Re-assessing innovative assessment workshop
Dr Erica Morris (Consultant in Academic Practice, HEA)

To explore contemporary assessment perspectives, emphasising the use of innovative assessment and principles aligned with assessment for learning
An opportunity to
• explore the notion of ‘assessment for learning’, and associated guiding principles
• consider the rationale for diversifying assessment methods and using authentic assessment tasks, enhancing the development of graduate attributes and skills relevant to employability
• review and plan for changing assessment practices to enhance student learning
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Timing Session
12.35
12.45
12.55
1.10
1.15
11.15 am Current assessment perspectives, assessment for learning model; short activity
11.45 Activity – Considering diverse forms of assessment learning: challenges and opportunities for
12.15 pm Plenary
Looking at assessment literacy
Activity – Integrating assessment literacy
Insights, reflections and actions
Conclusions
Close of workshop
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What do we mean by innovative assessment?
“innovative assessment could be any form of assessment which involves the application of a new technique or method … however, innovative assessment has come to mean more than that; it is a term we use which encompasses a whole range of different techniques and methods, not all of which are new inventions. What unites them is a common goal: to improve the quality of student learning ”
(Mowl 2006, p2)
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Re-assessing innovative assessment
Innovative with regard to
• Being characterised as authentic or work relevant
• Technology-enhanced assessment or learning
• Changing the nature of student engagement and participation
Assessment for learning:
“challenges and blurs the boundaries between assessment and teaching”
(Sambell et al 2013, p151)
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• Building on two decades of work on assessment in higher education
• Response to issues and concerns in assessment practice
• Assessment Standards: a
Manifesto for Change
– Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe)
• Six evidence-based tenets
– Unpacked, re-cast
– Assessment review tool
– Evidence base
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for
The debate on standards needs to focus on how high standards of learning can be achieved through assessment. This requires a greater emphasis on assessment for learning rather than assessment of learning
• Authentic assessment – engaging, meaningful assessment tasks
• Students developing as learners – effective attributes and skills to selfassess and evaluate their own learning
• Informal feedback – e.g. in-class group discussions, peer-review
• Formal feedback – range of forms of feedback, used at a number of stages
• Practice, rehearsal – opportunities to learn and practice
• Formative and summative – appropriate balancing of these two types of assessment
(Sambell et al 2013)
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Assessment framework Emphasis: examples
Carless (2009)
A framework for learningoriented assessment
Boud and Associates (2010)
Seven propositions for assessment reform
Tasks should be designed to stimulate productive learning practices
Assessments should involve students actively in engaging with criteria, quality, their own and peers’ performance
Assessment for learning as pivotal
Inducting students in assessment cultures and practices
NUS
Assessment and feedback benchmarking tool, with 10 principles
Diverse forms of assessment
Formative assessment and feedback
Self-reflection and peer learning
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• Social work module: observations of practice
• Develop a glossary as an assessment
– Identified academic terms, writing definitions, indicating sources
– Personal, illustrative evidence of relevance of term (e.g. from practice observations, peer discussion)
• Encouraging research reading, learning to writing concisely
• Looking at different theoretical perspectives, linking theory and practice
Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p18)
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• Business Studies module looking at corporate management
• Assessment related to workplace improvement
• Managers from organisations: talks on workplace problems
– Students suggesting solutions through presenting these
– Posters to disseminate ideas for workplace improvement
Adapted from Sambell et al (2013, p22)
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Assessing Method or type
Knowledge and understanding Information leaflet, web resource, reports
Thinking critically and making judgements
Journal or reflective diary, briefing paper, newspaper article, oral presentation
Problem-solving and developing plans
Communication skills
Research bid, case study analysis, action plan
Group or individual poster, student-led seminars
And others …
Engaging – Meaningful – Realistic
Based on Butcher et al (2006); handout on assessment methods
(PedRIO, Plymouth University)
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Considering diverse forms of assessment for learning
• What are the challenges?
• What are the particular opportunities?
How might these relate to particular subject or disciplinary areas?
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Considering diverse forms of assessment for learning
• Challenges?
• Opportunities?
How might these relate to particular subject or disciplinary areas?
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Active engagement with assessment standards needs to be an integral and seamless part of course design and the learning process in order to allow students to develop their own, internalised conceptions of standards and to monitor and supervise their own learning
• Methods for sharing standards with students
– Regular formative tasks, feedback with dialogue, use of exemplar assignments, discussion of criteria, and self and peer assessment
• Student understanding of assessment and standards help them as developing autonomous learners
– Reflect on and review their own progress and development
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• A grasp of assessment in relation to learning
• An understanding of assessment
– Principles of valid assessment
– Terminology
• The meaning of assessment criteria and standards
• Self and peer-assessment skills
• Using appropriate approaches or techniques for assessment tasks
Price et al (2012)
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Activity: integrating assessment literacy
In what ways could assessment literacy be integrated?
• An understanding of assessment
• The meaning of assessment criteria and standards
• Self and peer-assessment skills
• Using appropriate approaches or techniques for assessment tasks
Pairs or small groups of three
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Insights, reflections and actions
What changes could you make?
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Conclusions
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Assessment Compact at Oxford Brookes University
1. Engage in dialogue with tutors and peers
• Talking opportunities: unsure about assessment tasks, standard of work expected, explore ideas
• Supportive, constructive and timely feedback
2. Self assess your work and be prepared to assess the work of others
• Practise in self and peer-assessment: developing understanding of good quality work
• Drafting, using exemplars, marking
3. See yourself as a member of your learning community
• Engage with all study activities
• Reflect on feedback, checking your understanding with others
Based on www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/ 19

Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) – ww.brookes.ac.uk/aske/
(ASKe) Assessment: Your entitlements and obligations – the Compact digested . Oxford Brookes University. Available from: www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/BrookesACompact/
ASKe (n.d) Assessment Standards: a Manifesto for Change; Feedback: an Agenda for Change . Available from: http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/Manifesto/
Boud, D. and Associates (2010) Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education . Sydney: Australian
Learning and Teaching Council.
Butcher, C., Davies, C. and Highton, M. (2006) Designing Learning: From module outline to effective teaching . London and New York:
Routledge.
Carless, D. (2009) Learning-oriented assessment: Principles, practice and a project. In L.H. Meyer, S. Davidson, H. Anderson, R.
Fletcher, P. M. Johnson and M. Ress (Eds.), Tiertiary Assessment & Higher Education Student Outcomes: Policy, Practice & Research (pp.
79-90). Wellington, New Zealand: Ako Aotearoa.
Mowl, G. (2006) Red Guides, Paper 17: Innovative student assessment: what’s the point? Northumbria University. Available from: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/study/cll/currentstudents/undergraduatemodules/reinventingeducation/coursepages/mowl_-
_innovative_assessment.pdf
NUS (n.d) Assessment and feedback benchmarking tool .
Price, M., Rust, C., O’Donovan, B., Handley, K., with Bryant, R. (2012) Assessment Literacy: The Foundation for Improving Student
Learning.
Oxford Brookes University, Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.
Sambell, K., McDowell, L. and Montgomery, C. (2013) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education . Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
The Higher Education Academy (2012) A Marked Improvement: Transforming assessment in higher education . Available from: http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assessment
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