Assessment for Learning Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement, Middlesex University

Learning Outcomes – Aims of the session Purpose of assessment Examining the relationship between learning outcomes, learning activities and assessment Assessment criteria Feedback to students

Assessment- what is it? What do we mean by 'assessment'? –'Any processes that appraise an individual's knowledge, understanding, abilities or skills' (QAA) –diagnostic (prior knowledge), formative and summative

Purposes of assessment What is the purpose of assessment? To Motivate learning To identify learning opportunities To receive feedback To get a grade

Formative Assessment Formative assessment is … Designed to give feedback on performance and how it can be improved. As a result students get detailed feedback but not a (weighted) grade. It is an important part of the learning process and has been shown to help students improve both their grades and their learning style

Summative Assessment Summative assessment is … Designed to measure the extent to which students achieved the learning outcomes* of a module. A grade is awarded. *Learning outcomes are the specific skills & knowledge that students are expected to demonstrate as a result of taking a module.

Constructive alignment and assessment for learning Designed by Prof. John Biggs: Set Learning Outcomes clearly Design activities and assessment to match them closely and achieve them Share Learning Outcomes and Assessment tasks and criteria clearly and well in advance GBBwVg&feature=youtu.behttps:// GBBwVg&feature=youtu.be

Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) Methods for formatively assessing learning in the classroom Questions and answers Report back from group work Peer assessment (WHAT IS PEER LEARNING AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? By David Boud: a brief description)a brief description Self assessment Specific techniques described by Angelo as CATs, such as minute papers, Student-Generated Questions etc.CATs Which of these CATs have NOT been used in this course so far? Can you think of a way they could be used? Choose one and write a formative assessment question for this course.

Activity: Draw a cat Your task: Take a post it note and pen Take a couple of minutes to draw a picture of a cat on the post it note Place your drawing on the Flip chart

Activity: Draw a cat What does this activity tell us? Would your drawing have been different if you had been told you would be evaluated on 'similarity' and 'originality' beforehand? Would you have needed these two criteria clarified to you? In other words, how can you make criteria crystal clear to students? Even though all markers were given the same two criteria for marking, grades were very different. What measures can you take to avoid this?

Importance of criteria How will students (and others – teaching team, moderators, external examiners) know what they need to do to achieve a particular grade or mark?

Features of effective assessment criteria indicate what is required at a pass level, in a positive way help students know what they need to do help students understand what you expect at differing levels of achievement be understandable to all stakeholders be manageable in number and time available be distinct from each other be seen as an indication of achievement rather than an exact measurement.

Issues raised by students mixed messages about what to do the need to second guess what’s in the tutor’s mind marks and feedback not relating to each other not knowing which aspects of their work were good and which weren’t (e.g. a mark of 60%, but which 60% was good and which 40% was weak)? not knowing what to do to improve

Principles of effective assessment Reliability – and the importance of using explicit learning outcomes and assessment criteria Validity – does the assessed task assess what you want it to? Efficiency Fairness

Feedback Feedback plays a central role in student learning. Can be: –Written/ oral –From teacher to students –From students to students – will need to develop shared guidelines and ground rules for this

High quality feedback is…. Supportive and aimed at improvement Yet also analytic and critical Relates explicitly to the goals of the activity/ assessed task Timely: the quicker the feedback, the greater effect it has

How can you most effectively give feedback? Give the good news first – find something good about the activity/ assessed task and comment specifically on this Give specific pointers for improvement – don’t overwhelm: concentrate on most important points End on a note of encouragement, reinforce a positive message, indicate a developmental target

References Classroom Assessment Techniques Tom Angelo CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT: GUIDELINES FOR SUCCESS Tom Angelo The Concept of Formative Assessment Basic assessment issues and terminology, Chris Rust esment John Biggs (1999): Teaching for Quality Learning at University, (SRHE and Open University Press, Buckingham)