Inclusive Assessment

External Examiners Conference 2015

Professor Pauline Kneale and Jane Collings

Educational Development

Challenging myths and changing approaches to assessment

• Difficult territory• Powerful myths about assessment • Disciplinary defences• Pockets of resistance• Transformational learning that is equitable.

Why inclusive assessment?

Through inclusive design wherever possible, and through individual reasonable adjustments wherever required, assessment tasks provide every student with an equal opportunity to demonstrate their achievement. (QAA (2013) UK Quality Code for Higher Education, Ch B6)

Traditional assessment practices that were once dominated by the unseen examination and the standard essay…have proved unable to capture the range and nature of the diverse learning outcomes now sought from courses.” (Boud & Falchikov,2006)

Plymouth University SPACE Project. Waterfield and West (2006)

Contingent approach

offers provision of

special arrangements

or adjustments

within existing systems

Alternative approach

offers different

assessment methods as a bolt-on for a minority of disabled

students.

Inclusive approach

is designed to ensure

accessibility for all

students and reduces the

need for MAPs.

Inclusive Assessment - why at Plymouth

• Student voice – assessment and feedback is an important theme for NUS & UPSU

• NSS & SPQ low scores for assessment & feedback • An increase in disabled students 13% (2014) &

modified assessment costs – DSA cuts 2016. • A review of the PU assessment (2012) indicated

inconsistent practices• Student retention through regular meaningful

assessment tasks and prompt feedback. • Inclusive development project 2014/15 ‘enhancing

assessment in partnership with students’

Assessment Policy:2014• Pre- assessment / feed-in activities & information,

discussion, feed-in with clear assessment and marking criteria

• A range of authentic, MAP free/ simple assessment methods aligned to learning outcomes.

• Scheduling - throughout the year, normally only 2 summative assignments

• Access to electronic submission and originality checking software.

• Fairly marked, anonymously ( if appropriate) with moderation and second marking

• Feed-forward & feedback with marks (asap) but within 20 days

Feed-in, feed-forward, feedback model of assessment

Student engagement and learning in assessment can be enhanced through:-

Feed-inWell designed assessment, briefing & preparation , DLE resources Practice sessions, assessment & marking criteria

Feed-forwardFormative ‘feedback’, cues, discussion, mid-way reviews, tutor, peer & self review and feedback

Feedback

end of task, written, verbal, mp3, YouTube, constructivemarks/grades, legible, DLE

LearningSpace

Embedding inclusive assessment @PU

Improved design• Assessments aligned to learning outcomes & explicit criteria & marking schemes Use of a range and balance of assessment

methods low MAP implications Detailed pre-assessment activities/ feed in/

practice/ examples of past work/presentations Offers progression and practice Weighting of exams & assessments ( 50:50%) More inclusive exams ( e.g open book; seen,

take home, typed (Mogey et al 2012) ) Consider offering a choice of assessment

methods (maximum of 2)

Improved scheduling Assessments ( summative and formative )

evenly scheduled throughout the year -avoiding bottle necks for staff & students

Avoid over assessment – normally 2 summative assignments

Consider the length of tests and exams (max 2hours)

End the use of summer vacation re-sits

Year:1/2/3/4/5

MCQ exam

IPSE / OSCE

Case study/ lab report

Essay

Reflective journal

Website/ wiki /podcast

Open book exam

Presentation /viva

Information leaflet

Inclusivity indicator/ risk factors Skills development

feed-in /preparation

offers progression

feed -forward / feed back

Risk of modified assessment provision

Scheduling bottle- necks

work placed aligned

Communication skills

Professional skills

Example                                                

Module 1                                                                  

Module 2                                                                  

Module 3                                                                  

Module 4                                                                  

Module 5                                                                  

Module 6                                                                  

Resources 1.- review of assessment in programmes

Rating - Red – Amber – Green

Resources 2: Assessment planner ( across each stage )

Assessment Planner

Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Stage / year September October November December January February March April May June July

Module 1

Module 2

Module 3

Module 4

Module 5

Module 6

Resources 3: – assessment methods and their MAP implications

Improving student learning through feedback

A perspective on feedback:

Our students experience of feedback pre-HE have not prepared them for the demands of higher education and many could benefit from better induction into what feedback is for, how to recognise the diverse ways it is offered and how to use it to actively develop their learning. (Price et al., 2012)

SSTAR (2014) What is Excellent teaching ? UPSU

Time

Fast turn around

Content of feedback

What PU students say about feedback ….

Feed-in, feed-forward, feedback model of assessment

Student engagement and learning in assessment can be enhanced through:-

Feed-inWell designed assessment, briefing & preparation , DLE resources Practice sessions, assessment & marking criteria

Feed-forwardFormative ‘feedback’, cues, discussion, mid-way reviews, tutor, peer & self review and feedback

Feedback

end of task, written, verbal, mp3, YouTube, constructivemarks/grades, legible, DLE

LearningSpace

Impact of intervention at Plymouth University

Improvements in student satisfaction scores

Assessment Feedback

Accounting and Finance +20% +16%

Business Administration +36% +14%

School of Tourism and Hospitality

+19% +17%

Physiotherapy +20% +16%

Dental Surgery +20% +23%

Engineering +32% +22%

National Student Survey: 2014.

Teaching and Learning website Assessment pages

https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/your-university/teaching-and-learning/guidance-and-resources/assessment

References

• Boud,D. & Falchikov,N. (2006) Aligning assessment with long term learning. Assessment & Evaluation in HE. vol31.no4.p399-413

• Mogey.N.,Purcell.M., Pateson.J., Burke.J.; ( 2013) Handwriting or typing exams – can we give students the choice?

• Price, M., Rust, R., O'Donovan, B., Handley, K. and Bryant, R. (2012) 'Assessment literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student Learning', , OCSLD: Oxford,

• QAA: (2013) UK Quality Code for HE. Chapter B6. Assessment of students and recognition of prior learning

• Waterfield,J., & West,B.,(2006) Inclusive Assessment in Higher Education: A Resource for Change. Plymouth University