Mechanised Assessments that Promote Deep Learning

1. Mechanised Assessments that Promote Deep Learning …and prevent plagiarism!! Gareth Denyer Dale Hancock Jill Johnston School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences

2. Mechanised Assessments • Multiple choice, “single best answer”, true/false • Rapid, convenient • Excellent for large classes • BUT…. Can encourage surface learning (?) • Questions often test unambiguous ‘surface detail’ • Especially in unskilled hands • Student PERCEPTION • adopt a ‘rote’ approach • Names, facts, numbers • Attempts at deeper, conceptual based possible… • BUT… often lead to ambiguous questions • At worst, questions favour less able students because better students confused! • VERY SKILFUL JOB!!!

3. Marking MCQs • “All or Nothing” • No credit for near misses • No credit for process • No point in leaving answers ‘blank’ • Guessing can give 20% • Negative marking? • Intimidates students • Forces meticulous non-ambiguity • Further driving surface learning • Post-Exam revision of mark scheme difficult • Little chance of pro-active adjustment in light of performance statistics • Unlike SAQs where mark scheme can be changed • Ambiguous questions often discarded • Disadvantages good students

4. Graded Alternative What is the capital of Australia? A Melbourne B Sydney C Atlanta D Canberra E Auckland • NB. This is a SURFACE example!! • The more complex the question, the more important partial marks become.

5. Examples • Calculation questions • Multi-step • Give credit for answers that show correct partial process • “What if” and extrapolations

6. XL Based Graded Solution Typical student answer grid Marks Key Sheet

7. Advantages • Makes marking flexible • Like an SAQ! • Post-hoc changes possible • No confusion in exams • Scaling ‘fairer’… hmmm…. • Staff less stressed • More extrapolative questions • Less attention to rigorous ‘fact’ • Less concern about ‘getting it perfect’ • Each option “useful” • Students divided • Favours better students

8. Plagiarism! • Hard in SAQs • So easy in MCQs • Hand signals • Pattern recognition • Several cases • In literature • In personal experience • FRUSTRATING • Burden of “Proof” & lack of support from institution

9. Anti-Plagiarism Variation

11. Anti-Plagiarism Solution • =VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table of values, column index numbers) (eg, C, A3 to E7, 2) • Easier in a relational database… but that’s not the point! • Rotation in Word • No “all of the above/none of the above” questions! • Database allows generation of random orders

12. Exam Placement With just FOUR versions Never identical paper around Invigilator assistance!!! We don’t tell the students.

13. Implementation • Sweet Justice!! • Sometimes even the ‘check’ questions copied • Lots of ‘evidence’ • But such is the natural justice we often don’t take it further! • But to ‘tell’ or not to tell!! • Casual or ‘reassurance’ cheating • Builds confidence in the process

14. Developments • DIY scanner • Freedom from the constraints of FIVE options • Free-form grids • Student designed MCQs • Modified essay questions Have a go! Easy and Liberating!