+ Fool’s Gold Can the VLE and SRS appear seamless ? Dr Neil Ringan Assistant Head of Learning & Research Technologies (Learning Innovation) Manchester Metropolitan University

+ Background Context JISC-funded TRAFFIC project improve assessment and feedback practice across the institution provide business intelligence about assessment and feedback select and pilot technologies to support consistent management of assessment and feedback for all students enhance student success and satisfaction

+ 1 Specifying 2 Setting 3 Supporting 4 Submitting 5 Marking & Production of Feedback 6 Recording Grades 7 Returning Grades & Feedback 8 Reflecting Generic End-to-End Assignment Lifecycle 7A Returning Grades 7B Returning Feedback

+ Lifecycle Evaluation in Practice Lifecycle elements live in different institutional spaces Specifying – SRS Setting – VLE, paper, classroom or combination Submitting – paper submission (CWR), VLE or other Recording Grades – SRS Returning Feedback – VLE, paper, verbal or ? ? ? Returning Grades – VLE, paper, verbal or ? ? ? Want greater consistency without constraining academic flexibility of how assessment is embedded in curriculum

+ Student Drivers for Change Just want the ‘right’ information In a single place At the right time Don’t care where the date ‘lives’ Or who is responsible for maintaining it Want access via various channels

+ Staff Drivers for Change Steady rise in use of e-submission over several years Increasing interest in e-marking and e-feedback SRS is only place where marks can be entered Historically only on-campus access Mark by mark entry (no batch upload or entry) Risk of “marking more than once” Moodle summative MCQs Grademark Risk of different assessment specification in SRS and VLE

+ What did we already have ? Standard online unit pro-forma containing assessment specification data Coursework Receipting System for paper submissions (barcode logging and tracking) Unit pro-forma data used to populate SRS definitive assessment specification Coursework Receipting System

+ Unit Specification Pro-forma

+ Coursework Receipting System

+

+ Phase 1 – Display CWR Data in VLE Assessment details from unit spec and submissions and deadlines from CWR system

+ Phase 2 – Display SRS Data in VLE

+ Phase 2 – Display CWR Data in VLE Assessments block displays different information across the assessment lifecycle Prior to Submission During 4 week feedback window After 4 week feedback window

+ Phase 3 – Display in myMMU app

+ Challenges (mainly staff awareness issues) Duplication of coursework data by academic staff Definitive data in assessment block + often manually added in Moodle Awareness of data management processes Attempts by some staff to ‘hide’ (i.e. break) the assessment block Lack of awareness of how to change definitive data (e.g. hand –in dates) or data not supplied to admin staff by academic staff Unexpected utilisation of SRS for second marking / moderation Staff entering marks in SRS then being amended by second marker Marks changing dynamically in student view in VLE Hand-in date + 4 weeks window introduced during which marks can be modified in SRS but not displayed in VLE Manual logging of Moodle-submitted assessment in the CWR system

+ Phase 4 – Marks from VLE to SRS Initial pilot as proof of concept tested across various units Intended for work submitted and marked online in VLE Additional column added to Moodle gradebook as trigger Once tutor completed marking, they activate the trigger Marks then synchronised back from Moodle to SRS Staff required to confirm accuracy of marks in SRS after transfer Uses unique unit assessment ID as key field between systems Requires Moodle 2 functionality for institutional roll-out

+ Phase 4 – Marks from VLE to SRS

+ Phase 4 – VLE Coursework Receipting Dynamic link from Moodle grade book to CWR to log when students submit Use unit assessment ID as key field to link systems Data stored in same system in same way irrespective of how submitted

+ Feedback Moodle is great. it is rare to have two hand in dates on the one week and seeing all the dates in one place means we are under less pressure and could mean we complete the work to a better standard. The Moodle platform makes studying much easier as all the information you need for your modules is in one place and you are able to ask specific tutors any questions regarding exams and coursework. Highly frustrating to wait for coursework marks that are ready but unpublished due to teachers lack of understanding of the Moodle system Two students – one severely dyslexic and one with Asperger’s (and his mum) have commented on how much easier they find organising themselves for university using Moodle and they can see everything they need to know in one place.

+ Fool’s Gold ? Can the VLE and SRS appear seamless ? 82 Pb Lead Au Gold Mo Moodle Sr SRS Simplified and consistent student access to all assessment data Increasing staff interest in e-submission, e-marking and e- feedback Further development work to fully automate VLE to SRS feed Greater awareness of how assessment data is managed No shortage of challenges still to be addressed