Carol Maxwell, TELs Team Leader, Alice La Rooy, Learning Technologist, Alison Christie, Learning Technology Support Officer, Nicola McBride, IT Trainer, Jim Huntingford, Library manager Supporting assessment and feedback practice with technology

abertay.ac.uk City Centre Campus 4025 students (on campus) 2091 students in Partner Institutions Up 9 places to 86 in Complete University Guide (2017) National Student Survey (2015) for feedback turnaround increased by 12% Overall Student Satisfaction is at 86% in (2015) joint top post 92 university in Scotland Only european university in Princeton Review list of top 25 for Games Design (ranked 12)

abertay.ac.uk Large scale, fast-paced, integrated change New Principal/ Vice Chancellor, summer 2012 Number of new key appointments, many external New Director of Teaching & Learning Enhancement Review and transformation of academic provision and services New overall strategic plan and accompanying strategies e.g. Teaching &Learning, Employability, Internationalisation ….

abertay.ac.uk 4 TLE Team Members

abertay.ac.uk TLE – Teaching and Learning Enhancement Team 5 Pedagogical research and support for pedagogical research QAA Enhancement Themes Teaching and Learning Conference Student Surveys HEAR External signposting to events, funding calls, conferences Student surveys Innovation Abertay Attributes Assessment and feedback Professional Development such as: PGCert HET Going for Gold CPD Scheme) Monthly seminars Regular workshops NetTLE web resources Support and guidance for Technology Enhanced Learning Quality assurance and enhancement ELIR Abertay Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund (ATLEF)

abertay.ac.uk AIMS: Improve the University’s understanding and awareness of the potential benefits, challenges and barriers associated with a more systematic and strategic approach to technology-enhanced assessment and feedback. Help accelerate the identification and embedding of assessment and feedback technologies. Support the Teaching and Learning Enhancement Strategy Provide a toolkit of e-activities designed to improve assessment and feedback through the use of available technologies. ATLEF Project Supporting assessment and feedback practice with technology

abertay.ac.uk Baseline Report on practice Investigated levels of Electronic Management of Assessment (EMA) in academic year 2013/14. Information from Acme reports and Blackboard regarding on- campus taught modules Looked for online submission, online marking, online exams, and any evidence of other technology tools being used for assessment e.g. Blogs, Wikis, Video, PebblePad Assignments

abertay.ac.uk Online Coursework Submission

abertay.ac.uk Abertay Grademark Use - (Sept 13-June (50 Tutors)

abertay.ac.uk Other Online Feedback Other online feedback audio files Feedback direct in Grade Centre from Blackboard Assignments (with and without rubrics) Tracked changes on word documents E-portfolio (PebblePad/ATLAS)

abertay.ac.uk Online Exams

abertay.ac.uk Focus Group Discussions Mixed interest in typed exams Comments that when taking exams at home they would be distracted their own environment rather than made comfortable Wanted to be given a choice – not forced to either write or type Could see benefit to lecturers not having to read student handwriting Could see no benefit to them as students to take an online MCQ exam vs. paper.

abertay.ac.uk Other tools for Assessment 27 modules using Blogs 13 modules using Discussion forums 12 modules using Journals 3 Modules using Wikis 41 Modules using e-portfolios for formative assessment 2 modules using video creation Figures include formative and summative assessments

abertay.ac.uk Review of Sector Practice Newland, B. et al Heads of E-Learning Forum: Electronic Management of Assessment Report - – identified factors in successful implementation: consultation of all stakeholders, buy-in and support from senior management and the efforts of departmental champions. Ferrell, G Supporting assessment and feedback practice with technology: from tinkering to transformation. JISC. [online] Available from [accessed 27 September 2014]

abertay.ac.uk

JISC EMA Think Tank (May 2014) Aim: understand assessment/feedback lifecycle across UK HE. Develop a flexible, generic model for use in planning, improvement, discussions with system suppliers, curriculum & staff development. Used MMU TRAFFIC Project model as focus for discussion.

abertay.ac.uk Think Tank Highlighted Retention and archiving of coursework System Reliability and contingency planning EMA will produce data, eg student engagement, performance and quality of feedback Importance of pedagogical processes underpinning assessment lifecycle Separating release of feedback and grades Anonymous marking Consider effects of rounding on grade boundaries Integration of Blackboard grade centre with SITS Need for a university wide approach

abertay.ac.uk Abertay’s new Assessment Strategy Assessments should be assessment for learning not of learning Formal approval of assessment practices Formative assessment and revision weeks Matrix of assessment to minimise bunching and set varied assessments Return of coursework & feedback in 10 working days, before week 13, 15 working days thereafter Fully online submission from Sept 2014 (no hard copies), fully online submission, grading and feedback from September 2015 Literal Grading p9olicy A+, A, B+ Centralised administration of assessment in Registry Centralised support for all student queries in Student Enquiry Zone

abertay.ac.uk

Roadshow Events

abertay.ac.uk Assessment Toolkit Created by: Alice LaRooy (Abertay)

abertay.ac.uk Jisc ‘EMA moving on’ webinar – 19 Nov 2014

abertay.ac.uk Abertay experience while preparing for Sept 15 fully online submission, feedback and grading Integration – Workarounds required for Turnitin with Blackboard Grade Centre using Literal Grading Scheme eg A+ etc. Staff Resistance – Generally staff are amenable to using online grading. Roadshows held in Schools to demonstrate dual screens and correct use of mobile devices, advanced functions Moderation – Double marking – use 3 columns in Grade Centre. External examiners have full access to Blackboard modules and e-portfolio workspaces Anonymity - working group (staff/students) concluded only possible when Turnitin feeds our grades to Blackboard Grade Centre. Returning feedback to students – Avoid grade leakage, ensuring students know how to find their feedback Accessibility Issues – where staff have eye problems they download coursework but all manage to give feedback online Student Resistance – Positive feedback so far – problems submitting large video files, don’t like “no receipts” from Blackboard assignments, Problems with Calculated Numeric questions in online tests

abertay.ac.uk Staff Survey – Problems Experienced “Difficult to enter grades in the Grade Centre” “Some uploading problems for students” “Have to move around a few windows and pages to mark student work” “The main frustration is that the grade centre and student information system don’t talk to each other” “I only have 1 screen at work, it can be really small and tiresome for the eyes” “I am often trying to mark offline, during my long train commute (when the wi-fi drops out regularly) This should be valuable marking time – I do not have an Ipad”

abertay.ac.uk Staff Survey – how did it go? “Students like online feedback” “Having stuff ready to mark in one place was good” “It took time to build a bank of quick comments but when that was done, marking was relatively straightforward” “It was easier to ensure students definitely receive the feedback in an auditable fashion as opposed to relying on students collecting hardcopy feedback” “Online tests worked well for large cohorts with faster feedback” “Easier for students to understand feedback as they didn’t have to decipher my handwriting. It was easier for me to keep track of what I have done and what I still needed to do”

abertay.ac.uk Blackboard Grade Centre and Schemas Schema converts % Grade Point to Literal Grade Set Schema as the Primary Display in Grade Centre column. Set Score as the Secondary Display Student only sees Literal Grade, Instructor also sees Grade Point in Brackets.

abertay.ac.uk Blackboard and GradeMark Rubrics

abertay.ac.uk Blackboard Templates

abertay.ac.uk How to use this template

abertay.ac.uk Where to now? Continue to develop and/or investigate: – On-going refining of procedures & support – On-going training (especially new staff) – Blackboard SITS Integration – More online exams (some open and off-site) – Digital literacy: continue to grow the variety of assessment, students creating content using video tools and Xerte – Encourage peer marked assessment – Continue support to staff by blending use of technology with pedagogy in PGCertHET (PGCertHET sessions open to ALL staff) – New TELS working groups for e-portfolios, learning spaces, analytics, fully online learning

abertay.ac.uk In Conclusion Senior Management support and a partnership approach with academic staff, students and support services is required to make a step change in practice