. The pilot can therefore be considered a success in its development, implementation and evaluation from the markers perspective. Continued development is required in order to facilitate student engagement with the rubric to assist in developing formative feedback from students to develop their skills of analysis and critique and enhance their summative performance.
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Ashleigh Hunt: Major Incident
Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Science
career path takes them. In essence, I wanted to give something back.
I myself studied on this degree 12 years ago when Forensic Science programmes were in their infancy. Having come from a Police background I was keen to further my knowledge of the scientific aspects of Crime Scene investigation. Whilst studying I was inspired by the way in which lecturers engaged with the students and used creative methods to support enquiry based learning. In particular, one part-time lecturer, himself a CSI, enthused his students with his zest of life and the love of his chosen career. Using creative pedagogies he encouraged independent thinking, establishing relevance, interest and understanding. In 2010 his own career as a CSI was becoming more involved and he felt that he could no longer share his time fairly between the Constabulary and the University. I was privileged to be asked to take up his teaching role and in doing so promised to drive the course forward by updating module content and creating new learning strategies. I wanted to create a learning environment which was reflected throughout all year groups, ensuring continuity and progression. I firmly believe as a lecturer it is imperative to take the students out of the classroom, for them to face real life and to leave our care with transferable skills, no matter where their
Due to the sheer scale of the event, the Major Incident scenario was initially, 18 months in the making. I wanted to design a unique assessment based practice which allowed the students to engage in a way that had never been done before whilst working alongside professionals from the constabulary including our own Policing students and create sustainable development within our curriculum which in turn would future proof our learning provision. For me, it was essential that it allowed for all learning needs and capabilities. The incident comprised of 12 crime scenes to be processed over 2 days, each placed within unique environments throughout the campus grounds. I wanted to design something which would build upon similar sessions and engage students throughout the programme, something which could be rolled out over a three year period where students would play a different role dependant on their year of study, allowing them to build on their prior/existing knowledge base. Level 4 students played the role of a Crime Scene Investigator, this allowed students who were being introduced to concepts to understand how these concepts and protocols are important and will form the foundation of future learning and aid progression. I find that students in the first year of FdSc are generally desperate to work in the field as opposed to classroom activities and exploration of concepts and theories, and whilst I’m mindful of discussing the importance of grounding and basic understanding of protocols in terms of second/third year modules, I wanted to give them an insight into this through application of their knowledge. Level 5 students played the role of Forensic Scientists. Their module focuses
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Creative Assessment & Authentic Assessment on analytical skills and builds upon the knowledge and understanding of crime scene principles gleaned in the first year. This activity provided an opportunity for students to choose and apply relevant analysis within a real life scenario. Level 6 students provided the role of Crime Scene Managers, their brief was to critically review the investigation and analyse the evidence recovered by year one and processed by year two. In doing so they formed an opinion as to the strength of the evidence, created a novel hypothesis and were able to give constructive criticism as to the running of the investigation. This also meant they were managing the operation of the crime scene and supporting both first and second years in their roles as Crime Scene Investigators and Forensic Scientists. Our high level students were able to demonstrate how much they had learned and noted that what we teach are not discrete modules of learning but progression in learning and that by their third year they have all the skills to advance within their chosen careers. All years learned invaluable skills such as supporting one another, working as a team, behaving professionally and interacting with external partnerships such as the Constabulary whilst modelling real life operations. Students were also keen to state that this exercise reinforced their learning. The general atmosphere over the two days was one of excitement and professionalism. Students engaged with their tasks and colleagues in a way I could only have wished for. Knowledge exchange was pivotal in order to successfully complete the task laid before them, with those students whom had progressed through all three year groups able to assist and support others. New skills were also
learned along the way. From my own perspective I noticed several changes within the student groups since the Major Incident. Students which have appeared disengaged in the past have re-engaged, not only within their lectures but within their own cohort. They are also engaging with other year groups which serve to help them with future studies. This strategy has also allowed students to “shine� and I have noticed reputable attributes in several students that I have never noticed before which in turn helps to inform future teaching. This strategy of teaching is now in its third year and continues to grow with the exciting introduction of our Paramedic programmes, adding further realism and enhancing the student experience.
Definitions Quiz Can you provide the definitions of: a) CORE and COMPULSORY when applied to assessment within a module b) FORMATIVE and SUMMATIVE assessment
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Simulated Learning Ambulance
Developing Paramedic Practice
Simulated Learning Ambulance
Stewart Ralph Senior lecturer in paramedic practice
Tom Davidson Senior lecturer in paramedic practice
In the summer of 2014 the University of Cumbria invested in a Simulated Learning Ambulance (SLAm) which has revolutionised the manner in which the paramedic team educate and assess the paramedic students. The paramedic profession itself is a very practically oriented vocation, so to ensure students are equipped with the necessary skills often the best method for assessment is to place them in scenarios which maybe encountered in the prehospital environment. ‘Simulation’ has long been associated to enhance safety, quality and education within the health-oriented professions and is suggested to have the same impact in paramedic practice (Peate, 2011). Jones, Jones and Waller (2011) support this by stating ‘high fidelity’ simulation equips a clinician with clinical decision making and psychomotor skills fit for purpose in prehospital care. Prior to having the SLAm students would frequently have to use their imagination as to how they would operate within the confinements of an ambulance and the enclosed space given their specific scenario. This often led to students struggling to comprehend and attach
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Creative Assessment & Authentic Assessment reality and likeness to the scenario, resulting in limitations to the learning taken from the activity. Since the introduction of the SLAm, the provision of the exact confinements and working pressures of the pre-hospital environment can be created. This ‘high fidelity’ simulation allows the student to appreciate the enclosed working environment of an ambulance and how accordingly to provide patient care.
The SLAm is also fitted with microphone and audio capability so the paramedic team can speak to the students in the ambulance from a ‘control room’ in a nearby office. This allows the paramedic lecturing team to hear the history taking and patient care skills advocated by the students. Furthermore the ‘two-way’ audio capability also facilitates important fundamental communication requirements of the paramedic role, such as ‘situational reports’ or ‘pre-alerts’ that are routinely provided in practice to ambulance control via radio transmission. The paramedic lecturing team have started to compile video exemplars of ‘good practice’ with in the SLAm as revision aids for students required to pass OSCE’s within their respective programmes Furthermore in the future the paramedic lecturing team aspire to develop assessments incorporating the SLAm which can be undertaken by students studying an asynchronous module/ programme. References:
The SLAm itself was built to the exact dimensions of a Mercedes ambulance and is much more than just ‘a shell’. It is fitted with specifically located CCTV cameras, so the paramedic lecturing team do not require being present in the ambulance or the room to assess the students’ performance. This allows the student to practice in a manner which replicates the prehospital setting and not have the feeling of the lecturer standing over them when they are practicing; thus adding to the fidelity of the situation.
Jones, C., Jones, P. and Waller C. (2011) Simulation in Prehospital Care: Teaching, Testing and Fidelity. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 3(8) pp.430-434. Peate, I. (2011) Using Simulation to Enhance Safety, Quality and Education. Journal of Paramedic Practice. 3 (8) pp. 429.
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Dr. John Campbell: Poster Presentations
Senior Lecturer, Nursing Studies, Faculty of Health and Science
This case study is based on poster presentations as a summative assessment. This creative assessment was developed by the course team for the HNS 5010 module, Challenges in Health and Behaviour, which is part of the second year BSc registered nurse programme. The combination of one A1 poster and a short presentation constitute 100% of the module assessment weighting. Presenting information in a poster format encourages students to develop concise modalities of communication that affords opportunities for the exchange of information, integrating experiences of professional practice with relevant theory and evidence. Brevity and good presentation skills are therefore encouraged. Key themes of the 5010 module are patient assessment and care planning, so students are encouraged to investigate one aspect of care combining these principles. Limiting the poster to one primary topic allows for space and time for the inclusion of the analytical components necessary for level 5 assessment. Students are encouraged to use a variety of information presenting techniques, such as diagrams, algorithms and flow diagrams, infographics, data presenting graphics and imagery, rather than simply including large amounts of text. As the material was clinical in nature, students often used anatomical or whole body diagrams to illustrate relationships between anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology and clinical features. It is not expected that sophisticated printing resources will be used, as marks are awarded for intellectual and factual content and how students interact with this, demonstrating deep understanding. Diagrams and infographics should be self-
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Creative Assessment & Authentic Assessment generated to demonstrate understanding of underpinning principles. If photographic or diagrammatic images are used from elsewhere, these are referenced accordingly. Levels of understanding are demonstrated by the way students generate links between the various theoretical and practical aspects of information presented. A time of 5 to 10 minutes is allowed for each presentation. Prompt cards or notes are allowed, but students are discouraged from simply reading a prepared script. As the poster is only presented once, a first and second examiner needs to be present. As soon as the presentation is complete, the examiners fill out an assessment grid to agree a grade, given as a simple overall percentage. This is derived by awarding marks under the categories of structure and presentation, content and professional application, level of analysis and interpretation of learning outcomes. All posters are A1 and any text information should have the minimum font size of 20 pt. Key information is referenced and a reference list included on the back of the poster. Student names should always be included on the poster. Initially, it was anticipated that students would generate physical, cut and pasted posters, attaching prepared sheets and hand generated content. However, many students opted for electronic generation of their posters, and then obtained A1 printouts (this service is available at the UoC Brampton Road print unit for covering costs). In order to make it overt that all four learning outcomes of the module were satisfied, most students opted to divide their presentations into four corresponding sections. This also makes it clear that module content is being included in the assessment, improving validity.
This assessment format has now been used with two cohorts of students and the feedback has been almost universally positive. While students often find the process of presentation stressful, once this is completed, self-esteem and confidence are usually bolstered. In addition to learning the content of their assessment, the presentation skills developed will be essential in their future roles as registered practitioners and nursing leaders. As a bonus, students were delighted not to have to produce, yet another, 3,500 word essay. In terms of tutor opinion, it was predominantly felt that the format does indeed allow for a valid adjudication of the students levels of knowledge and understanding. This is consistent with the first two reports from the external examiner who provided highly positive feedback. So, why not include a poster assessment as part of an overall assessment strategy in your next course validation?
Did You Know! During the last calendar year Blackboard was accessed by users in 134 different countries, and had over 20 million page views!
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Ann Thanaraj: Audio Feedback
Principal Lecturer in Law, Faculty of Education, Arts & Business
The LLB Law programme at the University of Cumbria has been ranked top 15th in the United Kingdom in the Guardian League Table. Feedback. The programme also received 92%, 98% and 100% in the NSS scores over the past three years. Annually, the programme is improved through a number of enhancements explicitly placing an excellent and holistic student learning and successful support schemes for retention In this case study, we describe a project utilizing a creative feedback method which we hope will allow feedback to be more accessible, and user friendly to students, giving them the opportunity to reflect on their strengths and areas for improvement and develop into 21st century graduates with the key employability skills the University and employers seek. Effective feedback through audio We are continually finding ways to deliver feedback in ways that help students to reflect and learn with the assistance of tutors and peers, and through their own reflection. Feedback is most effective when it is a conversation rather than a one-way process. We aim to provide feedback that enhances a student’s capacity to engage in a conversation with their tutors and each other (face-to-face or online). Traditional forms of feedback often fail to engage students either cognitively or emotionally: written comments on assignments are often too brief or difficult for the inexpert student to interpret, and are frequently overlooked when the next assignment is due. To tackle issues relating to student engagement with feedback, a pilot in early 2014 explored the use of audio recording as personalised feedback or to groups of learners as podcasts covering tips and hints for forthcoming assignments. The pilot showed that audio recording
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Feedback enabled tutors to include more detailed explanations of the grades they have given and to do so in more meaningful ways – for example, by expanding on salient points, varying the tone, pitch and pace of the voice and adding humour to build rapport and soften the impact of critical comments, thus opening the door to an ongoing dialogue between student and tutor. Students on the Lawyer Skills module and Employment law in Practice module appear to be more attentive to spoken feedback; most respond positively to the intimacy of the spoken word and perceive tutors’ advice as being clearer and more detailed. Learner perspective: ‘I was unwell and could not attend the lectures, but with the audio feedback, I didn’t feel quite so distant. I still felt part of the team. The feedback was really easy to understand, it was as if I was speaking to my tutor’ Tutor perspective: ‘Audio feedback and podcasts help improve teacher contact and student support. I was surprised how much useful feedback I managed to pack into a three-minute clip, which could take over two pages to write’. Benefits: Feedback that enables learners to selfcorrect brings about positive change Audio feedback is time saving and can make challenging tasks for students more achievable.
References Nicol, D. & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006) ‘Formative assessment and self-regulated learning’, Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), pp. 199–218 JISC Digital Media, Creating an audio podcast Lee, J & Tynan, B. (2008) ‘Podcasts and distance learning’ in Salmon, G. & Edirisingha, P. (Eds), Podcasting for Learning in Universities, Chapter 9, pp. 92– 102, Open University Press
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David Hepworth: Audio Visual Feedback
Senior Lecturer in Biological Sciences, Faculty of Health and Science
The challenge Providing consistent and high quality feedback to students when module numbers increase dramatically. The goal To establish a team of first markers which achieves a similar quality and consistency of feedback to that previously provided by a single experienced marker. The context In less than 12 months Level 6 Evidence Based Practice module numbers have risen from an average of 15 per semester to over 100. The module is usually the first that students undertake as they begin their programme of study. Feedback repeatedly indicates a strong student desire for both subject specific and general academic feedback. The summative component consists of a 3500 word assignment and students have consistently rated the assignment and feedback that they receive (using GradeMark / Turnitin with in text comments and personalised audio feedback) as excellent / outstanding. The Issues Few tutors have first marked the assignments previously, few have experience using GradeMark in accordance with the University Good Practice guidelines, few have experience making audio feedback.
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Feedback Proposed solutions Using IT creatively to help tutors develop skills in relation to assignment marking, GradeMark and audio feedback. Created a dedicated area (inaccessible to students) within Blackboard containing materials shown below. Materials consist of: 1) 2 minute Camtasia video summarising the support materials, loaded into Pebblpad and issued as URL; http://goo.gl/0ezUs2
familiar with using GradeMark but not audio) produced effective audio feedback, summarising the key strengths and areas for improvement. However, there were a variety of limitations with regard to GradeMark comments, and in a number of cases mark discrepancies were significant (in relation to general academic rather than subject specific issues). Evaluation
3) Video scrolling through a well written assignment that has been loaded into Blackboard, demonstrating first marker adding in text comments in line with good practice guidelines, highlighting various strengths and limitations of the assignment in relation to subject specific / academic issues. http://goo.gl/723rGx
The materials worked well for the newer members of staff who are perhaps familiar with the University Good Practice guidelines and were more easily able to focus on assignment content and provide focused and detailed feedback. The more established members of staff struggled to utilise GradeMark, and the marking discrepancies were of concern. The reasons for this are difficult to determine, but it is clear that staff might need further support in terms of development. The challenge lies in engaging staff in constructive dialogue in this regard.
4) Video demonstrating how to make an audio recording, including one being made in relation to the assignment discussed above. http://goo.gl/MBbW64
Below are three examples of the use of Camtasia that relate to the work of David Hepworth.
5) Range of accessory materials such as activating spell check.
Staff guide - How to set up Camtasia and produce a video to embed it in Blackboard: http://goo.gl/mWUKc4
2) Relevant assignment guidelines / MDF
Outcome Three members of staff who had commenced working at University within last 12 months each produced in text feedback in accordance with Good Practice guidelines with clear audio feedback consistent with those made by the experienced marker. Two members of staff (employed for a number years at the University and
Staff guide - producing audio feedback in GradeMark: http://goo.gl/g15qSJ Student Guide – using the Quest database to search for research / journal articles: http://goo.gl/d4WMCC
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Dr van der Velden: On-going feedback
Lecturer in Ecology and Sustainability, Science Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies
interpreting the correct statistical tests. Rather than have to mark 60 answer sheets every week, I have created online tests using Blackboard to give immediate feedback on numeric and interpretive answers. I have also asked the students what they think about this process.
I teach statistics. Wait! Come back! This article isn’t about statistics, but how to engage students in a challenging subject. Most people learn best by trying something and getting immediate feedback: Did it work? How well did it work? What might need to change to improve?
How does it work? Found under Assessments (just next to the Build Content option you probably often use to add lecture slides to Blackboard), the test option offers a range of useful question styles (see Figure 1) to assess your students’ understanding of materials, ability to do calculations, use terms appropriately, or anything else you can creatively incorporate. Some, like the “essay” option will require you to look over the tests afterwards, but selectively choosing questions that avoid this means that you need only glance over responses for simple errors.
On-going assessment and immediate feedback during a course is considered to most effectively promote learning (e.g Dihoff et al., 2004; Epstein et al. 2010). NSS results consistently highlight lowest satisfaction with assessment and feedback across institutions (Grove, 2014). Simultaneously, university teachers are increasingly limited in their ability to provide fast and effective feedback as both class sizes and workloads increase. Most of us see marking as one of the least enjoyable parts of the job. Using online methods can help to alleviate this burden and develop student learning.
I combine, numeric answers, multiple choice, true/false, and fill-in-blanks to ask simple and complex questions. Simple questions may examine ability to conduct a task e.g. “what is the mean height of males in our sample? [enter number]”. Complex ones may require deeper thinking or demonstrating understanding e.g. “based on your results, what can we say about plant growth? [select from given options]”. The example shown in Figure 2 guides them to choosing the correct terms and using a consistent number of decimal places. Overall, the sentence represents how you might find results presented in an academic paper.
Statistics is difficult for many. Sessions develop the learning week by week so it is essential to ensure that students engage with, and understand, the materials as they go along. I designed a series of worksheets to guide them through the steps of choosing, conducting, and
The real benefit of this, however, is the feedback. You can offer encouragement and re-enforcement for correct answers and advice on incorrect answers (Figure 3). You can decide whether feedback occurs after each question or at the end of the
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Feedback test. You can also determine how many marks are assigned to each question and whether the questions are presented all at once or one at a time. You can decide how many attempts can be made for each question – can they practice until they get it right? You can even have a large question bank and show a random selection to each student so that they can’t copy from each other.
What comes next? The next stage of the learning process is reflecting on the learning and feedback. The challenge, then, is incorporating a mechanism into the use of the Blackboard tests by which students actively engage with their feedback to learn, a process found by Rust (2002) to be critical in determining the usefulness of feedback.
What do the students think? Despite my experiences elsewhere of students looking at grades but not reading feedback, only 15% said they were only interested in their grades. Most students recognised that this feedback was useful (66%) – plus a re-enforcement on the feedback message for NSS responses! - although only 44% said they used it to look back over their answers to understand where they went wrong. Those that didn’t often got all of them correct and tended to score higher than those that did go back through their answers. This suggests that this feedback is being used more by those who are scoring less well, rather than just the more able students taking advantage of it as often seems to be the case.
References
Given the option to continue using the tests, most were in favour, although a small proportion (3 people) said that these tests were not helpful in developing their understanding. Those that preferred not to do the tests and found them unhelpful did tend to be those that weren’t doing them week by week and were therefore faced with a lot of work to do in one go. Overall, the students agreed that we should continue using these tests each week, and following years seem to have benefitted from using them too. I have found that it has saved time in marking whilst ensuring that students have access to meaningful and timely feedback.
Dihoff, R. E., Brosvic, G. M., Epstein, M. L., & Cook, M. J. (2004). Provision of feedback during preparation for academic testing: Learning is enhanced by immediate but not delayed feedback. Psychological Record, 54(2), 207-232. Epstein, M. L., Lazarus, A. D., Calvano, T. B., Matthews, K. A., Hendel, R. A., Epstein, B. B., & Brosvic, G. M. (2010). Immediate feedback assessment technique promotes learning and corrects inaccurate first responses. The Psychological Record, 52(2), 5. Grove, J. (2014) National Student Survey 2014 results show record levels of satisfaction. Times Higher Education (online) 12th August 2014. Rust, C. (2002). The impact of assessment on student learning how can the research literature practically help to inform the development of departmental assessment strategies and learner-centred assessment practices? Active Learning in Higher Education, 3(2), 145-158.
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University staff that are making an impression on the body of assessment literature in the HE sector include: Krista Court: Senior lecturer in TESOL
Tutor feedback on draft essays: developing students’ academic writing and subject knowledge. Abstract Providing feedback on draft essays is an accepted means of enacting a socialconstructivist approach to assessment, aligning with current views on the value of formative feedback and assessment for learning (AFL). However, the use of this process as a means of improving not only content but also students’ academic writing skills has not been widely studied, despite a widespread perception that there is scope for intervention at university level. This article explores the developmental potential of a drafting/tutor feedback/ redrafting process on a first-year undergraduate course for trainee English language teachers at a UK university. The aims of this small-scale, largely qualitative study were to ascertain students’ perceptions of the process and to determine the extent to which the process could contribute to the development of
students’ academic writing. Data are derived from first and second draft essay marks and questionnaires administered to 32 students. Findings suggest that feedback on drafts is acted on and can contribute to improved work when it is timely and detailed and when it raises students’ metacognitive awareness, as was the case in this project. Also noteworthy, however, are the students’ perceptions that redrafting is cognitively challenging and time-consuming. Comments from a less academically confident student with regard to the quantity of feedback and its detrimental impact are of particular concern. Questions are raised regarding the use of tutor reformulation, the sustainability of AFL and the provision of feedback to – and its interpretation by – weaker students. Finally, some key indicators for improved future practice are presented. Full paper: Court, K. (2014). ‘Tutor feedback on draft essays: developing students’ academic writing and subject knowledge’ Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol 38, No. 3, pp. 327-345. (http://goo.gl/G0O6Jh). Keep a look out for these future publications: Court K. (in press). ‘Whose job is it? Exploring subject tutor roles in addressing students’ academic writing via essay feedback’. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education.
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Assessment Research Dr Amanda Chapman: Senior lecturer AQD
Nicky Meer: Senior lecturer AQD
Assessment for Confidence: Exploring the impact that low stakes assessment design has on student retention. Abstract This article explores student achievement and confidence in a university Business School. The research is centred on creating innovative assessments during the key transition year focusing on creating Assessment for Confidence. This aims to eliminate barriers to success, improve student engagement with their Community Of Practice and therefore increase student retention. This study consisted of longitudinal practitioner action research over four years within the University of Cumbria Business School identifying students’ perceptions of their barriers to learning. The research identified study skills, academic language, socialisation and traditional formal assessment as the main barriers to student achievement. Key conclusions were that early low-stakes assessment designed for improving confidence was an excellent vehicle for increasing student engagement and retention. Full paper: Meer, N and Chapman, A. (2014). Assessment for Confidence: Exploring the impact that low stakes assessment design has on student retention, International Journal of Management Education (IJME) pp. 186-192 DOI information: 10.1016/j. ijme.2014.01.003 Keep a look out for these future publications: Chapman, A. (in press). ‘Using the Assessment process to overcome Imposter Syndrome in Mature Students’. Journal of Further and Higher Education.
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Mark Carver: feedback on workplace learning
PHD Student, Faculty of Education, Arts & Business
Research Update: Student experiences of feedback on workplace learning Mark Carver: Postgraduate Researcher in Education My research explores the way that students on a professional programme conceptualise the feedback they get during their work placements. I used a range of survey and interview methods and statistical analysis with undergraduate and postgraduate students to look at how students think about feedback, and why. My starting point was creating a more detailed working definition of feedback. The literature ranges from very broad definitions of feedback being any ‘exchange’ that promotes learning (Askew & Lodge, 2000) to an insistence that only ‘proactively used’ feedback is real feedback (Nicol, 2013), but a consistent piece of advice is that we should seek dialogue with students. However, dialogue is difficult if students do not read their feedback (Bailey & Garner, 2010). When students say feedback is the least satisfying element of their university experience (Bols & Wicklow, 2013), it is important to know what that means acquiescing to give them more, prompter and quicker feedback does not necessarily solve the problem (Carless, 2006). My research looks at teacher education, and so far it seems these students have a narrow view of feedback. Mostly, it is something given to them rather than something they engage with or help create. Feedback is also something they often have to push to get. When they do get it, it is tangled in game-playing, safe language, and awkward structures. We really need to stop with the feedback sandwich, they’ve figured it out. When describing what feedback is used for, students are far
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Assessment Research more likely to mention getting on well with a tutor or getting through an assessment rather than talking about learning. When learning is talked about, it is usually in a narrow sense - quickly solving faults that the student had not spotted, tips for classroom management, or how to lead a task. Procedural stuff. My research asks if, following ‘assessment for learning’, we can start to talk about ‘feedback for learning’. So far, feedback for learning is hard to find and often indirect. What matters to students is knowing what is expected of them, being reassured, reducing power differences, and feeling safe in how they will be graded before they can open up to honest dialogue. You don’t get this information by asking what students want from feedback - they just say they want it quicker, in more detail, more often. By probing a bit deeper, however, I think I have found what this really means. Giving students what they want isn’t producing the improvements we expected: it is time to start talking about what feedback students actually need.
Education: Developing dialogue with students (pp. 19-29). London: Routledge. Carless, D. (2006). Differing perceptions in the feedback process. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 219-233. doi: 10.1080/03075070600572132 Nicol, D. (2013). Resituating feedback from the reactive to the proactive. In D. Boud & E. Molloy (Eds.), Feedback in higher and professional education: understanding it and doing it well (pp. 34-49). London: Routledge.
References:
Assessment Myths
Askew, S., & Lodge, C. (2000). Gifts, pingpong and loops – linking feedback and learning. In S. Askew (Ed.), Feedback for learning (pp. 1-18). London: Routledge Falmer.
There is a max word count for a 20 credit module: There is no ratio, but you need to be consistent within a programme and provide a rationale for your choices at validation.
Bailey, R., & Garner, M. (2010). Is the feedback in higher education assessment worth the paper it is written on? Teachers’ reflections on their practices. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 187-198. doi: 10.1080/13562511003620019
Students need to submit electronically and in hard copy: Trust the electronic systems: we have just had our busiest Turnitin time and nothing was lost.
Bols, A., & Wicklow, K. (2013). Feedback - what students want. In S. Merry, M. Price, D. Carless & M. Taras (Eds.), Reconceptualising Feedback in Higher
Multiple Choice Questions only assess surface learning: You can use MCQs in a more sophisticated way using case studies and PBL to assess deeper, analytical skills.
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Dr Pete Boyd: RIPLE
Reader in Professional Learning, Faculty of Education, Arts & Business
including Higher Education. Some are specifically focused on higher education issues. RIPLE is planning a new annual winter conference in Carlisle on research into higher education for Wednesday January 13th 2016 and will put out a call for presentations on research and evaluation. If you are involved in research into higher education then RIPLE wants to hear from you. Please contact Linda Shore to get on our network list (linda.shore@cumbria.ac.uk). HresearchE RIPLE (Research Institute for Professional Learning in Education) is the educational research hub of the University of Cumbria RIPLE includes educational research in nurseries, schools, colleges and universities
RIPLE is led by an informal steering group including Pete Boyd, Sally Elton-Chalcraft, Barry Hymer, Alison Jackson, Amanda Chapman and Paul Cammack. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if there is a way in which we can support you or if you can offer to lead a lunchtime seminar.
RIPLE hub research into Higher Education includes research by academics and academic-related staff into teaching, learning, assessment, student experiences, learning support, knowledge exchange, student and academic identity, employability, academic work, leadership, and policy. RIPLE supports educational researchers across all subject disciplines and professional fields in the University and provides a lead in development for the research audit (REF) submission for the Education unit of assessment. RIPLE hosts regular round table seminars at lunchtimes by video conferencing to bring together educational researchers to focus on a selected issue and share their research and scholarship. Many of these seminars focus on theory or methodology and are relevant to education in all sectors
6th TEAN Annual Conference Knowing about Teaching Wednesday, May 13th and Thursday, May 14th 2015, 9.30am – 3.30pm each day, Aston Conference, Birmingham Online registration: http://goo.gl/2HEsiu All other queries please contact TEAN admin at: tean@cumbria.ac.uk
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Assessment Research
Assessment in higher education conference, Birmingham, 24 & 25 June 2015. Early Bird registration: Deadline 1 may 2015 For all enquiries contact: aheconference@cumbria.ac.uk or visit: http://aheconference.com
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Learning Technology: Turnitin & GradeMark
Stuart Illingworth: Senior Learning Technologist
Most tutors and students think of Turnitin (and GradeMark) as simply a plagiarism detection utility. But, some of the articles in this AQD Newsletter, for instance, the example of audio feedback on page 22 demonstrate how a little imagination can ‘turn-it-into’ an invaluable feedback and support tool.
iPad: Did you know that you, the instructor, can use an iPad app for grading and marking? Originality reports, QuickMark comments, audio comments and feedback, custom text and highlights are all available. You can sync assignments to your iPad so you can grade offline too.
Turnitin is a web-based service for managing the electronic submission of students’ work which is compared to a huge database of web pages (both live and archived), papers held in the student paper archive and also academic, professional and commercial publications - over 12.5 billion in total. If a match is found it is highlighted in the student submission, but this doesn’t automatically mean that plagiarism has occurred. The matching text may be properly attributed to its author so the detection of plagiarism also requires human judgement in order to be useful.
There is an interactive tutorial available from inside the app but the process is essentially:
Owing to concerns that Turnitin may be violating students’ copyright, by storing their papers in the Turnitin database, in March 2008 Judge Claude Hilton found that, “[its] use protects the creativity and originality of student works by detecting any effort at plagiarism by other students,” and that the service, “provides a substantial public benefit through the network of educational institutions using Turnitin”, and also that it was considered to be ‘fair use’ with respect to copyright law.
Tap on the student submission for most interactions eg. Leaving marks Press to select text or marks Drag to move marks or change the selection length Swipe across with one finger to access the Grade Overview Tap to change grades, mark rubrics, and leave general and Voice comments in the Grade Overview Swipe with two fingers to move between student submissions
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Learning Technology GradeMark allows instructors to mark and grade papers online, in a paperless environment (only tutors can see the submission). Instructors can create custom sets of comments for marking and can use rubric scorecards to ‘quick score’ student papers against a set of criteria previously created by the tutor or larger institution. When the post date of a paper has arrived, students are easily able to access the marked version of their paper and see any grades, comments and marks made by their tutor. All the student needs to do to view their marked paper is to click the blue ‘view’ icon, next to the assignment. The GradeMark paper will open in a new browser window and their grade and comments will be displayed. The full content of their paper will be visible along with any marks made by their tutor. The viewer frame will show the grade, title and author of the paper and the similarity index will show - if the tutor has allowed the originality report to be visible. The sidebar shows the comment or mark list, general comments and the rubric scorecard. If the GradeMark icon isn’t visible to students, then the assignment postdate hasn’t arrived, or the paper has not yet been marked or graded. Tutor marks, added to a submission, show in the body of the paper and can be a combination of comments (like notes that a tutor may write in the margin), Quick Marks which are pre-written comments, draw attention to things like frequently used grammar, punctuation or formatting faults. Any tutor-added rubrics are viewed by clicking the ‘scorecard’ icon, near the bottom of the sidebar.
General, paper-wide, comments can be added by the tutor to give a longer statement or overall review and assessment in greater depth then specific marks on the paper. Using Grademark you can give rich and varied feedback to a student. NSS scores are used to score both the timeliness and quality of feedback, so an instructor would be thinking about how to give good quality feedback. Grademark allows you to give both audio and written comments for the overall submission. It could, for example, be used to give feedback on the overall piece of work and on how it may have met the requirements of the module. It can also be used to give forward-looking feedback by suggesting how the student could improve their skills and achieve better grades in the future. This can be particularly useful when giving formative feedback on a draft piece of work, when there is no need to grade it.
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Learning Technology: Update PebblePad User Group Exemplars
PebblePad Mobile App
One of AQDs Learning Technologists presented at a Regional User Group meeting at UCLAN in November, showcasing the wonderful work the PGCE Secondary Education Department are doing with School Direct training and their innovative use of PebblePad.
PebblePad recently launched their free app called PebblePocket This app allows you to take a photo, record a video, create a post or a reflection and send it to your asset sore without going anywhere near a computer. You can also use the microphone on your phone or tablet device to record your thoughts rather than using the keyboard. The app allows you to save the item onto your device and send it when you’re ready, or just click Send for it to immediately arrive in your asset store. Once in your asset store, it is ready for you to add to an existing asset or to form the basis of a new one. We can see it being a brilliant app for those students on placement who need to collect evidence on a regular basis, for example, those who regularly have to blog and so much more. We’re very excited about it! Please call us for a demo or to get started with the app.
Here is a link to all the presentations from up and down the country from various universities using PebblePad in really creative and innovative ways, from using MOOCS to deliver online training, to supporting medical staff off campus; from academic skills audits to employability showcases; from PDP to professional accreditation. The following webfolio is full of interesting ideas, videos and presentations from the day: http://bit.ly/1svUfpX . If you’d like to chat to AQD about how you could use PebblePad within your curriculum or try out any of these ideas, please contact aqd@cumbria.ac.uk. On 21st April 2015, the University of Cumbria are hosting the next Regional User Group meeting in Lancaster from 12 – 4pm with a free lunch provided. Put the date in your diary and further details will follow! Furture regional group meetings: http://goo.gl/IVktFJ Videos and presentations from the last regional group meeting: http://bit.ly/1svUfpX
Android: http://goo.gl/tjS4Wy Apple: http://goo.gl/JcomLJ
Blackboard Mobile App: The Blackboard Mobile Learn app continues to prove popular. Nearly 12,500 people have used it to access Blackboard during the last 12 months. It is quite common to have daily logins of 4,000 or more via the app.
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Turnitin
Learning Technology
Online submission, marking and feedback through Blackboard continues to grow. January 2015 was our busiest month ever for both submissions and marking through Turnitin. November 2014 through to January 2015 saw nearly 18,500 submission with nearly 11,000 papers marked (an increase in marking of nearly 38% on the same period the previous year).
Bristol Online Surveys: The university’s Bristol Online Surveys (BOS) account was finally migrated to the new version on Monday February 23rd. The new system offers a different layout, additional and enhanced features as well as producing more “mobilefriendly” surveys. Some of the new features are highlighted here. The new address to log into the system is here: www.onlinesurveys.ac.uk
Texting through Blackboard: A pilot of text messaging through Blackboard has started. AQD have developed a Blackboard plug-in that allows users to manage their preferred contact mobile number, or to opt-out of the scheme as they prefer. Once enabled for the service, tutors can then send text messages to users via a Blackboard link to a third-party texting service.
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Learning Technology: Assessment URLs
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Learning Technology
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AQD Learning & Teaching FEST 20 1
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Keynote speaker: Helen Beetham (Consultant in High er Education) Fusehill Street (FH S), Carlisle, Monday 2 9th June 2015
Keep that date FREE!
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