Assessment & Feeback

This session explored staff attitudes towards assessment. The session focused on presenting an overview of assessment models that encourage, support and develop independence, self-regulation, etc. Components of these models were then explored in detail in later sessions.

This session explored staff attitudes towards assessment. The session focused on presenting an overview of assessment models that encourage, support and develop independence, self-regulation, etc. Components of these models were then explored in detail in later sessions.

Good quality feedback can have a huge impact on student learning and performance. In the Feedback session, we will highlight some ways of getting good quality feedback to students fast.

How a module is assessed has long been recognised to have a huge impact on what and how students learn (think Leaving Certificate Exams). Here, some guidelines for developing assessments that promote understanding will be presented

"Authentic assessment is a means of providing assessment opportunities which are like tasks in the ‘real world’. Students are asked to thoughtfully apply their acquired skills to a new situation or environment. Assessments are considered authentic if they are realistic, require judgement and innovation and assess students’ ability to effectively use their knowledge or skills to complete a task. This seminar presented the experiences from the Marketing discipline at Munster Technological University in developing a comprehensive approach to the use of authentic assessment as a means of fostering student engagement and developing collaboration with businesses. Adopting the perspective of a ""work in progress"" the presentation challenged participants around the ongoing reliance on terminal examination and similar mechanisms, while also reflecting the realities of delivering complicated assessment mechanisms with large-sized student groups. Those who participated in this seminar: Learned about the role of authentic assessment in fast-moving disciplines Developed understanding around the systemic supports required institutionally to support authentic assessment Heard the student voice in design and deployment of authentic assessment"

"This seminar focused on developing feedback literacy in both staff and students and redesigning assessment to build on this new-found understanding. It drew on student and staff expertise across two main strands. Strand 2 looked at disentangling assessment and feedback and explored the various forms of feedback used in assessment and in the absence of assessment. Assessment design was highlighted so that opportunities to provide feedback to inform future work are intentionally embedded at the development phase."

A key skill to be mastered by graduates today is the ability to assess the quality of their own work, and the work of others. This book demonstrates how the higher education system might move away from a culture of unhelpful grades and rigid marking schemes, to focus instead on forms of feedback and assessment that develop the critical skills of its students. Tracing the historical and sociocultural development of evaluative judgement, and bringing together evidence and practice design from a range of disciplines, this book demystifies the concept of evaluative judgement and shows how it might be integrated and encouraged in a range of pedagogical contexts. Contributors develop various understandings of this often poorly understood concept and draw on their experience to showcase a toolbox of strategies including peer learning, self-regulated learning, self-assessment and the use of technologies. A key text for those working with students in the higher education system, Developing Evaluative Judgement in Higher Education will give readers the knowledge and confidence required to promote these much-needed skills when working with individual students and groups.

Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on student achievement, yet it is difficult to implement productively within the constraints of a mass higher education system. Designing Effective Feedback Processes in Higher Education: A Learning-Focused Approach addresses the challenges of developing effective feedback processes in higher education, combining theory and practice to equip and empower educators. It places less emphasis on what teachers do in terms of providing commentary, and more emphasis on how students generate, make sense of, and use feedback for ongoing improvement. Including discussions on promoting student engagement with feedback, technology-enabled feedback, and effective peer feedback, this book: Contributes to the theory and practice of feedback in higher education by showcasing new paradigm feedback thinking focused on dialogue and student uptake Synthesises the evidence for effective feedback practice Provides contextualised examples of successful innovative feedback designs analysed in relation to relevant literature Highlights the importance of staff and student feedback literacy in developing productive feedback partnerships Supports higher education teachers in further developing their feedback practice. 　 Designing Effective Feedback Processes in Higher Education: A Learning-Focused Approach contributes to the theory and practice of higher education pedagogy by re-evaluating how feedback processes are designed and managed. It is a must-read for educators, researchers, and academic developers in higher education who will benefit from a guide to feedback research and practice that addresses well recognised challenges in relation to assessment and feedback.

Defending Assessment Security in a Digital World explores the phenomenon of e-cheating and identifies ways to bolster assessment to ensure that it is secured against threats posed by technology. Taking a multi-disciplinary approach, the book develops the concept of assessment security through research from cybersecurity, game studies, artificial intelligence and surveillance studies. Throughout, there is a rigorous examination of the ways people cheat in different contexts, and the effectiveness of different approaches at stopping cheating. This evidence informs the development of standards and metrics for assessment security, and ways that assessment design can help address e-cheating. Its new concept of assessment security both complements and challenges traditional notions of academic integrity. By focusing on proactive, principles-based approaches, the book equips educators, technologists and policymakers to address both current e-cheating as well as future threats.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as educators expect students embarking on work placement to have, at some point in their studies, developed sufficient reflection skills to enable them effectively capture their learning from the placement experience. However, this is not always the case as students often receive little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. In this seminar participants will be guided through the process of reflection and engage in reflective practices. There will be opportunities for discussion in breakout rooms. Discussions will cover how other colleagues are engaging students on reflection in placement settings. Expect to be busy at this workshop with reading, discussion, shared practice and maybe even some drawing.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as educators expect students embarking on work placement to have, at some point in their studies, developed sufficient reflection skills to enable them effectively capture their learning from the placement experience. However, this is not always the case as students often receive little explicit instruction, practice or guidance about how to reflect. In this seminar participants will be guided through the process of reflection and engage in reflective practices. There will be opportunities for discussion in breakout rooms. Discussions will cover how other colleagues are engaging students on reflection in placement settings. Expect to be busy at this workshop with reading, discussion, shared practice and maybe even some drawing.

Reflective practice is a key skill in many professions including education. but is particularly relevant to students in the context of work placement. We as ...

"This seminar focused on developing feedback literacy in both staff and students and redesigning assessment to build on this new-found understanding. It drew on student and staff expertise across two main strands. Strand 1 took a ‘deep dive’ to explore what learner-focused feedback means and how staff and students can enable impacts from different feedback approaches. Particular emphasis was placed on feedback literacy: the capacities of teachers and students to make the most of feedback opportunities. What capabilities do teachers and students need in order to take up their complementary roles in feedback processes? Strand 2 looked at disentangling assessment and feedback and explored the various forms of feedback used in assessment and in the absence of assessment. Assessment design was highlighted so that opportunities to provide feedback to inform future work are intentionally embedded at the development phase."

This seminar focused on developing feedback literacy in both staff and students and redesigning assessment to build on this new-found understanding. It drew on student and staff expertise across two main strands. Strand 1 took a ‘deep dive’ to explore what learner-focused feedback means and how staff and students can enable impacts from different feedback approaches. Particular emphasis was placed on feedback literacy: the capacities of teachers and students to make the most of feedback opportunities. What capabilities do teachers and students need in order to take up their complementary roles in feedback processes? Strand 2 looked at disentangling assessment and feedback and explored the various forms of feedback used in assessment and in the absence of assessment. Assessment design was highlighted so that opportunities to provide feedback to inform future work are intentionally embedded at the development phase.

"The assessment design decisions framework consists of six categories: • Purposes of assessment • Context of assessment • Learner outcomes • Tasks • Feedback processes • Interactions Each category in the framework is explored in this guide, with a series of assessment considerations. • Explanatory text • Key questions for educators to consider • Links to online and print resources • Links to other relevant parts of the guide • Short vignettes of educator experiences. Educator experiences have been drawn from both interview data and our own experiences. Direct quotes have been edited to enhance clarity of meaning and ease of reading"

This Framework helps university teachers make good decisions about assessment design. The six categories draw from existing evidence on good assessment, and data from a study of Australian university assessment practices. The Framework identifies the key considerations in assessment design, including the effects of assessment on learning

"This seminar explored concerns around academic integrity in Higher Education and how assessment redesign can eliminate many of these concerns. The seminar was divided into two elements. The first session explored why, how and when students cheat in Higher Education. It opened up discussion and debate on academic integrity, plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating and the role we play in it as educators. The second part of the seminar focused on re-thinking how we assess and redesigning assessment approaches. The presenter discussed strategies that include encouraging students to see assessment, both, as an opportunity to learn and an opportunity to demonstrate their excellence and skills. Redesigning and rethinking the tasks we ask our students to complete in order to demonstrate attainment of the desired life-long skills in tandem with module and programme learning outcomes can effectively eliminate both the desire and the opportunity to ‘cheat’. Across the two sessions participants were asked to self-reflect, to consider their values and establish why they assess as they do. Traditions and assumptions were challenged & participants were supported in the redesigning of assessment approaches."

This seminar explored concerns around academic integrity in Higher Education and how assessment redesign can eliminate many of these concerns. The seminar was divided into two elements. The first session explored why, how and when students cheat in Higher Education. It opened up discussion and debate on academic integrity, plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating and the role we play in it as educators. The second part of the seminar focused on re-thinking how we assess and redesigning assessment approaches. The presenter discussed strategies that include encouraging students to see assessment, both, as an opportunity to learn and an opportunity to demonstrate their excellence and skills. Redesigning and rethinking the tasks we ask our students to complete in order to demonstrate attainment of the desired life-long skills in tandem with module and programme learning outcomes can effectively eliminate both the desire and the opportunity to ‘cheat’. Across the two sessions participants were asked to self-reflect, to consider their values and establish why they assess as they do. Traditions and assumptions were challenged & participants were supported in the redesigning of assessment approaches.

"This seminar explored concerns around academic integrity in Higher Education and how assessment redesign can eliminate many of these concerns. The seminar was divided into two elements. The first session explored why, how and when students cheat in Higher Education. It opened up discussion and debate on academic integrity, plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating and the role we play in it as educators. The second part of the seminar focused on re-thinking how we assess and redesigning assessment approaches. The presenter discussed strategies that include encouraging students to see assessment, both, as an opportunity to learn and an opportunity to demonstrate their excellence and skills. Redesigning and rethinking the tasks we ask our students to complete in order to demonstrate attainment of the desired life-long skills in tandem with module and programme learning outcomes can effectively eliminate both the desire and the opportunity to ‘cheat’. Across the two sessions participants were asked to self-reflect, to consider their values and establish why they assess as they do. Traditions and assumptions were challenged & participants were supported in the redesigning of assessment approaches."

This seminar looked at alternative assessment strategies and incorporating the idea of authentic assessment. We examined how approaches to assessment can be varied to both engage students and ensure individual students are doing the work. We shared examples on how we adapted face to face exams to the distance learning environment and we also looked at what others in the field suggest. There was time for discussion and questions to help participants consider how they can alter their assessment, give consideration to academic integrity and provide opportunities for students to choose learning over cheating.

This seminar looked at alternative assessment strategies and incorporating the idea of authentic assessment. We examined how approaches to assessment can be varied to both engage students and ensure individual students are doing the work. We shared examples on how we adapted face to face exams to the distance learning environment and we also looked at what others in the field suggest. There was time for discussion and questions to help participants consider how they can alter their assessment, give consideration to academic integrity and provide opportunities for students to choose learning over cheating.

"Examinations and assessments in education vary greatly depending on the stage of a programme, the discipline being examined and the prescribed learning outcomes. The most important feature of any examination relates to its suitability in allowing a student display their knowledge and competence through a fair, consistent and authentic means of assessment. Never before has this process been under more threat from essay mills, contracting cheating companies, and artificial intelligence algorithms, all of which are now freely available to vulnerable and misguided students. This seminar updated participants on the scale of the problem locally, nationally and internationally, the types of challenges every lecturer and student is now facing, and what can be done to protect against breaches of academic integrity through the design of authentic assessments."

Examinations and assessments in education vary greatly depending on the stage of a programme, the discipline being examined and the prescribed learning outcomes. The most important feature of any examination relates to its suitability in allowing a student display their knowledge and competence through a fair, consistent and authentic means of assessment. Never before has this process been under more threat from essay mills, contracting cheating companies, and artificial intelligence algorithms, all of which are now freely available to vulnerable and misguided students. This seminar updated participants on the scale of the problem locally, nationally and internationally, the types of challenges every lecturer and student is now facing, and what can be done to protect against breaches of academic integrity through the design of authentic assessments.

"While we as educators might hate to admit it, assessment does drive student learning and is probably the one most important thing we can do to help our students learn. Formative assessment can help us as educators identify concepts that students are struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet achieved so that we can make adjustments to lessons, instructional techniques, and academic support. If we wish to use assessment as a tool to enhance student learning the provision of formative feedback is crucial. We need to help students understand not only where they have gone wrong, but also what they need to do to improve and when they have done well, we need to help them understand what is good about their work and how they can build on it and develop further. This seminar focussed on how the Department of Mathematics and the Academic Learning Centre use Numbas, a free online platform aimed at numerate disciplines, to provide students with the opportunity to practice particular types of mathematical problems, receive instant feedback and advice on where they may have gone wrong, and to attempt other similar auto-generated questions. This seminar was aimed at academic staff who teach in a numerate discipline who would like to explore how they too can provide formative assessment opportunities to their students in an efficient and effective manner. Those who attended this session: Got an overview of some of the capabilities of Numbas Learned how Numbas can be used to enhance student learning Learned how a Numbas learning resource can be uploaded to Canvas."

While we as educators might hate to admit it, assessment does drive student learning and is probably the one most important thing we can do to help our students learn. Formative assessment can help us as educators identify concepts that students are struggling to understand, skills they are having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet achieved so that we can make adjustments to lessons, instructional techniques, and academic support. If we wish to use assessment as a tool to enhance student learning the provision of formative feedback is crucial. We need to help students understand not only where they have gone wrong, but also what they need to do to improve and when they have done well, we need to help them understand what is good about their work and how they can build on it and develop further. This seminar focussed on how the Department of Mathematics and the Academic Learning Centre use Numbas, a free online platform aimed at numerate disciplines, to provide students with the opportunity to practice particular types of mathematical problems, receive instant feedback and advice on where they may have gone wrong, and to attempt other similar auto-generated questions. This seminar was aimed at academic staff who teach in a numerate discipline who would like to explore how they too can provide formative assessment opportunities to their students in an efficient and effective manner. Those who attended this session: Got an overview of some of the capabilities of Numbas Learned how Numbas can be used to enhance student learning Learned how a Numbas learning resource can be uploaded to Canvas.

Student engagement is a central concept in the literature on teaching and learning in higher education. Research has shown that students’ active engagement in their learning is central to their academic success and that students who engage deeply with learning are better equipped for life-long learning. However, encouraging student engagement can be challenging. So, what can be done - how can we encourage students to engage in their learning in what, for many of us, are quite challenging times? One way of achieving this is through assessment. Assessment is probably the most important thing we can do to engage students in their learning. Traditionally, assessment practices have tended to focus on progression and completion rather than focus on enhancing student learning. If we wish to use assessment as a tool to enhance student learning the provision of feedback is crucial. We need to help students understand not only where they have gone wrong, but also what they need to do to improve and when they have done well, we need to help them understand what is good about their work and how they can build on it and develop further. This seminar outlined how staff from different discipline areas have developed their assessment practices to integrate feedback as a central component of their practice. Three different case-studies were presented and discussed with the intention of providing participants with a range of practical options that they might choose from and integrate into their own practice. The seminar was aimed at all academic staff, whether new to the whole notion of assessment and feedback, or those who wanted to improve their feedback practice with students, or those looking for ideas on how to enhance their current practice.

MORE INFO: https://tlu.cit.ie/conversations-on-teaching-and-learning-seminar-series Developing an Ethos of Authentic Assessment A Seminar Funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education as part of the Teaching and Learning Unit (TLU), MTU Cork's Conversations on Teaching and Learning (CoTaL) Winter 2021/22 Seminar Series Presented By: Dr Pio Fenton, Head, Marketing & International Business, MTU Cork Michele McManus, Lecturer, Marketing & International Business, MTU Cork Conor Kelleher, Lecturer, Marketing & International Business, MTU Cork Elaine O’Brien, Lecturer, Marketing & International Business, MTU Cork Authentic assessment is a means of providing assessment opportunities which are like tasks in the ‘real world’. Students are asked to thoughtfully apply their acquired skills to a new situation or environment. Assessments are considered authentic if they are realistic, require judgement and innovation and assess students’ ability to effectively use their knowledge or skills to complete a task. This seminar presented the experiences from the Marketing discipline at Munster Technological University in developing a comprehensive approach to the use of authentic assessment as a means of fostering student engagement and developing collaboration with businesses. Adopting the perspective of a "work in progress" the presentation challenged participants around the ongoing reliance on terminal examination and similar mechanisms, while also reflecting the realities of delivering complicated assessment mechanisms with large-sized student groups.

Assessment approaches methods and practices vary worldwide and sometimes students studying in Ireland find our systems confusing/incomprehensible and puzzling. For example, not all nations express what is expected of students in terms of learning outcomes and the provision of transparent assessment criteria is not always undertaken. For this reason, some international students may struggle to understand how marks are derived and how they match up to the criteria we provide in programme documentation. This guide is designed to help assessors clarify key assessment issues for our students and provide some practical tips on how we can support theirunderstanding.

When we present students with unfamiliar assessment formats, it can be difficult for them to work out what is expected of them and more difficult on occasions for them to recognise what kind of work is good enough to match required standards. If we are able to show rather than just tell them what we are looking for, they are more likely to achieve higher standards. Exemplars are a well-established means of helping students get the hang of new-to-them assessment genres and can save a lot of anguish on both sides.