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Assessment Introduction

Unit for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

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A question…

A student has worked the following mathematical problem:

269 23 x 5380 787 6167

• Working individually, give this student a mark out of ten

Mark = ……/10

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Consider…

• Was your judgement based on process or product?

• What might affect the mark you gave?

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Assessment needs to be

• Valid (measures what it is supposed to)• Reliable (reproducible results)• Transparent• Free of bias• Practicable

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Reproducibility

The consistency or reproducibility of an assessment:

• Markers: do they agree?• Can the test be repeated to achieve the

same results?• Internal: does it agree with itself?

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But…

• Is this achievable• In a discipline?• Across an institution?

• How widely can or should results be reproduced?

• Are these desirable educational purposes?

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Why assess?

• Assessment is central to teaching and learning

• Diagnostic (placement)• Summative (certification)• Formative (aiding learning)• Move towards ‘sustainable’ assessment

(Boud 2000)

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Planning assessment

• Integral to curriculum planning• Defining learning outcomes• Linking assessment criteria and learning

outcomes• Assessment tasks should be designed so

that students can demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes

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What is being assessed?

• Content learning• Skills (generic)• Skills (subject specific)

With what effect?• Deep / surface learning

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Assessment and Feedback

Assessment by whom?• Staff, peer, selfHow?• Three main forms- written, oral,

performanceFeedback?• Written, oral, recorded• Motivation, engagement

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Assessment workload

• Staff• Students• Usefulness of assessments• Marking load

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References

• Boud D 2000 Sustainable Assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society, Studies in Continuing Education, Vol 22, No 2.

• Gibbs G & Simpson C (2004) Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning, Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 1.

• Knight, P (2007) ‘Grading, classifying and future learning’ Ch 6 in D Boud & N Falchikov, Eds, Rethinking assessment in Higher Education, Oxon: Routledge.

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References

• Knight, P 2001 Assessment: A briefing on Key Concepts, LTSN Generic Centre Assessment Series Number 7, LTSN Generic Centre: York.

• Price, M; Handley, K & O’Donovan, B (2008) Feedback: What’s in it for me? Paper presented at the 4th EARLI/Northumbria Assessment Conference, Berlin. Available from http://www.iqb.hu-berlin.de/veranst/enac2008?reg=r_11.