The Impact of Assessment Practices on Student Learning: The Student Perspective

The Impact of Assessment Practices on Student Learning:The Student Perspective Vicki Hill Research Informed Teaching Centre for Learning and Quality Enhancement Teesside University

Outline • Background to the project • Methods used • Findings • Taking the findings forward … • Opportunity for questions and discussion

Background Facilitated by Assessment Working Group Remit: • Review existing assessment practice • Research to explore good practice • Investigate the student perspective of assessment practices • Research to explore the impact of assessment practices on student learning

Assessment for Learning (AfL) ‘If you want to change student learning then change the methods of assessment’ (Brown, 1997; 7) • - ‘Double duty’ of assessment. (Boud, 2000) AfL principles for effective assessment • Time and effort distribution • Rich in feedback and formative assessment • Assessment communicates high expectations • Authenticity / complexity of tasks (Gibbs and Simpson, 2003; McDowell et al, 2006)

Student Centred Assessment Social constructivist model for learning • (Paradigm?) shift from teacher transmission to learner focused. • Foster student responsibility for learning • Development of skills-to-learn and to self-regulate and self assess Implications for assessment: • Student-centred forms of assessment e.g. group-work, IBL, independent research to engage student in learning activity • Assessment encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning and to develop the skills to learn • Students actively engaged with the assessment process

Research Methods • Case studies • Pilot interviews with postgraduate students • Student Experiences with Assessment Questionnaire (63% response) • Interviews and focus groups with staff and students from case study modules

Findings Common factors in assessment practice found to impact on student learning …

What is learning? • Students commonly expressed ‘learning’ in similar terms to ‘deep’ learning. • “Expanding your knowledge” • “Acquiring skills” • “A continuous process one does and continues throughout one’s life.” • 74 percent of students in the study view the assessments as a ‘learning experience’ SOME STUDENTS MORE NEGATIVE

Relevancy • If an assessment task was perceived by the students as ‘relevant’ to their development then they would engage with learning in a more positive way. Relevancy (authentic tasks?) • Current subject issues • Developing skills for employment or further levels • Discipline-specific skills development “I hate doing presentations … but I understand that in the job roles that I would be looking to pursue presentations are a vital part and so I have to learn and get used to them.” • Learning outcomes commonly made learning meaningful for students and helped them to recognise this ‘relevancy’.

Independent Directions • ‘Choice’ in assessment task had a positive effect on students’ learning and motivation to learn • “If they had given us a bit more flexibility in the assessment then we might have enjoyed it a bit more and it might have got us thinking a bit more” • Nannying - • Too much guidance on assessment (particularly exams) could result in a strategic approach. • Students often resented ‘playing the game’ and recognised the negative impact on learning:

Timing of Assessments Serious concerns with the timing (not amount) of assessment • “They are not very considerate” • “You think, ‘I’d love to go and explore that’, but don’t have time.” • Cross module communication of assessment timetables • More assessment earlier in the academic year.

Feedback Students were very positive about the impact that feedback could have on their learning, particularly feedback received in formative tasks.

Feedback • Over-focus on (written) assessment feedback • But, high value placed on ‘informal feedback’ “The module leader was really good. If I didn’t get something then the feedback was there straight away” • Particular functions of informal feedback: • Foster relationships • Motivation • Support • Student centred development • e.g. building spaces for reflection on feedback positively evaluated by students

Learning Styles • Students commonly expressed awareness of their learning styles and the way assessment tasks could either advantage or disadvantage them. • Students felt that an assessment strategy that accommodated a variety of learning styles was ‘fair’ & allowed the development of different skills. • “There was a lot of variance in what you needed to put into it [portfolio assessment] … If you didn’t shine at one area you could compensate for that …” • e.g. of good practice – portfolio assessment and group work projects

Discussion …

Student Voices • “You are getting all the information and knowledge, but you are also developing your skills.” • “I think this assessment raised a lot of people’s confidence.” • “I’ve never done something like that before. It’s quite difficult to get your head around, but if you can it’s certainly worth doing.” • “You can bounce ideas of each other and you get a more thorough knowledge of the subject.” • “I worked really well in this assessment, and I think the variety of skills means we can produce good work.”

Student Voices • “You are getting all the information and knowledge, but you are also developing your skills.” Presentations • “I think this assessment raised a lot of people’s confidence.” Group work • “I’ve never done something like that before. It’s quite difficult to get your head around, but if you can it’s certainly worth doing.” Portfolio • “You can bounce ideas of each other and you get a more thorough knowledge” Group work • “I worked really well in this assessment, and I think the variety of skills means we can produce good work.” Group work

Student Voices • “It is like they are asking you to go down a very narrow channel and not even expecting you to look sideways at different aspects.” • “There’s so much you can prove in terms of what you have been reading and what you have learned, and for me this assessment is just not good enough.” • “You are just so glad it is over and that’s it, it’s done and you don’t need to worry about it any more.” • Exams

Informing practice • Embed a more effective feedback culture • University Campaign • Staff development workshops and external dissemination • Student exchanges / drop-in sessions • Recommendations taken to L&T Committees and Working Groups

QuestionsandFurther Discussion • Links with CETL research • Current assessment strategies to encourage AfL v.a.hill@tees.ac.uk

The Impact of Assessment Practices on Student Learning: The Student Perspective