1. www.kent.ac.uk Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching Assessment Development

2. 2 A question… A student has worked the following mathematical problem: 269 23 x 5380 787 6167 Working individually, give this student a mark out of ten Mark = ……/10

3. 3 Consider… Was your judgement based on process or product? What might affect the mark you gave?

4. 4 Assessment Usually formal, course-wide Summative or formative Norm- or Criterion-referenced Should be Timely Demanding but achievable What is the purpose of the assessment?

5. 5 Why assess? Part of the learning process not an end in itself Consider efficient use of staff time (and students?)

6. 6 Formative assessment To Guide improvement Motivate students Vary the learning Allow practice Provide opportunities for feedback and dialogue Develop self assessment skills

7. 7 Summative assessment To Enable progression Classify or grade students Provide statistics Certify achievement ‘Gate-keeping’ for professions (‘warranting’)

8. 8 Forms of assessment Essays/Dissertations Exams (MCQ, closed/open book, seen/unseen) Projects (individual/group) Portfolios Presentations/viva Group work Self and peer review Performance

9. 9 Who assesses? Who sets the assessment? Involving students – why? Students setting assignments and assessment criteria? Sustainable assessment

10. 10 Feedback and dialogue What, why, how and when? Detailed Personalised Timely Feedback and feed forward Relational dimension of feedback

11. 11 So why assess? Measure learning? Provide a warrant? Give feedback? Set or maintain standards?

12. 12 Taxonomy for L, T & A Factual knowledge Conceptual knowledge Procedural knowledge Metacognitive knowledge

13. 13 Our practice… The purpose of the assessment will define the content, strategy and techniques used What is the intention of the assessment task? What is its effect?

14. 14 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.

15. 15 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 http://www.iqb.hu- berlin.de/veranst/enac2008?reg=r_11.