Improving Marking of Live Performances Involving Multiple Markers Assessing Different Aspects

Assessment in the arts can be challenging. The problems associated with assessing student performances are that judgements are complex and even more so when they involve multiple markers (Campbell, 2005). It can be difficult to ensure assessment is fair, valid and reliable and that students are provided with clear feedback that is meaningful to them. This paper describes the development and trialling of an innovative, technology supported tool, designed to improve the confidence, efficiency and effectiveness of student performance-based assessment in arts education. This project is a work in progress and early trials of the Internet based digital computer technology tool suggest that it reduces tutor anxiety, increases markers’ confidence, improves the management of assessment and record keeping, facilitates easy and quick moderation, and provides explicit feedback to students to enhance ongoing learning. The perception by stakeholders is that this assessment is far more accessible and easy to use than previous methods. The project was implemented in a Bachelor of Education course, with 170 third year pre-service teacher students. Group performances were assessed by three tutors simultaneously during the live performance and for one week afterwards by viewing online video recordings of each performance. The tutors were able to discuss the assessment online via a confidential ‘tutor box’ attached to the marking key and only visible to tutors. The assessment was presented to the students as a one page electronic marking key with the video of their performance embedded into this page. This was saved as a pdf document and emailed to students. The students’ responses have been overwhelmingly positive. They reported that ease of access to this electronic assessment meant that they engaged with their feedback multiple times. The tutors reported that the process was far more streamlined and fair

Improving Assessment Outcomes Through the Application of Innovative Digital Technologies

Assessing students’ live performances is challenging because the marker needs to make complex judgements often very quickly while at the same time recording information and viewing the performance. The challenge increases when multiple markers are involved and moderation of marks is required. It can be difficult to maintain sound assessment principles, such as fairness and validity, and to offer students quality and timely feedback. This paper describes a two phase, qualitative, action research project which trialled the use of an innovative, digital technology-supported assessment tool designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assessment and moderation of live performances. The digital assessment tool enabled students to engage with the assessment and feedback from tutors and peers multiple times. The project was initially trialled with 170 pre-service teachers (in phase one) and then 200 pre-service teachers (in phase two) enrolled in an arts education unit in the third year of their Bachelor of Education course. Literature is abundant with references of digital technology which is used to automate scoring and marks (Clarke-Midura & Dede, 2010), however, use of digital technology in this project does not replace the marker. Instead, it provides the marker with a tool to conduct and easily record rich observations of complex learning in a paperless, highly efficient and engaging way

Using iPad2 to Assess Students\u27 Live Performances and Actively Engage Students With Tutor and Peer Feedback

Assessing student live performances can be challenging because markers need to make quick and often complex judgements about the learning while at the same time record information and watch the performance. This is further challenged where multiple markers are involved and moderation between markers is required. Maintaining fairness and validity throughout the assessment process can consequently become a significant issue. Moderation of assessment can cause a delay in the turnaround time for student feedback because markers need to meet and review. In addition, the ‘busy type of work’ associated with compiling and sorting individual marks and distributing them to students, often further delays this process. This paper describes a two phase, qualitative, action research project which trialled the use of an innovative digital tool to streamline the assessment process when assessing live performances. Phase one involved the assessment of arts performances of 170 Bachelor of Education students and phase two involved 200 students. For each phase, the students were enrolled in a 12 week Arts Education unit in the third year of their course and were assessed in groups of 5 or 6 students. The digital assessment tool enabled each marker wireless access to a customised database during marking and moderation. Markers used laptops in phase one of the study, then iPad2 in phase two, as it enabled mobility during assessment. Each group’s performance video was embedded into their marking key. This made it quick and easy to locate and view. The digital tool automatically saved and collated data. At the completion of the marking and moderation period, the marking key with markers’ feedback as well as the embedded video of performance were automatically emailed to individuals as a pdf attachment. Individuals only received the feedback pertaining to their own group’s performance. The markers reported that the digital tool significantly enhanced the way in which they were able to capture and record their observations of complex learning. They felt that the assessment was more accurate and that the paperless process was far more efficient. The students reported that they became more engaged with the assessment process and that they engaged with their feedback on multiple occasions

Improving assessment outcomes through the application of innovative digital technologies

Assessing students’ live performances is challenging because the marker needs to make complex judgements, often very quickly, while at the same time recording information and watching the performance. This is further challenged when multiple markers are involved and moderation of marks is required. It can be difficult to maintain good assessment principles, such as fairness and validity and to offer students quality and timely feedback. This paper describes a two phase, qualitative, action research project that trialled the use of an innovative, digital technology supported, assessment tool designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of assessment and moderation of live performances. The digital assessment tool enabled students to engage with the assessment and feedback from tutors and peers multiple times. The project was initially trialled with 170 pre-service teachers (in phase one) and then 200 pre-service teachers (in phase two) enrolled in an arts education unit in the third year of their Bachelor of Education course. Literature is abundant with references of digital technology which is used to automate scoring and marks (Clarke-Midura & Dede, 2010), however, use of digital technology in this project does not replace the marker. Instead, it provides the marker with a tool with which to conduct and easily record rich observations of complex learning and it does so in a paperless, highly efficient and engaging way

C. Bertrand Thompson and Management Consulting in Europe

This paper aims to highlight myriad accomplishments of C. Bertrand Thompson, who is perhaps most well known as a scientific-management bibliographer and a Taylor disciple, in the belief that his contributions as a pioneer management theorist and consultant in Europe deserve to be more widely known and more deeply appreciated

Proposed Principles for Promoting Pre-service Teacher Transfer of Group-based Learning to the Classroom: A Discussion Paper

The effective ‘transfer’ of knowledge and skills from university to the workplace is of global interest, yet this area of inquiry lacks research. Teacher educators, for example, require information on how to advance pre-service teachers’ transfer of group-based learning to the primary school classroom (Scott & Baker, 2003). Group-based learning (GBL) is a valued means of developing learners’ group work, personal attributes and interpersonal skills, and in the case pre-service teachers their professional skills.. Graduate teachers do not necessarily generalise GBL pedagogy to the classroom. This discussion paper draws from a qualitative case study that examined this pedagogy in a pre-service teacher education program at a University. The case study revealed three core GBL issues: ‘consistency and coherence’; ‘equity and fairness’; ‘pragmatism and adding value’. This paper proposes four principles of effective transfer and examines how, in relation to these three issues, these principles can promote effective transfer

Enabling Group-Based Learning in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Student Experience

“Teacher education ill prepares pre-service teachers for the classroom.” Research conducted in a teacher education program at Edith Cowan University (ECU) responded to this criticism. This longitudinal case study selected group work (i.e., group-based learning) to investigate the quality of its teacher education program. Phase one explored teacher educators\u27 perceptions of group-based learning. Phase two explored preservice teachers\u27 perceptions and experience of group-based learning. This phase used student ‘voice’ (i.e., through focus groups, confirmed field notes, summary sheets) to convey their ideas and experiences when studying in a group and/or implementing group-based learning in the classroom. This paper discusses phase two findings which show the importance of consistency and coherence in understanding group-based learning principles and practices, and the broad ‘conditions’ and ‘actions’ that enable meaningful learning. The research has enabled ECU teacher educators to enhance the quality of the teacher education program

Enabling Group-Based Learning in Teacher Education: A Case Study of Student Experience

“Teacher education ill prepares pre-service teachers for the classroom.” Research conducted in a teacher education program at Edith Cowan University (ECU) responded to this criticism. This longitudinal case study selected group work (i.e., group-based learning) to investigate the quality of its teacher education program. Phase one explored teacher educators\u27 perceptions of group-based learning. Phase two explored pre-service teachers\u27 perceptions and experience of group-based learning. This phase used student ‘voice’ (i.e., through focus groups, confirmed field notes, summary sheets) to convey their ideas and experiences when studying in a group and/or implementing group-based learning in the classroom. This paper discusses phase two findings which show the importance of consistency and coherence in understanding group-based learning principles and practices, and the broad ‘conditions’ and ‘actions’ that enable meaningful learning. The research has enabled ECU teacher educators to enhance the quality of the teacher education program