CDE Conference 09/02/2009. D Whitelock (second presentation)

DMW, CDE, February 2009

Acceleratimg Learning to Assess: Assessment for Learning

Denise Whitelock

The Open University, Walton Hall,

Milton Keynes MK7 6AA

d.m.whitelock@open.ac.uk

DMW CBA, Ispra, Nov 2007

DMW CBA, Ispra, Nov 2007

Understanding the learning context

“My Stuff”

Very web 2.0

Own tagging

OU ahead here

Evidence, viral video, pictures

Chefing pictures from mobile phones for portfolio – West Suffolk College

File compressions sent to Face Book

Students’ role under-theorised

• Feedback - students want more (Students Survey)

• More of what?

• Decoding (Boud, 2000; Gardner, 2006; Sadler, 1989)

• Formative Assessment - empowering students as self-regulated learners (Nicol & Macfarlane-Dick, 2006)

DMW, CDE, February 2009

Where are we now?

• Opening up with Open Source

• Moving towards vision and not losing sight of it through tool adaptation

• More work to do for Arts

• Open Comment - pedagogical model open to test

• Feedback

• Changing pedagogy

• Another handle on misconceptions

DMW Formative Assessment, IOE, July 2008

Research Agenda

What are we trying to achieve?

Quality will reduce concerns about innovation

Role of tools to achieve consistency, reliability and fairness.....NUE principles of effective assessment

Computer marking of free text entry and diagrams

Group work assessment expert and judgement support systems

Data mining

New uses for assessment data in designing and refining learning programmes

DMW, CDE, February 2009

DMW 2008 The Open University's Institute for Educational Technology

No longer learning about X but reflecting about X

• Students are able to find facts similar to X

• Know how X might be disputed

• Are able to make predictions about X

• Know how to use X in an argument

• Know how far X can be pushed

• Supported with tools and strategies

DMW CBA, Ispra, Nov 2007