morse project - emerging feedback and assessment issues
DESCRIPTION
Presentation by Dr Richard Hall, De Montfort University and Dr Tim Linsey, Kingston University, at the "Improving Assessment and Feedback Practices in a Technology-Enhanced Teaching and Learning Environment: Theory and Practice" Event, 19th May 2010 at Kingston University. Part of the "Higher Education Academy : Evidence Based Practice Seminar Series 2010"The presentation provides an overview of the Mobilsing Remote Student Engagement (MoRSE) project and some of the emerging findings concerning feedback and assessment.TRANSCRIPT
Mobilising Remote Student Engagement
Dr Richard Hall, De Montfort UniversityDr. Tim Linsey, Kingston University
http://Morse.ac.uk
Afternoon Overview•Project Overview and context•Students on Field trips: assessment
and feedback•Students on Placement : assessment
and feedback•Some questions for you
The MoRSE TeamDr Tim Linsey, Kingston UniversityDr Richard Hall, De Montfort University
Leicester School of Pharmacy, DMU• Dr Malcolm Andrew• Dr Peter Taylor, De Montfort University
School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, KU• Dr Stuart Downward• Dr Ken Field• Dr James O’Brien
Academic Development Centre, KU• Dr Ann Ooms
Project Context
•Joint project between Kingston University and De Montfort University
•Builds on earlier HEA Pathfinder projects at KU and DMU
•To develop a situated understanding of the impact of mobile and personal technologies on student and staff practices, beyond the institution, and on institutional processes▫Work Placements (DMU)▫Field trips (KU)
Assessment and feedback headlines•The disruptive nature of being away from ‘home’
affects the nature of assessment and feedback.•For some staff the use of edtech to support these
students is problematic.•A mix of stakeholders involved in tasks impacts
student assessment: mentors, staff, industry.•Never underestimate the need for induction
linked to both personal edtech and the curriculum.
•The use of students as mentors augmented the quality and types of feedback.
Field Trips
•Centred in the School of Geography, Geology and the Environment.▫Dr Stuart Downward▫Dr Ken Field▫Dr James O’Brien
•GIS and Geography•Field trip locations include the Isle of
Wight, Malta and south-east Spain.
Field Trips: assessment issues
•Integration of fieldwork and other aspects of the curriculum
•Co-ordination and collaboration amongst staff and student groups distributed over a study area.
•Sharing resources/collaborating synchronously and asynchronously
•Access to resources, real-time databases, ‘experts’ and support from the field.
Tools used / trialled
•Specialist ‘Geographical Information Systems’ mobile technologies
•Geo-coded micro-blogging ‘ Cartoblography’ (Twitter mash-up) / Ubertwitter
•SMS for communicating with staff (Txttools)
•Live video / video sharing (Qik.com)•Mobile Skype•Mobile phone voice recording
Photo sharing (Flickr)
Latitude: 50 deg 41' 52.92" NLongitude: 1 deg 5' 54.42" WDate: 2009:10:18 12:41:25Comments: Looking North. Concrete walk / sea defence. Groynes visible with sediment banked on their north side indicating sediment migration southwardsTags: IoW, Duver, Coast, Groynes,
Map of photograph locations
Sharing via many channels including the VLE
Photo sharing: assessment lessons•Enables sharing between students in the field,
and with those at University. (Geo)Tagging and comments extend feedback and understanding.
• Impact on core skills of observation, identification and sketching needs further evaluation.
• Integrating mentor feedback and student/staff commentary into the production of a student’s final summative assessments needs agreement.
Live Tracking (Instamapper)
http://www.instamapper.com/trk?key=2642287017959854978
18/10/2009 12:37 N 50.69961° W 1.09922° 35 0 0
18/10/2009 12:38 N 50.69965° W 1.09904° 49 0 129
18/10/2009 12:39 N 50.69967° W 1.09905° 51 0 49
18/10/2009 12:39 N 50.69922° W 1.09888° 52 6 167
18/10/2009 12:40 N 50.69877° W 1.09872° 51 5 165
18/10/2009 12:40 N 50.69830° W 1.09860° 46 5 173
Altitude Speed Bearing
Synchronising GPS Units with Personal technologies
Using GPicSync &Google Maps
Synchronous tasks: assessment lessons•Enables students back at the institution to
access relevant resources/real-time databases/perform analyses relevant to the location, and give feedback to the field group.
•Confirmation of sampling strategies and gaps in data collection.
•Enabling students to capture and integrate feedback in the production of their final summative assessments needs identification.
Personal technologies
•High level of Laptop usage (83% )•All students possess a mobile (40% PAYG)•Some student usage of dedicated cameras
and MP3 players.•64% of students interested in taking
personal technologies on field-trips•77% of students willing to use their own
text credits for educational purposes
Initial Student FeedbackGenerally positive response to the use of SMS somewhat agree agree
Positive impact on my motivation to study 51% 16% Useful for feedback on my understanding 49% 40% Advise staff to continue using 37% 54%
Positive in using personal technologies
Field-trips: assessment issues
The mix of edtech to be used needs consideration in light of tasks: synchronous, asynchronous etc..
Mentors and induction help develop engagement with real-time feedback. This is crucial where reflective assessment asks are developed.
Students need support in manipulating digital resources that they capture.
“For assessment or for knowledge?”
Placements• Leicester School of Pharmacy
– Dr Malcolm Andrew: HLS e-Learning Co-ordinator
– Dr Peter Taylor: Placements Tutor• Pilot and develop the learning experience of
placement students by aligning structured reflective tasks and web-based technologies
• Tasks and delivery methods planned with students, and trialled with 8 Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Sciences’ students on Placement
Placements: student social issues
• Structured interactions to overcome isolation
• Structured interactions to maintain connection
• Social networks and socialisation
• Need for sharing of experiences between staff and students, and those preparing for placement.
• Use of returning Placement students as mentors
Placements: student assessment issues
• Ongoing feedback from tutors and peers
• Reflective learning, linked to a portfolio
• Increasing motivation and understanding of students preparing for placement
• The importance of a range of feedback mechanisms, including face-to-face
Placements: edtech-assessment issues
• Before: favour the use of mobiles and social networks for feedback on tasks/experience
• Before: the use of technologies for reflection that might be assessed not favoured
• During: use correlates with academic support/industrial setting demands
Feedback on Placement•Theory-in-practice: future-proofing; resilience;
pressure; team-work; business context•Managing project issues and taking
responsibility•Emergent networking in a range of contexts•Emotive: warm; no regrets; slowly enjoying it•Developing kinaesthetic/physical skills
•Key for the tutor: “can you come and tell the first and second years about it?!”
Placements: staff assessment issues
• Workloads: feedback, communication, reflective learning, portfolio assessment
• The importance of a range of contact mechanisms, including face-to-face visits
• The value of enhanced communication
• Enhancing the role of industrial supervisors/student mentors
Placements: industrial supervisor issues • Support for personal, private tools that are
“low cost”• Recommended formats/structures for concise
and positive outputs: newsletter style• Focus on impact, surprise, originality, learning• Understanding the curriculum and its delivery
• Risk: social tools that have no business benefit• Risk : confidentiality and reflective tasks
Placements – curriculum delivered • Defining a robust curriculum leading to a
UCPD in WBL – enhancing motivation.• Private [blogging, multimedia] and public
[wiki , multimedia] tasks: reflection, theory in practice
• Mix of institutional and external tools• Pre-placement work is key• Input from industrial and academic
supervisors in reflective activities• Share outputs with prospective placement
students
Assessment: lessons learnt
•Pre-work with all staff and students is critical before the start of the placement/fieldtrip▫Tools to be used▫Activities to be undertaken▫Ground rules for collaboration
•Contextualisation, and scaffolding the experience, is the key determinant of technologies to use for assessment.
Afternoon workshopIn small groups, think about one context or learning task in which you might wish to extend the application of mobile and personal technologies for assessment and feedback.
1.What opportunities would there be in this approach for you?
2.What threats or barriers exist?3.What do you need to do, in order to trial or
pilot one intervention?