Re-assessing innovative assessment workshop
Dr Erica Morris (Consultant in Academic Practice, HEA)
To explore contemporary assessment perspectives, emphasising
the use of innovative assessment and principles aligned with
assessment for learning
An opportunity to
• explore the notion of ‘assessment for learning’, and associated
guiding principles
• consider the rationale for diversifying assessment methods
and using authentic assessment tasks, enhancing the
development of graduate attributes and skills relevant to
employability
• review and plan for changing assessment practices to enhance
student learning
Overview of workshop
2
3
Structure of workshop
Timing Session
11.15 am Current assessment perspectives, assessment for
learning model; short activity
11.45 Activity – Considering diverse forms of assessment for
learning: challenges and opportunities
12.15 pm Plenary
12.35 Looking at assessment literacy
12.45 Activity – Integrating assessment literacy
12.55 Insights, reflections and actions
1.10 Conclusions
1.15 Close of workshop
“innovative assessment could be any
form of assessment which involves the
application of a new technique or
method … however, innovative
assessment has come to mean more
than that; it is a term we use which
encompasses a whole range of different
techniques and methods, not all of
which are new inventions. What unites
them is a common goal: to improve
the quality of student learning”
(Mowl 2006, p2)
4
What do we mean by innovative assessment?
Innovative with regard to
• Being characterised as authentic or
work relevant
• Technology-enhanced assessment or
learning
• Changing the nature of student
engagement and participation
Assessment for learning:
“challenges and blurs the boundaries
between assessment and teaching”
(Sambell et al 2013, p151)
5
Re-assessing innovative assessment
• Building on two decades of work
on assessment in higher education
• Response to issues and concerns
in assessment practice
• Assessment Standards: a
Manifesto for Change
– Assessment Standards Knowledge
exchange (ASKe)
• Six evidence-based tenets – Unpacked, re-cast
– Assessment review tool
– Evidence base
6
Transforming assessment
The debate on standards needs to focus on how high
standards of learning can be achieved through assessment. This
requires a greater emphasis on assessment for learning rather
than assessment of learning
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Assessment for learning
• Authentic assessment – engaging, meaningful assessment tasks
• Students developing as learners – effective attributes and skills to self-
assess and evaluate their own learning
• Informal feedback – e.g. in-class group discussions, peer-review
• Formal feedback – range of forms of feedback, used at a number of stages
• Practice, rehearsal – opportunities to learn and practice
• Formative and summative – appropriate balancing of these two types of
assessment
(Sambell et al 2013)
A consensus in the field
8
Assessment framework Emphasis: examples
Carless (2009)
A framework for learning-
oriented assessment
Tasks should be designed to stimulate
productive learning practices
Assessments should involve students actively
in engaging with criteria, quality, their own
and peers’ performance
Boud and Associates (2010)
Seven propositions for
assessment reform
Assessment for learning as pivotal
Inducting students in assessment cultures
and practices
NUS
Assessment and feedback
benchmarking tool, with 10
principles
Diverse forms of assessment
Formative assessment and feedback
Self-reflection and peer learning
• Social work module: observations of practice
• Develop a glossary as an assessment
– Identified academic terms, writing definitions, indicating
sources
– Personal, illustrative evidence of relevance of term (e.g.
from practice observations, peer discussion)
• Encouraging research reading, learning to writing
concisely
• Looking at different theoretical perspectives, linking
theory and practice
Example: developing a glossary
9 Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p18)
• Business Studies module looking
at corporate management
• Assessment related to
workplace improvement
• Managers from organisations:
talks on workplace problems
– Students suggesting solutions
through presenting these
– Posters to disseminate ideas for
workplace improvement
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Example: problems in the workplace
Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p22)
Assessing Method or type
Knowledge and understanding Information leaflet, web resource,
reports
Thinking critically and making
judgements
Journal or reflective diary, briefing paper,
newspaper article, oral presentation
Problem-solving and developing
plans
Research bid, case study analysis, action
plan
Communication skills Group or individual poster, student-led
seminars
And others …
Forms of assessment
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Based on Butcher et al (2006); handout on assessment methods
(PedRIO, Plymouth University)
Engaging – Meaningful – Realistic
Considering diverse forms of
assessment for learning
• What are the challenges?
• What are the particular
opportunities?
How might these relate to
particular subject or disciplinary
areas?
Activity: group discussion
12
Considering diverse forms of
assessment for learning
• Challenges?
• Opportunities?
How might these relate to
particular subject or disciplinary
areas?
Plenary
13
Active engagement with assessment standards needs to be an
integral and seamless part of course design and the learning
process in order to allow students to develop their own,
internalised conceptions of standards and to monitor and
supervise their own learning
14
Looking at assessment literacy
• Methods for sharing standards with students
– Regular formative tasks, feedback with dialogue, use of exemplar
assignments, discussion of criteria, and self and peer assessment
• Student understanding of assessment and standards
help them as developing autonomous learners
– Reflect on and review their own progress and development
• A grasp of assessment in relation
to learning
• An understanding of assessment
– Principles of valid assessment
– Terminology
• The meaning of assessment criteria
and standards
• Self and peer-assessment skills
• Using appropriate approaches or
techniques for assessment tasks
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What is assessment literacy?
Price et al (2012)
In what ways could assessment
literacy be integrated?
• An understanding of assessment
• The meaning of assessment criteria
and standards
• Self and peer-assessment skills
• Using appropriate approaches or
techniques for assessment tasks
Pairs or small groups of three
16
Activity: integrating assessment literacy
Insights, reflections and actions
What changes could you make?
17
Pause for final thought
18
Conclusions
The Assessment Compact
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Assessment Compact at Oxford Brookes University
1. Engage in dialogue with
tutors and peers
• Talking opportunities: unsure about
assessment tasks, standard of work
expected, explore ideas
• Supportive, constructive and timely
feedback
2. Self assess your work
and be prepared to assess
the work of others
• Practise in self and peer-assessment:
developing understanding of good
quality work
• Drafting, using exemplars, marking
3. See yourself as a
member of your learning
community
• Engage with all study activities
• Reflect on feedback, checking your
understanding with others
Based on www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/
Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) – ww.brookes.ac.uk/aske/
(ASKe) Assessment: Your entitlements and obligations – the Compact digested. Oxford Brookes University. Available from:
www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/
ASKe (n.d) Assessment Standards: a Manifesto for Change; Feedback: an Agenda for Change. Available from:
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/Manifesto/
Boud, D. and Associates (2010) Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education. Sydney: Australian
Learning and Teaching Council.
Butcher, C., Davies, C. and Highton, M. (2006) Designing Learning: From module outline to effective teaching. London and New York:
Routledge.
Carless, D. (2009) Learning-oriented assessment: Principles, practice and a project. In L.H. Meyer, S. Davidson, H. Anderson, R.
Fletcher, P. M. Johnson and M. Ress (Eds.), Tiertiary Assessment & Higher Education Student Outcomes: Policy, Practice & Research (pp.
79-90). Wellington, New Zealand: Ako Aotearoa.
Mowl, G. (2006) Red Guides, Paper 17: Innovative student assessment: what’s the point? Northumbria University. Available from:
http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/currentstudents/undergraduatemodules/reinventingeducation/coursepages/mowl_-
_innovative_assessment.pdf
NUS (n.d) Assessment and feedback benchmarking tool.
Price, M., Rust, C., O’Donovan, B., Handley, K., with Bryant, R. (2012) Assessment Literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student
Learning. Oxford Brookes University, Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.
Sambell, K., McDowell, L. and Montgomery, C. (2013) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
The Higher Education Academy (2012) A Marked Improvement: Transforming assessment in higher education. Available from:
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assessment
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References