pgcap cohort 2: week 6 - assessing and feeding back
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
assessment and feedback
PGCAP, EESL module
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add the assessment approaches you have
used/are currently using
to our flower (1 pedal for each approach)
Assessing & Feeding Back
PGCert
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Intended Learning Outcomes
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• Apply Bloom's taxonomy and Constructive Alignment
to the design of assessment.
• Discuss variety and innovation in assessment
including self and peer assessment.
• An the reliability and validity of the marking of rk
• Evaluate how feedback can be used to enhance
student learning, especially in relation to formative
feedback
Why do we assess?
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something to think about
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“There is nothing more powerful in influencing what our students do, how they do it and what they learn than what we do in assessment & feedback”
(Boud, 2010)
Something to think about
“There is too much emphasis in higher education on
summative assessment […] a shift away from the
„testing‟ and judgement culture associated with
summative assessment would alter the learning
environment in higher education and provide positive
student learning opportunities, encourage dialogue
between teachers and students (and between
students and students), enhance the learning
experience, provide motivation for students by
moving towards a formative assessment ethos and
allow students to take responsibility and ownership
for their learning and education.” (Irons, 2008, 8)
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Let’s go outside
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smell-activity
Bloom’s Cognitive Domain
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What exam / essay / assessment questions could you ask for each of these levels in your own subject?
evaluation
synthesis
analysis
application
comprehension
knowledge
Constructive alignment
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Biggs (1999) - Two aspects to constructive
alignment:
Students construct meaning from what they do to learn.
The teacher aligns the assessment with the planned
learning activities and the learning outcomes.
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Learning activities
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Intended Learning Outcomes
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Assessment
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“Assessment is not something bolted on to the end of
the course as an afterthought, merely measuring the
learning after it took place.”
Butcher et al (2006) Designing Learning. From module outline to effective teaching, Oxon: Routledge, p. 93
Formative v. Summative
assessment
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Formative: during module, forward looking, should
change our teaching, aims to improve learning –
assessment FOR learning.
Summative: end of module, measurement /grading /
competence – assessment OF learning
Low and high stakes assessment
(Knight, 2002)
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scenario
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“Mahmoud takes a lively interest in class
discussions. His written work is just pass standard
as he finds it difficult to structure an argument
supported by evidence. However, he makes
progress as the semester progresses. When it
comes to the final unseen written exam which
accounts for 50% of the marks on the course, he
does not achieve a pass, which is required for an
overall pass. He explains that he finds it extremely
challenging to write to the required standard in the
short time-frame of the exam.” (Duhs, 2010, 6)
Assessment as…
product
Process
psp activity
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You will be given 2 innovative assessment
approaches to investigate within your groups
Use the web/library and resources provided to
understand what this assessment approach is all
about. Identify the key characteristics and show how
it could be used within your practice. Remember
intended learning outcomes!
Illustrate your ideas as a group by creating an
advert.
storytelling and performance
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portfolios and patchwork text
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Good Practice?
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Avoid
Generic assessment questions
repeating the same questions / task every year
bunching all assignments at the end of the semester
setting tasks that require information that is easily obtained from
Google searches.
Do personalised tasks
collaborative tasks
self- and peer assessment and feedback opportunities
(benefits/challenges?)
performance assessment
reflection
real-life & contemporary situations
Using technology?
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Discuss benefits and challenges
Self- and peer-assessment
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• Learners need training in order to benefit
– Exposing their own work to others
– Being critical of others
– Seeing benefit for effort
– Understanding standards required
• Skills needed by graduates for working and
learning lives
– Self-efficacy
– Metacognition
• Potential to minimise staff costs/time (efficiency)
Why do students want
feedback?
Let’s ask them!
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Current feedback practice
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What kind of feedback do
your students receive?
When does it occur in the
learning process?
What methods do you
use?
How often?
What feedback do you get
about providing
feedback?
What other methods
could you try?
What are you going to
try?
Feedback
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• tutor > individual student
• tutor > group of students
• student A > student A (self-evaluation)
• student A > student B
• students > students
(usually called evaluation)
• student > tutor
• students > tutor
Formative Feedback
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“The dialogic feedback
system puts the students at
the centre of learning,
providing them with a series
of opportunities to act on
feedback.” (Duhs, 2010, 5)
•recognising strength
•developmental
•motivational
•opportunity for dialogue
feedback activity
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Remember:
Real, anonymous feedback (extracts) examples from
learning statements (randomly chosen)
All of them have good elements
It doesn‟t matter who wrote them
Are you ok to proceed?
Look at the feedback in front of you. What was done
well? What could be improved?
feedback sample 1
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I believe my learning statement shows a high degree of reflection on my past learning experiences and how that in turn relates to my current teaching practice. By openly exploring past learning experiences in detail, from school through to re-training in animation, I was able to present a clear picture of the impact these experiences now have on my teaching practice.
Although I feel my plan for future development is informed by the deep level of reflection I have shown, it could perhaps be more clearly laid out and precise. This part of the Learning Statement was for me the most difficult part of the exercise to tackle. Knowing where to go and how to get there feels like a daunting task at the early stage of my teaching career. Having more experience of teaching in HE would give me the perspective to have a clearer vision of where I would like to direct my ongoing actions.
On the whole I think my learning statement does a very good job of critically exploring my learning experiences and reflecting on how those experiences impact on the way I teach and the way my students learn. Well done you.
feedback sample 2
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Hi,
Really enjoyed reading your learning statement and listening to your audio on areas to develop. I have to say that I agree with you, I think working as trainers we try to encourage reflection and feedback on past experiences such as good/bad interview experiences, CVs, assessment exercises etc, which means that students can really engage in a debate but then we have to know when to bring a discussion to an natural end and try to refocus the group so that they take away some useful (tangible) information and not just have 1-2 hours of a nice chat. I have to say that I also find it hard to know how to stop these discussions and hope to pick up some tips on managing discussions more effectively.
feedback sample 3
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Self Assessment on L&T Statement
It is always a little strange to go back to your own work once you believe / want it to be finished and to then look at
it with a more critical eye. Even stranger to have to write about your observations!
My initial thought on completion was that it was perhaps a little long, and that the action plan was too general. The
first part of this was certainly confirmed when returning to the assessment guide and criteria which indicated an
equivalence of 500 words for this component. Having said that, I do feel that the content in the main justifies
inclusion and relates strongly to how my own learning journey impacts on my teaching and support of students.
There are a few occasions though where my desire to give a broader context by scene setting does get the better
of me. With regard my action plan, I actually felt that this was far clearer than I thought and also that the goals set
were realistic within my current role, and importantly that they were achievable.
Competence and engagement within an area(s) of relevance to the module (and as appropriate, to the UK
Professional Standards Framework.
The learning and teaching statement encompasses many areas related to the module including learning styles,
student centred learning, relation of theory to practice, and supporting self directed learning. Additionally the
statement is a clear example of reflection on teaching and learning activities which I believe demonstrates the key
professional values of the PSF. The action plan, as well as being evidence of professional development,
incorporates many activities that relate to development in accordance with the PSF.
Engagement and application of relevant literature and theory.
I do feel I have engaged quite extensively with the literature and embraced general teaching sources as well as
those related to teaching in my own discipline. On reading back, I feel I could have integrated them better into the
text, but I always find with reflection that this is harder as there is a tendency to start with your own experience
and then
Reflection on your learning and the development of your practice.
The statement analyses key incidents and demonstrates what learning has been developed from them. Where it
isn‟t as strong is on the evaluation of what this learning might mean for future practice, which is implied rather than
explicit.
Feedback example 4
There was good reflection in your learning statement
but there were no references to theory, the PSF or
the module criteria. You did reflect on your teaching
and learning and engaged with the activity but did
not produce an action plan or provide a needs
analysis.
Improvements could be found by adhering to the
criteria laid out more closely and fulfilling all
requirements. The work was a good story and an
interesting read and would fit in a well followed blog.
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Feedback sample 5 Overall a weak pass, only superficial reflection and
engagement with the literature - the action plan was better but
could have done with more specific detail
…
Application of literature
Range of literature sources was limited to a couple of those
that had been mentioned in the wk1 PowerPoint. Could do
with more investigation into educational theory literature and
considerably more engagement with it; and reflection on how
the literature could inform future practice – what are you going
to do to implement “deep not surface learning as suggested by
Ramsden (2003)?
DescR - Descriptive Reflection Hatton‟s and Smith‟s (1995),
Pass (weak)
Reflection on own learning and practice
Vague reflection at a superficial level, very difficult to ascertain
what events are being reflected on, and what was learned.
There is no structure to the reflection (Gibbs 1988, Kolb 1984,
etc)
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The OU Feedback Sandwich
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something...
... positive – to improve - positiveClear
SpecificConstructive
PersonalHonestKind
Feed-forward
Make it fresh!
Keep filling straightforward
aim for a balance of tastes
The seven principles of good
feedback practice
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1. Facilitates the development of self–assessment (reflection) in
learning.
2. Encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning.
3. Helps clarify what good performance is.
4. Provides opportunities to close the gap between current and
desired performance.
5. Delivers high quality information to students about their
learning.
6. Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem.
7. Provides information to teachers that can be used to help
shape teaching.
Juwah et.al.(2004)
feeding back > feeding forward
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clear
engage
point out success
stimulate improvement
link to action
challenge and stretch
timely
non judgmental
dialogue (feedback loop)
Create…
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• … a portrait of the person
who is sitting next to you
• Show portrait to the person
you created
• Person on the portrait to
provide feedback to the artist
digital feedback
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Nothing can replace face-to-face feedback
Technology brings more options
Audio
Video
Screen cast
Clickers
…
scenario
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“Solange arrives at her English university. She is a keen student and wants to do well.
After a few weeks, she is asked to write an assignment. When she sits at ther computer,
she find that she can only think of the complex ideas she has grappled with on the course
in her mother tongue, which is not English. It is an enormous strain to write these ideas
and she cannot think directly in English. She has to translate her thoughts one by one.
When she gets the essay back, she is extremely disappointed with her mark. She is used
to excellent results. Some of the feedback relates to her use of English and is very
discouraging. Her tutor has written:
„There are hints of some interesting ideas in this essay but they are often difficult to
understand because you do not express them clearly. Please check your English
carefully before you hand in your work There are too many errors here.‟” (Duhs, 2010, 6)
Discuss the feedback. Try to redraft it so that it feeds
forward and helps Solange to feel less apprehensive about
her next essay.
1 min paper
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What are the 3 things you are taking away today?
References 1
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Biggs, J. (1999) Teaching for Quality Learning at University SRHE/OUP
Bloom, B.S. et al, Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain New York: McKay
Bloxham, S. & Boyd, P. (2007) Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education, Open University Press: Maidenhead
Boud (2010) Keynote, University of Salford Assessment and Feedback Good Practice event, 6 July 2010
Brown, S., Race, P. and Smith, B. (1996) 500 Tips on Assessment. London: Kogan Page
Butcher et al (2006) Designing Learning. From module outline to effective teaching, Oxon: Routledge
Duhs, R. (2010) „Please, no exam”‟ Assessment strategies for international students, in: SEDA Educational Developments, Issue
11.4, Dec, pp. 3-6
Earl, L.M. (2003) Assessment as Learning, Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press.
Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2004) Conditions under which assessment supports students‟ learning. Learning and Teaching in
Higher Education, vol. 1. pp.1-31
Irons, A. (2008) Enhancing Learning through formative assessment and feedback, Oxon: Routledge.
References 2
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Juwah, C. et.al (2004) Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback. HEA. At http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id353_senlef_guide.pdf
Knight, P. T. (2002) Summative assessment and higher education: practices in disarray, in: Studies in Higher Education, 27, 3, pp. 275-286.
Price (2007) „Should we be giving less written feedback?‟ in Centre for Biosciences Bulletin Autumn 2007, HEA
Schofield, M. (2010) “Taking the „ass‟ out of assessment” [keynote], First level assessment project conference, 16th
June 2010, LeedsMet university
assessment and feedback
PGCAP, EESL module
Chrissi Nerantzi and Neil Currant
@pgcap
www.ldu.salford.ac.uk
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