Student-Centred Assessments and their Impact on Learning – An IS Case Study

In higher education, one can find many different assessment methods ranging from the most traditional examination based assessment to computer-based on-line assessment and many other innovative assessment practices. Yet, achieving a high level of positive impact of assessment on student learning is always a major concern among academic practitioners. Choosing the right set of assessment modes, designing the assessment activities and evaluating their impact on student learning are some of the major challenges. This challenge is more pronounced in the recently emerging Information Systems (IS) programmes as there is an ever-growing wide variety of assessment methods matching with the ever-changing tools and techniques that evolve in the computer hardware and software disciplines. In such a dynamic context, IS courses in higher education are faced with a very short life-cycle and hence do not have the luxury of experimenting different assessment modes from time to time. They need to arrive at the right combination of assessments based on the prevailing situation. It is therefore a question as to which assessment methods are the best to be adopted and what is the impact of such assessments on student learning. This paper proposes a pragmatic four-step student-centred approach to identify and design suitable assessment methods and to examine their impact on student learning. The student-centred approach is illustrated through a study conducted for a particular IS course in a higher education setting. Due to the generic nature of this approach, it could be adopted in courses from other areas as well

Literacy assessment practices: Moving from standardised to ecologically valid assessments in secondary schools

SSLI test protocol data revealed the dominance of 'central' literacy measures and 'local' subject-specific measures aligned to institutional requirements, curriculum and national examination content. These measures initiate secondary students into a pervasive culture of assessment that generally fails to support further learning; a culture antagonistic towards the use of assessment that reflect how expert teachers address subject-specific literacies. In a culture of content-focussed, high stakes assessment, the use of ecologically valid formative assessment that reveal what students can do with what they know, and that empower teachers to test like they teach, is marginalised. Consistent with Neisser's claim that some experimental measures may not reflect reality, the pedagogy and assessment protocols of many secondary schools fail to reflect the use of literacy and thinking tools, and so fail to reflect best evidence about teaching. Changes in school culture, teachers' pedagogical knowledge and the use of ecologically valid assessments are associated with shifts from transmission to co-construction approaches. Consistent with the work of David Corson the use of ecologically valid assessment that reflect the use of literacy and thinking tools is an inclusive, future-focussed literacy event, but the use of 'central' curriculum and institutional-linked measures is exclusive

On-line case discussion assessment in Ultrasound: The effect on student centred and inter-professional learning

In 2009 an asynchronous on-line case discussion assessment was introduced, to replace an existing traditional case-study assessment, within the Medical Ultrasound Programmes at City University London, to help extend collaborative, interprofessional student-led learning skills. Two clinical modules were used to develop the on-line learning method with associated assessments. Students selected and led a clinical case from their department, uploaded anonymised images and case details with questions, to encourage interaction from other colleagues. Thirty students participated in the on-line case discussions. The assessment was evaluated via informal feedback, end of module feedback and an on-line questionnaire. Some students completed two modules, using the on-line discussion, others were involved in only one module, of which 21 out of 26 students completed end of module feedback for the 1st module and 18 out of 20 students completed feedback from the 2nd module. Twelve students out of 30 completed the on-line questionnaire. Feedback suggested that the on-line case discussions were a good learning tool, providing a wide range of cases for students to participate in or read and learn from each other. All students found the cases interesting, engaging and useful, but time consuming. Despite the small numbers involved, useful feedback was provided to assist further development of the assessment, particularly in relation to the number of cases being assessed and length of availability. On-line case discussions are an innovative, engaging method to encourage self directed, collaborative learning which could be utilised in the health care setting to share interesting cases, promote inter-professional and self-directed learning

Guidelines: The do's, don'ts and don't knows of direct observation of clinical skills in medical education.

IntroductionDirect observation of clinical skills is a key assessment strategy in competency-based medical education. The guidelines presented in this paper synthesize the literature on direct observation of clinical skills. The goal is to provide a practical list of Do's, Don'ts and Don't Knows about direct observation for supervisors who teach learners in the clinical setting and for educational leaders who are responsible for clinical training programs.MethodsWe built consensus through an iterative approach in which each author, based on their medical education and research knowledge and expertise, independently developed a list of Do's, Don'ts, and Don't Knows about direct observation of clinical skills. Lists were compiled, discussed and revised. We then sought and compiled evidence to support each guideline and determine the strength of each guideline.ResultsA final set of 33 Do's, Don'ts and Don't Knows is presented along with a summary of evidence for each guideline. Guidelines focus on two groups: individual supervisors and the educational leaders responsible for clinical training programs. Guidelines address recommendations for how to focus direct observation, select an assessment tool, promote high quality assessments, conduct rater training, and create a learning culture conducive to direct observation.ConclusionsHigh frequency, high quality direct observation of clinical skills can be challenging. These guidelines offer important evidence-based Do's and Don'ts that can help improve the frequency and quality of direct observation. Improving direct observation requires focus not just on individual supervisors and their learners, but also on the organizations and cultures in which they work and train. Additional research to address the Don't Knows can help educators realize the full potential of direct observation in competency-based education

Comprehensive learning incorporating Ako: A tertiary education approach at Wintec

This article outlines the design and implementation of a scenario-based approach to teaching and learning in tertiary education, inspired from Ako, adopted at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). This learning approach, titled ‘Comprehensive Learning (CL)’, aligns with the holistic objective of enabling students with an active, flexible, personalised, authentic and practical approach to learning that builds upon students’ interests and experiences. The article explains the motivation and the process used in creating and applying this approach to teach some of the IT and Business modules. The main reason to implement this approach is to encourage/enable critical thinking while learning in a continuous and personalised manner. CL allows students to specialize in a context of their choice, which in turn induces learning. In addition, students are less motivated to plagiarize due to the unique nature of their scenarios, and inherent safeguards present within the approach

Comprehensive learning incorporating Ako – a tertiary education approach at Wintec

This article outlines the design and implementation of a scenario-based approach to teaching and learning in tertiary education, inspired from Ako, adopted at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). This learning approach, titled ‘Comprehensive Learning (CL)’, aligns with the holistic objective of enabling students with an active, flexible, personalised, authentic and practical approach to learning that builds upon students’ interests and experiences. The article explains the motivation and the process used in creating and applying this approach to teach some of the IT and Business modules. The main reason to implement this approach is to encourage/enable critical thinking while learning in a continuous and personalised manner. CL allows students to specialize in a context of their choice, which in turn induces learning. In addition, students are less motivated to plagiarize due to the unique nature of their scenarios, and inherent safeguards present within the approach

Comprehensive learning incorporating Ako: A tertiary education approach at Wintec

This article outlines the design and implementation of a scenario-based approach to teaching and learning in tertiary education, inspired from Ako, adopted at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec). This learning approach, titled ‘Comprehensive Learning (CL)’, aligns with the holistic objective of enabling students with an active, flexible, personalised, authentic and practical approach to learning that builds upon students’ interests and experiences. The article explains the motivation and the process used in creating and applying this approach to teach some of the IT and Business modules. The main reason to implement this approach is to encourage/enable critical thinking while learning in a continuous and personalised manner. CL allows students to specialize in a context of their choice, which in turn induces learning. In addition, students are less motivated to plagiarize due to the unique nature of their scenarios, and inherent safeguards present within the approach