Assessment Careers: Enhancing
Learning Pathways through
Assessment
Dr Gwyneth Hughes
Dr Holly Smith
Tim Neumann
Assessment Careers
• 3 year project funded by JISC with the aim of using
technology to enhance assessment and feedback
• Project video
• www.ioe.ac.uk/assessmentcareers
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Some current problems with feedback
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Lack of learner engagement with and understanding
of feedback (Lizzio & Wilson, 2008).
Generally, the feedback ‘fed back’ more than ‘forward’ so
feedback does not encourage dialogue
(Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2005).
Inefficiency in terms of effort and impact.
Feedback rarely scrutinised, when it is practice is
inconsistent.
• Lack of continuity of feedback
• Lack of information about progress, but this could be
motivating (Hughes, 2014).
• Critique and advice are content focused on the current
assignment. Often too late to be helpful.
• Feedback on generic and discipline skills is often lacking.
• Feedback is not stored and readily accessed over time.
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Assessment Careers Project
• Year 1: Baseline reporting and feedback analysis
• Year 2 (2012/13): Five programmes pilot a Student
Response form (cover sheet)
• Year 3 ( 2013/14) Institutional implementation including a
Moodle feedback reporting tool
Assessment Careers: Institute of Education website:
www.ioe.ac.uk/assessmentcareers
Pilot programmes
Pilot 1 MA Education, Health Promotion and International
Development
Pilot 2 MRes in Educational and Social Research
Pilot 3 MA Clinical Education
Pilot 4 MA/MSc Psychology of Education
Pilot 5 PGCE Primary
Approx. 400 students and 30 staff in total.
Student Feedback Response Forms
Thinking about the feedback on your draft (or previous)
assignment, please indicate what the key points were:
For each point state what action you took to respond to this
feedback in preparing the draft/final version of your
assignment. Your response will help your assessor identify
the progress you have made and suggest further action to
help you develop.
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Student Feedback Response Forms
If you would like feedback on any particular aspects of your
assignment, please make a note of what you would like the
feedback to address:
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Pilot reports on using Student
Feedback Response Forms
Generally positively received by staff, but concerns over
increased workload
Student use of Student Feedback Response Forms in pilots
was patchy, and response to them mixed. Some thought it
was their tutor’s role to decide what they needed feedback
on. Some found them a helpful prompt. Some were already
spontaneously self-assessing in covering emails with draft
work and asking for feedback.
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Assessment Literacy
We believe the student response depends on what they are
being asked to do, how it is introduced by tutors, and the
capacity of students to engage with the process =
‘Assessment Literacy’
We recommend:
• Asking students what they have done with feedback more
effective than asking them what they want feedback on
• Tutor commitment to a dialogue about assessment
essential
• Separation of the administrative and educational functions
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Requirements for Assessment
Careers
Tutors need access to:
• Student responses to formative feedback from the tutor
• Student responses to previous summative feedback from
other tutors
Students need access to:
• All their previous assignments and feedback
• Their responses to feedback
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Tools to Support Assessment Careers
http://link.lkl.ac.uk/jisc-ac-techreport
Technology plays a role in the following areas:
1. Assessment and feedback MANAGEMENT:
>> provide a holistic overview of a learner’s development
2. Assessment and feedback QUALITY:
>> incorporate dialogue into feedback,
improve assessment design through inspiration
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Related Projects
JISC Assessment & Feedback Programme
• FASTECH:
http://www.fastech.ac.uk
• InterAct:
http://blog.dundee.ac.uk/interact
• Assessment Diaries:
http://assessdiariesgrademark.wordpress.com
• Online Coursework Management:
http://as.exeter.ac.uk/support/educationenhancementprojects/current_projects/ocme
• Making Assessment Count:
http://sites.google.com/a/staff.westminster.ac.uk/mace/home
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Tool Categories
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Electronic Submission
Portfolio-based Assessment
Plagiarism Check
Online marking
Longitudinal Monitoring
SIS/Exam Data Integration
References
Hattie, J. & Timperley, H. 2007. The Power of Feedback. Review of
Educational Research 77 no. 1: 81-112.
Hughes, G. (2014) Ipsative Assessment: Motivation through marking
progress Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Lizzio, A. & Wilson, K. 2008. Feedback on assessment: student’s
perceptions of quality and effectiveness. Assessment & Evaluation in
Higher Education 33 no.3:263-275.
Nicol, D. & Macfarlane,-Dick, D. 2006. Formative assessment and selfregulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback
practice. Studies in Higher Education 31 no. 2: 199-218.
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