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Evaluative Writing for Quality Assurance
Dr Peter Kahn
University of Liverpool
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Aims
• To develop our understanding of evaluative writing, within the context of quality assurance and enhancement
• To provide a practical opportunity for you to explore examples of evaluative writing
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Outline
• Characteristics of effective evaluative writing, with short exercises in small groups
• Longer exercise in pairs, with plenary discussion
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Purpose of the writing
• To set the agenda for an evaluation of standards and learning opportunities
• Context: A Self-Evaluation Document is often required in advance of an inspection, audit or quality assurance process
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Evaluation
• Describes briefly, analyses in depth and comments on effectiveness– What do we do? (Describe strategy)– Why do we do it this way? (Analyse
practice)– How effective is the practice? (Evaluate
effectiveness) – (What action needs to follow?)
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Convincing a reviewer
• Positive, balanced and realistic • Claims are illustrated and ‘evidenced’• Claims refer to appropriates measures
and benchmarks• Variety of evidence: qualitative,
quantitative, drawn from stakeholders• Leads the reviewer to ask certain
questions
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Sources of evidence
• Annual Reviews, Five Year Reviews, Institutional Review
• Accreditation reports
• Course unit reviews/evaluations
• External Examiner reports
• Committee minutes, working groups
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Clarity of writing
• Takes account of guidance
• Structured and ‘sign-posted’
• Accessible language and format
• Appropriate use of diagrams
• Repeated editing
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Process
• Get a team together
• Look at evidence
• SWOT
• Highlight key issues to address
• Evaluate robustly
• Draft and re-draft getting wide input
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Exercise
• Pick out one area of your practice (perhaps an issue of concern or where you have a strength) – Describe what you do briefly, analyse in
depth why you do it this way, comment on its effectiveness ...
– in a way that is clear and likely to convince a reviewer.
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Discussion
• In pairs, analyse the extent to which the your colleague’s writing is evaluative, convincing and clear.
• Suggest specific ways to improve the writing (e.g. further evidence,
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Acknowledgments
This workshop was originally developed while working at the University of Manchester.
Dr Peter Kahn
April 2013
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Further reading
• See also Chapter 5 – ‘Writing for Development’ by Angela Brew, in Baume D and Kahn P E (Eds) (2004) Enhancing Staff and Educational Development, Routledge.