Assessing large groups, doing group work

1. Assessing large groups, doing group work Good Practice Week, May 2008 Tina McGuinness, (Management) m.mcguinness@shef.ac.uk Margaret Freeman (HCS) m.freeman@shef.ac.uk

2. Several recurring themes: Larger classes have highlighted general concerns about: Engagement (with/ of) students, Provision of meaningful feedback, Ensuring assessment is appropriate, aligned, effective and efficient How to provide effective support and assessment for groupwork Much of the published research aims to translate general concepts of good practice, to the larger scale, viz: Learning approaches which promote student autonomy Assessment aligned with the learning experience (Constructive alignment: Biggs, ’99) Self and peer-assessment as part of the learning experience Group work/ teamwork: process and outcomes Review of current literature and practice re: learning in large groups

3. Five assessment challenges created by large classes The assessment of large student cohorts presents five distinct though interrelated challenges: 1) Avoiding assessment that encourages shallow learning 2) Providing high quality, individual feedback 3) Fairly assessing a diverse mix of students 4) Managing the volume of marking and coordinating the staff involved in marking 5) Avoiding plagiarism www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning

4. Larger class sizes pose significant teaching challenges, not least in the assessment of student learning. Perhaps most troubling, large classes may limit the amount of feedback provided to students. In response to the pressures and challenges of assessing larger groups of students, academic staff are responding through: • communication of clear assessment criteria to students; • marking guides to be used by teaching and assessing teams; • various forms of exemplars to : guide student efforts guide marking & grading Model discipline-based thinking, writing and performance; • the continuous refinement and dissemination of assessment policy and practice in relation to large student groups. Assessing large classesCentre for the Study of Higher Education (Aus) • www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning

5. Assessment under pressure Our main concern is that purely mechanistic methods of reducing assessment (e.g. a change from two assignments to one) may result in a loss of standards. It is essential, therefore, that changes in assessment practice do not lose sight of why students are being assessed: • motivation • creating learning activities • for feedback to the student, identifying strengths and weaknesses • for feedback to the staff, on how well the message is getting across • to judge performance (grade/degree classification) • quality assurance - internal to the institution • quality assurance - external to the institution • Too often, assessment tries to tackle all of these purposes at once. • We believe that the first four in this list require lots of assessment (much of which can be peer-assessment) • and the last three require occasional - yet rigorous - assessment. • http://www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/aup14pr.html#12

6. Research gives some indication of how students respond to innovative assessment: Students' behaviour is affected considerably by their perception of what the assessment requires. students act according to the situation as they currently see it, not as lecturers would like them to see it. Students often see value in innovative approaches to assessment and believe that they are interesting, worthwhile and help them to learn, Not all students think in exactly the same way. Views vary considerably and are affected by a number of factors: Students' reasons for being on the course in the first place. When assessment promotes some worthwhile and meaningful activity, students appreciate it on the one hand, but, on the other hand, find that it means more work, so they may resist it. You might hear them say 'It's really good in theory, but we just don't have the time…' Students frequently criticise conventional assessment, especially traditional exams, seeing them as artificial, pointless, misleading, unfair ….. and so on. But they may at the same time prefer exams because they are 'less work'. Individuals who have always been good at exams may be strongly in favour of them. From their point of view - why rock the boat? Students and innovative assessmentLiz McDowell (2001)

7. Why involve students in their own assessment (Phil Race) • Because students are already self- and peer-assessing • Tutor assessment is not always sufficiently valid, reliable and transparent • To deepen the student’s learning experience • To let students into the assessment culture • To help students become autonomous learners • To help students develop the skills for lifelong learning • To help students gain much more feedback than would otherwise be possible.

8. Aligning Assessment George Brown (2001) http://www.palatine.ac.uk/files/980.pdf

9. http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/ detail/id353_effective_formative_feedback_juwah_etal

10. Chris Rust (2001)A Briefing on Assessment of Large Groups. Argues that disciplines need to be prepared to look for solutions beyond their traditional cultures and practices, Offers detailed examples of possible solutions grouped under the following six headings: • 1. Front-ending • 2. Do it in class • 3. Self- and peer-assessment • 4. Group assessment • 5. Mechanise the assessment • 6. Strategic reduction • http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/resources/resourcedatabase/id12_Briefing_on_the_Assessment_of_Large_Groups.rtf

11. Enhancing student learning through effective formative feedback Strategies: • One-minute papers: • What was the point of this lecture? • What question remains outstanding? • Students request feedback they would like in the assignment • Students identify their own difficulties, when they hand in the assignment • Groups identify a questions worth asking, for a tutorial • Quick evaluation at key points during the teaching

12. Case study http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/id353_effective_formative_feedback_juwah_etal