Towards a personal best : a case for introducing ipsative assessment in higher education

The central role that assessment plays is recognised in higher education, in particular how formative feedback guides learning. A model for effective feedback practice is used to argue that, in current schemes, formative feedback is often not usable because it is strongly linked to external criteria and standards, rather than to the processes of learning. By contrast, ipsative feedback, which is based on a comparison with the learner's previous performance and linked to longterm progress, is likely to be usable and may have additional motivational effects. After recommending a move towards ipsative formative assessment, a further step would be ipsative grading. However, such a radical shift towards a fully ipsative regime might pose new problems and these are discussed. The article explores a compromise of a combined assessment regime. The rewards for learners are potentially high, and the article concludes that ipsative assessment is well worth further investigation. © 2011 Society for Research into Higher Education

Online instantaneous and targeted feedback for remote learners

Providing rapid but detailed teaching feedback is a significant problem in distance education, especially for large population courses of short duration, when hand-marking is costly and assignments sent through the postal services cannot be turned round sufficiently quickly. Online assignments with automatic teaching feedback are a possible solution, providing the feedback can be well targeted to individual students. This chapter discusses the online assessment of a ‘maths for science’ course, in which meaningful feedback was given in response to student answers on both summative and purely formative exercises. Students were allowed three attempts at each question, with an increasing amount of teaching feedback being given after each attempt, so encouraging students to engage with the feedback, to learn from it, and to correct their answers if necessary. The mark awarded on the summative assessment reflected the amount of help that had been given. The designers’ concerns included producing a fair test of the course’s learning outcomes within the constraints imposed by the online format and with only minimal use of multiple choice, writing questions that might help to uncover common student misunderstandings coupled with feedback that would address these problems, and tying answer-matching to specific feedback comments. Evidence from statistical analysis of submitted work, and from student responses to questionnaires, has provided insights into the impact of this kind of feedback on the student learning experience. While the majority of students were happy with the online nature of the assessment, a significant proportion appeared to value it more for the immediate indication of their overall performance than for the detailed teaching feedback, and some were put off by the technology or their perception of it. Students were considerably more likely to submit the summative assessment if they had previously engaged online with the practice formative exercises

Avaliação das aprendizagens nas percepções e práticas de docentes e estudantes de Artes e Humanidades

Research has been showing that teachers’ assessment practices are seen more as a technique to grade students rather than a pedagogical process that aims to support in-depth and meaningful learning. In order to come up with detailed descriptions of teachers’ assessment practices, the literature has been calling for the need to develop research based on data collected in real classrooms. On the other hand, it has been acknowledged that there is a complex relationship between teachers’ and students’ perceptions on learning assessment and its practices. Research reported in this paper was guided by the following three main objectives: a) to describe, to analyze and to interpret classroom learning assessment practices; b) to compare teachers’ and students’ perceptions on assessment; and c) to find out relationships between qualitative (intensive) and quantitative (extensive) data. Qualitative, intensive, data were collected at four universities through in-depth interviews with eight Arts and Humanities teachers (two per university), 160 h of classroom observations (20 h per teacher), and interviews with eight groups of students (two groups per university). These data enabled one to produce a total of eight narratives on learning assessment issues that gave rise to a single meta-narrative. Quantitative, extensive, data were collected through a 45-Likert items questionnaire, 15 of which were directly related to learning assessment. A descriptive analysis of these data was performed and Homogeneity Analysis (HOMALS) was used in order to identify the variables that most differentiate teachers’ and students’ perceptions on assessment issues. Research results showed that teachers’ assessment practices ranged from those that were oriented to support learning and to those whose only purpose was to grade students’ learning. Homogeneity analysis (HOMALS) allowed one to identify those variables that best discriminate teachers’ and students’ perceptions. Moreover, it contributed to establish relationships between extensive and intensive data.A investigação tem evidenciado que as práticas de avaliação dos docentes são mais uma técnica orientada para classificar os estudantes do que um processo pedagógico que contribua para os apoiar a aprender com mais profundidade e significado. A literatura vem igualmente referindo a necessidade de se desenvolverem pesquisas baseadas em dados recolhidos no contexto real das salas de aula, que permitam descrever detalhadamente as práticas avaliativas dos docentes. Por outro lado, reconhece-se que há uma relação complexa entre as percepções de docentes e estudantes sobre avaliação e as respetivas práticas. A pesquisa que se apresenta e discute nesta comunicação foi orientada por três objetivos principais: a) descrever, analisar e interpretar práticas de avaliação das aprendizagens em contextos de sala de aula; b) comparar percepções de avaliação entre docentes e estudantes; e c) estabelecer relações entre dados intensivos e dados extensivos. Os dados intensivos, qualitativos, obtiveram-se em quatro universidades através de entrevistas profundas e observações de 160 h de aulas de oito docentes (20 h por docente) de Artes e Humanidadese ainda entrevistas a oito grupos de estudantes. Estes dados deram origem a uma meta-narrativa baseada nas oito narrativas de cada um dos oito docentes. Os dados extensivos, quantitativos, recolheram-se através de um questionário com 45 itens de tipo Likert, 15 dos quais se referiam à avaliação. Procedeu-se a uma análise descritiva destes dados e utilizou-se a Análise de Homogeneidade (HOMALS) para identificar as variáveis que mais diferenciavam as percepções entre docentes e estudantes. Os resultados mostraram que as práticas de avaliação dos docentes variaram entre as que estavam orientadas para apoiar as aprendizagens e as que apenas serviam para atribuir classificações. A análise de homogeneidade (HOMALS) permitiu identificar as variáveis que mais discriminam as percepções de docentes e estudantes contribuindo para relacionar os dados extensivos e intensivos.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologi

From traditional essay to 'Ready Steady Cook' presentation: Reasons for innovative changes in assignments

The prose essay, case study and laboratory report, composed by individual students in isolation from their peers, used to be the mainstay of undergraduate writing. However, in recent years an array of alternative assignment types such as blogs, letters and e-posters have widened the repertoire of texts expected. This article attempts to describe the reasoning behind changes in assignment types at undergraduate and master’s level at the beginning of the twenty-first century. Data from 58 semi-structured interviews with lecturers in three UK universities is used together with course handbooks and some clarifications with lecturers via email. Suggested reasons for new assignment types are grouped into three categories: external, lecturer-driven and student-driven. The article surmises that, because of these pressures, students are now expected to produce a wide variety of text types, and greater attention should be paid to guidance in new assignments for both native and non-native speaker students

Dez Anos De Práticas De Avaliação Das Aprendizagens No Ensino Superior: Uma Síntese Da Literatura (2000-2009)

Avaliação, Ensino e Aprendizagens no Ensino Superior em Portugal e no Brasil: Realidades e PerspetivasO problema desta pesquisa consistiu em sintetizar literatura publicada num período de 10 anos (2000- 2009), no domínio da avaliação das aprendizagens dos alunos, para identificar práticas associadas à melhoria do que, e como, se aprende. As sínteses de literatura constituem investigações cuja relevância é amplamente reconhecida, porque promovem a integração de trabalhos de natureza teórica e/ou de natureza empírica realizados por outros, resultando num conjunto de asserções que, em princípio, vão mais além do que a mera soma das partes analisadas. Tal como é mencionado por vários autores (e.g. Cooper, 2003; Slavin, 2004; Suri, 1999, 2002), as sínteses de literatura constituem investigações relevantes para conhecer o estado da pesquisa num dado domínio e para o “fazer avançar”. No espaço Iberoamericano e muito particularmente em Portugal, a investigação neste domínio é escassa e, por isso mesmo, pensou-se que este ponto de situação pode contribuir para informar e ajudar a desenvolver pesquisas futuras. Assim, o principal propósito desta investigação consistiu em produzir uma síntese de literatura que integrasse o que de mais essencial se pudesse afirmar acerca das práticas de avaliação das aprendizagens que se desenvolvem em contextos do ensino superior. Numa primeira fase foram identificados 63 artigos mas apenas 30, de natureza exclusivamente empírica, foram selecionados para efeitos desta investigação. A análise e a síntese da literatura revista permitiu, entre outras, elaborar as seguintes conclusões: a) as práticas de avaliação formativa, utilizando tarefas tais como relatórios, apresentações, posters e outros trabalhos escritos, estão associadas à melhoria das aprendizagens dos alunos; b) as práticas de auto e heteroavaliação contribuem de forma importante para envolver os alunos no processo de avaliação e para melhorar as suas aprendizagens; c) a avaliação de natureza formativa e criterial ajuda os alunos a compreender melhor o que são supostos aprender, orientando e regulando os seus esforços nesse sentido; e d) as práticas de avaliação formativa contribuem para desenvolver as capacidades mais complexas de pensamento dos alunos.Este trabalho foi financiado por Fundos Nacionais através da FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia) no âmbito do projecto PTDC/CPE-CED/114318/2009

Resilience and student wellbeing in Higher Education: A theoretical basis for establishing law school responsibilities for helping our students to thrive

There is widespread concern for the mental wellbeing of our students. We argue that, while resisting the neoliberal tendencies that contribute to this, we have a responsibility for helping our students to thrive. Rooted in a theory of positive psychology: self determination theory, we present methods which may help us in this endeavour. These include our approaches to marketing and recruitment, curriculum design, assessment and feedback, experiential learning and developing a safe learning environment. We suggest how addressing these areas of our practice may assist students to develop their competence, and to experience autonomy and relatedness during their programmes of learning. In so doing we provide sources which underpin our arguments and which, we hope, will encourage a debate across European law faculties on this important topic

Teaching the Inevitable: Embracing a Pedagogy of Failure

Failure is often taken as a given in higher education, as an inevitable part of learning new things. Yet, it remains a part of learning that students tend to fear, and faculty tend to neglect. As faculty, we do not always strategize with or leverage our students’ struggles and failures for improved learning. Instead, we hope that students learn from their mistakes and study harder or try harder the next time, because moving on with material in class is necessary to meet learning objectives. In this article, we outline several strategies for using failure advantageously for promoting student growth and learning, and to minimize the stigma of struggle in academia. We make concrete suggestions and outline strategies and resources for faculty to incorporate a “pedagogy of failure” into their work with students and we describe structural barriers to using failure strategically in higher education. Click here to read the corresponding ISSOTL blog post

Evaluación formativa entre iguales: una experiencia de mejora competencial en estudiantes de Estadística

Una tendencia predominante en el sistema universitario europeo es la de otorgar un papel de mayor relevancia al estudiante. Las renovadas estrategias docentes y de aprendizaje confieren especial importancia al proceso evaluador, en el que el tradicional esquema sumativo va quedando relegado en pos de una evaluación formativa y colaborativa. En este artículo se analiza una experiencia de evaluación entre iguales enmarcada en el Grado de Estadística Interuniversitario de la Universitat de Barcelona y la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. Se expone una estrategia llamada doble corrección, que se lleva a cabo en dos fases. En la primera, los estudiantes, a través de rúbricas elaboradas por el docente, evalúan a sus compañeros, detectando posibles debilidades en el aprendizaje, y devolviéndoles un feedback que permite mejorar los trabajos antes de que el profesor les asigne una calificación. Como resultado se produce un incremento del rendimiento académico y un progreso en importantes competencias transversales.Una tendència predominant en el sistema universitari europeu és la d'atorgar un paper de major rellevància a l'estudiant. Les renovades estratègies docents i d'aprenentatge confereixen especial importància al procés avaluador, en què el tradicional esquema sumatiu va quedant relegat a favor d'una avaluació formativa i col·laborativa. En aquest article s'analitza una experiència d'avaluació entre iguals emmarcada en el Grau d'Estadística Interuniversitari de la Universitat de Barcelona i la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. S'exposa una estratègia anomenada doble correcció, que es porta a terme en dues fases. A la primera, els estudiants, a través de rúbriques elaborades pel docent, avaluen els seus companys, detectant possibles debilitats en l'aprenentatge, i retornant un feedback que permet millorar els treballs abans que el professor els assigni una qualificació. Com a resultat es produeix un increment del rendiment acadèmic i un progrés en importants competències transversals.A prevailing trend in the European university system at present is to confer an active role to the student. The new teaching and learning strategies give a preeminent position to the assessment process, which has moved from the traditional summative system to a formative and collaborative one. In this article we analyze a peer assessment experience in the Statistics Grade jointly taught at the Universitat de Barcelona and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya. The experience is carried out through the so-called double correction strategy, which is divided into two stages. In the first one students evaluate their peers through teacher-elaborated rubrics, identifying potential weaknesses in the learning process and giving feedback in order to improve the students work before being graded by the teacher. This seems to lead to an improvement in the academic achievement as well as on generic competences