Assessment Introduction Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching
2 A question… A student has worked the following mathematical problem: x Working individually, give this student a mark out of ten Mark = ……/10
3 Consider… Was your judgement based on process or product? What might affect the mark you gave?
4 Assessment needs to be Valid (measures what it is supposed to) Reliable (reproducible results) Transparent Free of bias Practicable
5 Reproducibility The consistency or reproducibility of an assessment: Markers: do they agree? Can the test be repeated to achieve the same results? Internal: does it agree with itself?
6 But… Is this achievable In a discipline? Across an institution? How widely can or should results be reproduced? Are these desirable educational purposes?
7 Why assess? Assessment is central to teaching and learning Diagnostic (placement) Summative (certification) Formative (aiding learning) Move towards ‘sustainable’ assessment (Boud 2000)
8 Planning assessment Integral to curriculum planning Defining learning outcomes Linking assessment criteria and learning outcomes Assessment tasks should be designed so that students can demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes
9 What is being assessed? Content learning Skills (generic) Skills (subject specific) With what effect? Deep / surface learning
10 Assessment and Feedback Assessment by whom? Staff, peer, self How? Three main forms- written, oral, performance Feedback? Written, oral, recorded Motivation, engagement
11 Assessment workload Staff Students Usefulness of assessments Marking load
12 References Boud D 2000 Sustainable Assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society, Studies in Continuing Education, Vol 22, No 2. Gibbs G & Simpson C (2004) Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 1. Knight, P (2007) ‘Grading, classifying and future learning’ Ch 6 in D Boud & N Falchikov, Eds, Rethinking assessment in Higher Education, Oxon: Routledge.
13 References Knight, P 2001 Assessment: A briefing on Key Concepts, LTSN Generic Centre Assessment Series Number 7, LTSN Generic Centre: York. Price, M; Handley, K & O’Donovan, B (2008) Feedback: What’s in it for me? Paper presented at the 4 th EARLI/Northumbria Assessment Conference, Berlin. Available from berlin.de/veranst/enac2008?reg=r_11.