Professor Norah Jones and Alice Lau Putting Assessment at the Heart of Learning – The Story at The University of Glamorgan

The Story Begins at late 2007 deep in the S. Wales Valleys… Developing new policies and procedures to introduce a standard and consistent idea across the University and a focal point to implement change.

The seed of change was being sowed… Assessment Policy Emphasis on “ Assessment For Learning” Enable the development of “a learning environment which promotes the student learning experience, facilitates the acquisition of competence in a range of relevant skills and leads to increased learner autonomy.” Assessment Tariff An advisory document to be read in relation to the Assessment Policy Promote a level of consistency between modules with equal weightings across faculties. Assessment Frontsheet Combined assessment cover sheet and feedback form. Including Mandatory information such as Administrative information, the module’s learning outcomes being assessed in this assignment, The marking criteria and Lecturer’s feedback. Good practice information Assessment PolicyAssessment Tariff Assessment Frontsheet Policies and Procedures Senior Management Faculties Consultation and feedback

Change is slowly happening… Provoked much needed discussion on assessment and feedback Identified pockets of good practice Growing interest in innovative assessment

Initial challenges…  These policies and procedures are seen as top-down ‘control’, therefore resist changes to their current practices  Staff have yet to gain a clear understanding on the concept and the surrounding principles on assessment for learning.  There is a perception from lecturers that assessment for learning is just ‘ideal thinking’ that would not work in practice  There is a perception from lecturers that such policies are ‘dumbing down’ assessment and give weak students ‘the advantage’ “I worry about the ‘centralisation’ of decision making in areas such as this [assessment]. There are different expectations and academic traditions that are associated with particular groups of staff and scope for local modification is therefore needed”

To nurture the growth… Policies and Procedures Senior Management Faculties Consultation and feedback Seminars, workshops, case studies and good practice, ELTA awards, and innovation grand

How can we embed Change? We need to give faculties more ownership. Create a Bottom-up approach to complement the top-down approach. Provide time and resources for faculties to experiment. The answer? THE CHANGE ACADEMY!

What do we do next to embed change? Policies and Procedures Senior Management Faculties Consultation and feedback Seminars, workshops, case studies and good practice, ELTA awards, and innovation grand Change Academy

How we went about it? Focused on two of the five faculties…

Our objectives of the Change Academy project Develop and implement a revised approach to curriculum design so that assessment is at the heart of learning Improve the quality of the student experience so that assessment helps student learning Reduce assessment workload for students and staff

What next? Gather existing good practice on assessment and feedback including innovative methods and assessment process as a whole! Engage staff in reviewing, changing and sharing their modules’ assessment and feedback strategy by providing staff development funds

What next? Gather students’ view on assessment and feedback and what they considered as good practice in assessment and feedback Providing incentives such as Wii and USB sticks Focus Groups, Online Survey and social networking sites, student voice reps

“The focus group enabled me to portray my own views regarding the learning experience here at Glamorgan. As a mature student, it is interesting to note the changes that are taking place since I was at University in the 1980s…however, this also leads to new challenges for both students and staff which I feel needs a joint approach to overcome. The use of the focus group within the University environment is vital for progress…”

Progress to Date I Captured and enable us to share with colleagues students’ view on what they consider as good practice and challenged our beliefs in what we think students want. –Assessment process –Learning experience –Feedback For example: We thought providing students with multiple methods of communicating and submitting assessment would give students more flexibility but students actually found that confusing. For example: Students would like: choice in how they can present their work. Diverse assessment methods Collaboration with other students outside their course (especially for CCI students) For example: Students would like: choice in how they can present their work. Diverse assessment methods Collaboration with other students outside their course (especially for CCI students) For example: Students are not concerned with the ‘20 days rules’, as long as they are given a date when they can expect feedback and as long as it is before their next piece of work.

Process to Date II Revitalised discussions on assessment at THE HEART of faculties and departments Produced a ‘living’ good practice guide that includes both good practice identified by students and staff, and the guide will ‘grow’ as the project progress Identified existing good practice including the use of ‘Assessment Diary’ in one department that is now being implement across the University. Discussion at the Heart of faculties A ‘ living’ Good Practice Guide Assessment Diaries

Progress to Date III Staff from both faculties have volunteered to review and modify their assessment and feedback strategies (over 30 modules) Many of what our staff are looking to change reflects our students’ concerns highlighted in student focus groups and survey. Including the following: Replacing essays to new assessment methods, including: digital story board, introduce peer assessment, peer marking, online assessment, reflective log (via blogging), audio files and audio feedback. Develop holistic assessment across a number of modules in order to reduce assessment workload and provide opportunities for student to collaborate. Including the following: Replacing essays to new assessment methods, including: digital story board, introduce peer assessment, peer marking, online assessment, reflective log (via blogging), audio files and audio feedback. Develop holistic assessment across a number of modules in order to reduce assessment workload and provide opportunities for student to collaborate.

Unexpected Outcomes The project has already had institutional impact! The adaptation of assessment diary to all faculties! Student LifeCycle Project Technology Enhanced Learning Group Contributing to institutional wide projects!

Lesson learnt  Assessment is a process! – more than changing the assessment method.  Review the entire process, identified that even simple steps such as the assessment diary can make a huge difference to both staff and student  Important to engage administrative teams in each faculty as well as academic staff  Bottom up approach.

Summary Policies and Procedures Senior Management Faculties (3) Consultation and feedback Seminars, workshops, case studies and good practice guides, ELTA awards, and innovation grand Change Academy Faculties (2) Faculties Students

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