digitally enhanced patchwork text assessment workshop

Caroline Marcangelo University of Cumbria

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Opportunities for PDP Opportunities for PDP through through

Digitally-enhanced Digitally-enhanced Patchwork Text Patchwork Text AssessmentsAssessments


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The workshop plan ….The workshop plan ….• Space to explore the

possibilities that DePTA can bring to student learning – especially in the area of developing and recognising their graduate capabilities

• Using what we learnt from the JISC-funded LT Innovations project in 2010/2011


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Quick group calibration …..

In a show of hands, how many of you have used or experienced– Patchwork Text Assessments– Assessments using Digital formats– Other portfolio-style assessments


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Defining characteristics of Defining characteristics of Patchwork Text AssessmentPatchwork Text Assessment

• Individual students carry out regular short writing tasks known as “patches” throughout the ‘learning module’

• Each patch shared is with a small peer group for discussion and formative feedback through dialogue

• Tutor might feedback on a sample of these ‘patches’


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and …and …• Typically the patches embody different

genres of writing, and different elements of a broader topic – number varies

• Concluding and summative activity is to produce a reflective, synoptic, ‘stitching together’ of the patches

• Original work undertaken by Winter et al in early 2000s Collected in a special edition of IETI 2003 Vol.40 No. 2


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The technology enhancement The technology enhancement The PTA process can be enhanced – even

‘enabled’ – through technology that has developed significantly since the initial work undertaken by Winter et al (2003)– Facilitates more opportunity for the style and

genre of patches– Can readily include patches that are non-text– Enables easier sharing and feedback with

peers and tutors – and records different versions as a result of this


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Some advantages of DePTASome advantages of DePTA• Continuous workflow in module• Cummulative assessment enabling rapid

formative feedback• Opportunity to try different work formats• Opportunity to see peer responses to the task –

aid to self-assessment, collaboaration, and shared understanding of learning outcomes

• Integration of learning through reflection• Fostering self-management of learning through

meta-cognitive self-reflection on the learning journey and individual PDP


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Workshop activity 1Workshop activity 1The brief of this activity is to design an

Digital Patchwork Assessment for a L6 or L7 module/course that you are familiar with.

You will create 4 patch descriptors that can be free-standing and independent of each other or sequential and progressive


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Ideas for patches ….Ideas for patches ….• Same case study –

different lenses• Same case study –

different genres• Critical review of an

activity or event• Critique of

contrasting perspectives

• Concept map• video artefact• Audio artefact• Still images• Poetry• Annotated

bibliography• Digital story


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Workshop Activity 2Workshop Activity 2• Identify cross cutting themes in your

patches • These can be related to

– discipline knowledge/skills– progressive conceptual understanding– graduate capabilities

• Represent these links using the coloured wool


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Workshop activity 3Workshop activity 3

Share your design with a neighbour


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The DePTA project ….The DePTA project ….• 1 year project funded through the JISC

Learning and Teaching Innovation Grant (5) programme

• with the aim of evaluating the use and effectiveness of digitally supported patchwork text assessments in traditional subject disciplines

• in high stakes assessment• and a range of HEIs• DePTA project webpage: http://

dpta.wordpress.com/


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involving ..involving ..• 5 participating HEIs in different disciplines

– Psychology (Bedford, Wolverhampton)– Law (Derby)– Photography (Cumbria)– Physics (Liverpool)– Archaeology (Liverpool)

• All final year modules giving the students an opportunity to produce artefacts that showcase graduate capabilities and employability skills

• using ‘regular’ technology for that HEI/discipline


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What we found …What we found …• Full evaluation in the report, but a few

significant findings were:– a single year presented challenges for

participants to make modifications to working practice that required university approval e.g. assessment regulations and module protocols. In some cases this had an impact upon the extent of student participation, as the amended assessment was offered as an optional activity.

– generally existing technologies were used often chosen on pragmatic grounds and that students and staff were familiar with them


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giving peer feedback..giving peer feedback..Peer to peer sharing:

– sharing work between students has been part of some but not all partner projects. Where peer feedback was encouraged it still presented considerable challenges due to lack of familiarity with the collaborative nature of the tasks, particularly in the online environment.

– When in a more familiar setting such as face-2-face seminar peer discussion including challenge and feedback was not regarded as problematic


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and …and …Peer to peer sharing:

– there appeared to be a discipline-related culture related to valuing individual achievement rather than co-operative development.

– Not all allowed online comments; some retained face-2-face meetings for such feedback/discussion, and one plans to move in this direction next year

Formative tutor feedback: – Unsurprisingly students appreciated

receiving tutor feedback – sustainability was an issue for some tutors


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Technology enhancement

• Where students were geographically distributed with limited opportunities to meet (e.g. on work placement), the technologies were seen as valuable in maintaining connection/ momentum.

• Whilst most of the patches were text based, other approaches including video and concept mapping were also employed


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Graduate skills Whilst one of the project aims

anticipated the significance of subject benchmark and employability statements, there was evidence that this was not always realised in practice.

In most cases the emphasis was upon the discipline rather than generic institutional graduate attribute statements


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Overall view ….Overall view ….• the majority of tutors see

considerable potential in extending/expanding the DePTA approach for a variety of reasons including being able engage and motivate learners for the full length of a module, developing a range of discipline specific skills


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Summarised by …Summarised by …Students are more confident in their

learning through requirement to express it regularly and consider others’ development to the level of commenting on it. The technology provides a constant record so they can view their development over a period, where their progress is evident, thus further improving confidence. (Liverpool Physics case study


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The contextual influencesThe contextual influences


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Workshop activity 4Workshop activity 4• Revisit your design and consider

with your partner – how these contextual issues may

have influenced your choices– How they could have an impact on

you implementing this assessment method


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thank you for taking part

digitally enhanced patchwork text assessment workshop

Education

peer feedback

peer sharing

workshop activity

digital patchwork assessment

learning module

peer responses

year formative tutor

patches original work