Joint Information Systems Committee 13/04/23 | | Slide 1

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age

Ros Smith, Consultant for JISC

What difference does technology make?

Context: e-Learning Programme 2008-2012

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The aim of the JISC e-learning programme is to enable UK further and higher education to create a better learning environment for all learners, wherever and however they study, in order to realise the vision...

…The vision is of a world where learners, teachers, researchers and wider institutional stakeholders use technology to enhance the overall educational experience by improving flexibility and creativity and by encouraging comprehensive and diverse personal, high-quality learning, teaching and research.

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Context: JISC Effective Practice guides

‘... a strong, recognisable brand which the audience trusts to deliver relevant, clear communication.’ Stamp Consulting Ltd (2010) Evaluation of the effectiveness and impact of Communications and Dissemination Activities of the JISC e-Learning Programme

Putting assessment at the heart of learning

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age draws on recent JISC reports and case studies to explore the relationship between technology-enhanced assessment and feedback and meaningful, well-supported learning experiences.

You can download the publication online from www.jisc.ac.uk/publications/programmerelated/2010/digiassess

Or turn the pages online at http://issuu.com/jiscinfonet/docs/jisc_effective_assessment_in_a_digital_age_2010

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Some questions to start with...

What changes would you like to see in assessment practices?

How might feedback be improved?

What helped you to become successful as a learner?

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Some possible answers...

What changes would you like to see in assessment practices?

• Designs that engage/inspire learning and are adaptive to individual needs, and

– align better with learning and teaching methods

– challenge learners more productively eg by placing them in authentic learning scenarios

– prompt critical and original thought rather than repetition of information

– test a range of skills eg communication, team working, flexibility, problem-solving as well as acquisition of knowledge/proficiency

• Plus more efficient assessment management and data processing to meet the needs of academic staff

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Some possible answers...

How might feedback be improved?

– More timely - so that learners’ motivation is maintained and advice more readily implemented in subsequent work

– More detailed - even in large-groups

– More meaningful – clearly linked to learning objectives, standards and criteria shared with learners in advance

– More opportunities for learners to construct a better understanding for themselves eg through reflection on feedback

– Increased interaction and dialogue as a result of feedback

– More efficient ways of giving feedback

– Records of tutor feedback available for future reference

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Taking a principles-based approach

1 Help to clarify what good performance is

2 Encourage ‘time and effort’ on challenging learning tasks

3 Deliver high-quality feedback information that helps learners to self-correct

4 Provide opportunities to act on feedback

5 Ensure that summative assessment has a positive impact on learning

6 Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning

7 Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning

8 Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of assessments

9 Involve learners in decision making about assessment policy and practice

10 Support the development of learning groups and learning communities

11 Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem

12 Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape their teachingThe 12 REAP principles of formative assessment and feedback

www.reap.co.uk

Understanding assessment in a digital age

‘The way in which students are assessed fundamentally affects their learning.’ QAA (2006) Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education: section 6

‘Students learn not by listening to transmitted information, but by actively constructing their own understanding of that information and deriving meaning from it… If you really want to improve learning, get students to give one another feedback. Giving feedback is cognitively more demanding than receiving feedback. That way you can accelerate learning.’ David Nicol, Professor of Higher Education, University of Strathclyde

‘Understanding more about the close relationship between assessment, feedback and effective learning is the first step towards assessment practices that empower rather than inhibit learning. Technology offers a new perspective through which this relationship can be explored.’ Effective Assessment in a Digital Age

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What technology offers

Recent JISC projects combined with case studies in this publication indicate that particular benefits might be experienced in:

– Dialogue and communication leading to reflection eg in e-portfolios

– Immediacy and contingency

– Authenticity

– Speed and ease of processing of data

– Self-evaluative, self-regulated learning

– Additionality: making visible skills and processes that were previously difficult to measure; personalisation

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What is changing...

UCISA Technology-Enhanced Learning Survey results (2008) show that 77% of the 74 HEIs that responded had a centrally-supported e-assessment system in use by students:– VLE-based (Blackboard, Moodle, WebCT) (63%)

– QuestionMark Perception (40%)

Greater use of assignment submission tools: 30% of institutions reported that 24-49% of their courses used it, and 26% said the proportion was higher than 50%

JISC projects suggest that podcasts, audio and video-recorded feedback beginning to personalise feedback and reduce workload

Free-to-use and familiar technologies (Google Apps, blogging tools, wikis) also gaining ground in assessment design

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What is changing...

Case studies reveal how the quality of assessment and feedback for learners studying remotely is being enhanced by adaptive assessment designs, immediate feedback and tutor-recorded audio guidance

Learners are becoming active participants in the design of assessments

Peer and self assessment can take place anywhere, anytime with purpose-designed tools and e-portfolio systems

Time-absorbing administrative procedures can be automated and data made more readily available

Higher Education Academy Conference 2010 slide 13

…

‘Assessment and feedback take place in increasingly demanding and time-constrained contexts. We need to understand as fully as possible how to achieve the most effective outcomes in the most efficient and resourceful ways.’

Effective Assessment in a Digital Age (JISC 2010)

Find out more

A number of supplementary resources are available to accompany Effective Assessment in a Digital Age. These disaggregated resources are designed to support internal workshops and staff development activities and include:

■ Video case studies

■ Podcasts

www.jisc.ac.uk/assessresource

Text-only and PDF formats of Effective Assessment in a Digital Age are available to download from: www.jisc.ac.uk/digiassess

Print copies of the publication can be obtained from the JISC Regional Support Centres

For further information about JISC’s work on technology-enhanced assessment: s.davies@jisc.ac.uk

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