Groupwork with WebPA

Peer Feedback and Assessment for

Science and Engineering Workshop

17th December 2010

Background to use

• Increasing numbers of students

– Rising from 16 in 2008 to 74 in 2010

• Feedback from students on groupwork

– ↑ groupwork in assignments

• Feedback from students on peer assessment

– Recognition of input into the groupwork

– Not all group members receiving the same mark

Why WebPA?

• JISC-recommended tool

• Met our assessment development requirements

• Simple interface

• Discussion with Stephen Vickers

• Intrepid students willing to take part in the pilot

• Free!

Setting up an assessment

A three-step process:

• Create a criteria form

• Create groups

• Create an assessment

Create a criteria form

Create groups

Create an assessment

Grading assessments

• Straightforward tool for students and staff

• The WebPA grading algorithm adapts the group mark from the student grading results to create the final mark

• Good range of reports and report formats available

Impact of WebPA algorithm

Assessment types used

• Three types of assessment used

• 1. Preparation of advisory booklet (yr 1 students)

– On dietary management of nutrition-related disorder

– One of two assessments on a 20 credit course

– 1000 word limit

– Worth 50 % of the total marks for the course

– Graded each other using WebPA

– Weighting factor 20 %

Assessment types used

• 2. Preparation of presentation (year 2 students)

– On aspect of exercise physiology

– 25 minute Powerpoint presentation

– One assessment on a 10 credit course

– Worth 100 % of the total marks for the course

– Graded each other using WebPA

– Weighting factor 20 %

Assessment types used

• 3. Preparation of presentation & abstract (yr 1)

– On aspect of equine science

– 25 minute Powerpoint presentation & 4 page abstract

– One of two assessments on a 20 credit course

– Worth 50 % of the total marks for the course

– Graded each other and themselves using WebPA

– Weighting factor 20 %

Feedback booklet - positive

• Most students said they would be happy to use WebPAagain

• A small number of students had technical difficulties, but these were resolved

• Many students liked the group work and felt it brought the group together

• Many liked that their mark could be partially influenced by their peers

Feedback booklet - comments

“The group assignment was quite challenging to geteverybody together but it definitely opened my eyes to

how other people work differently to achieve the same

goals. Also it is a good lesson in compromise, you haveto accept other peoples perspective because the

assignment belongs to the whole group.”

Feedback booklet - negative

• A small number of students did not like the group work

• A small number of students did not like the use of peer assessment

• “I don’t think its fair that the peers grade each other as

due to individual time constraints some people are not

able to be able to be as involved when the others want them to be causing a negative feedback from the other

peers.”

Feedback booklet - negative

• “I don’t understand why the peer assessment was a part of the assignment mark? How is our ability to peer

assess be relevant to our mark for Equine Science? I

see the benefit of doing it but I don’t think it should be part of an assessment.”

Feedback presentation &

abstract - positive

• Most students said happy to use WebPA again

• A few students had technical difficulties, but these were

resolved – “WebPA was easy to use.”

• Some students liked the group work and felt it brought the group together (not as many as year 1)

• Some liked that their mark could be partially influenced

by their peers (not as may as year 1)

Feedback presentation &

abstract - negative

• Some students did not like the group work

• Some students did not like the use of peer assessment

• Some students had technical difficulties

• “WebPA was difficult to use for me. Only with prof help I

resolved the technical hitches.”

Feedback presentation &

abstract – negative

“I did not like the group assignment. I do recognize the importance of work in a group, but I believe that

we as adults with social lives, work and study cope

with these issues very regularly. And the assignmentdidn't feel as my personal work, which I regret and

had to do differently. At the same time the lessonswere going on and it was hard to perform both tasks

well in only 5 weeks.”

Feedback overall

• Overall the feedback was positive

• The technical support was key to the success

• One student misunderstood how the group mark was

affected

• Clarification on WebPA adjustment of mark resolved this

Where do we go from here?

• Still in the pilot phase

• WebCT course authentication process

• Contact IS Helpline: IS.Helpline@ed.ac.uk

Thank you

• Jo-Anne Murray jo-anne.murray@ed.ac.uk

• Sharon Boyd sharon.boyd@ed.ac.uk