1. Developing a more holistic approach to assessment policy and practice
Ranald Macdonald
Sheffield Hallam University
Hello
I’m Ranald Macdonald from Sheffield Hallam University.
As an academic developer I’m interested in looking more holistically at assessment
Not just assessment practices but also the policies and regulations which institutions put in place to frame those practices
If we get it wrong there is a real danger that institutional processes and systems can drive assessment practices
There is also the danger that the students’ experience of assessment becomes divorced from their real learning
So, I want to briefly explore just a few aspects of a more holistic approach whilst recognising that it is in reality much more complex than I am able to portray it in the limited time.

2. Holistic approach to assessment 1. Constructive alignment
2. Purposes of
assessment
Holistic
approach to
assessment
4. Assessment doing
‘double duty’
3. A model of
assessment for
HE institutions
5. Scholarly and
evidence-informed

3. Aligning learning, teaching and assessment (Biggs, 2003)
Constructive alignment:
“A design for teaching calculated to encourage
deep engagement.”
Aligning:
What we want the students to learn
The learning environment through which learners construct their learning
How we will know they have learned and how well
Constructive alignment has two aspects:
‘constructive’ – students conduct meaning through relevant learning activities
i.e. learning is not something done to students by teachers, but is something learners have to create for themselves
‘alignment’ – refers to what the teacher does
By setting up a learning environment that supports the learning activities appropriate to achieving the desired learning outcomes
So, the components in the teaching system, especially the teaching methods used and the assessment tasks, are aligned to the learning activities assumed in the intended learning outcomes
If it isn’t aligned then many students may not achieve higher order learning processes
e.g. in PBL if the assessment doesn’t align with the process, students will focus on what they think the teacher wants rather than on their learning.

4. Purposes of assessment (Sheffield Hallam University Assessment Policy Statement 2004)
Summarises the University’s approach to
assessment as:
A key factor in determining a student’s learning experience through the activities undertaken and the provision of support and feedback on their work
A way of measuring the outcomes of student learning
A means of ensuring the standard of University awards

5. A model of assessment for HE institutions (Joughin & Macdonald, 2004)
Level 1: Where assessment happens – module
Level 2: Supporting good practice - course or
programme
Level 3: Institutional context for good practice
Level 4: External context
Level 1: ‘good practice’
Element 1: Module design
Element 2: teachers’ experience of assessment
Element 3: students
Level 2: Supporting good practice
Element 4: departmental culture
Element 5: programme design
Element 6: innovation and improvement
Element 7: staff development
Element 8: procedures
Level 3: The institutional context for good practice
Level 9: principles, policies and regulations
Level 10: resources/funding
Level 4: The external context

6. Assessment doing ‘double duty’ (Boud, 2000)
Encompass formative assessment for learning and summative for certification
Focus on the immediate task and equipping students for lifelong learning in an uncertain future
Attend to both the learning process and the substantive content domain
Students need to be able to set learning goals and activities and self-assess in all of these.

7. Scholarly and evidence-informed (Macdonald & Carroll, 2005)
Plagiarism is a complex issue
emphasis on learning and academic integrity NOT police and punish
Requires evidence to inform policy, practice and regulations
Assessment-for-learning-led solutions
Need to understand the student and staff perspective through talking to them – NOT questionnaires
Emphasis should be on building an academic community to which academic integrity is central
Needs:
ongoing dialogue
staff development
student information and skills
and the appropriate institutional processes and regulations – designed to promote good learning and not just to catch and punish
All links back to the purposes of assessment and the fact that it has to perform dual functions

8. Summary Assessment is a complex issue No ‘one size fits all’
Needs buy-in at all levels of the institution
Main focus should be on enhancing learning
as well as indicating what has been learned and how well
Challenge is to encourage innovation and risk-taking in learning and assessment

9. References
Biggs, J (2003, 2nd ed.) Teaching for quality learning at university. Buckingham: Open University Press/SRHE
Boud, D (2000) Sustainable assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Studies in Continuing Education, 22, 2,
Joughin, G & Macdonald, R (2004) A model of assessment in higher education institutions.
Macdonald, R & Carroll, J (2005) Plagiarism – a complex issue requiring a holistic institutional approach. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 31, 2,