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Forevery complex question

there is a simple answer -- andit's wrong.

Assessmentwhat does current literature say we shouldbe doing, what do we say we do, what do we actually do?

All assessment is a perpetual work in progress

John DelanyCentre for Educational Development

Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology

National Tertiary Learning and Teaching ConferenceNMIT

October 2011

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This presentation reports on a current project to

investigate assessment.

The broad aim is to identify the current assessmentlandscape at CPIT and aspects of assessment practice

that need to change in order to improve studentsuccess.

All assessment is a work in progress (source

unknown): at this point we can share a conceptualframework for synthesising current theory and research.

John Delany CPIT

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Five sources

What does current literature say we should be doing?

John Delany CPIT

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What does current literature say we should be doing?

ASKE Assessment Standards Knowledge Exchange, OxfordBrookes University Business School

10 key premises from the literature on Assessment

Price, M., Carroll, J., ODonovan, B. and Rust, C. (2011) If I was

going there I wouldnt start from here: a critical commentary on

current assessment practice, Assessment and Evaluation inHigher Education, 36(4), pp. 479-492.

John Delany CPIT

http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/index.htmlhttp://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/index.html

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What does current literature say we should be doing?

Assessment Futures, University of Technology, Sydney

Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform inhigher education

Assessment conceptual framework four key conceptualfeatures

Boud, D. and Falchikov, N. (2007) Rethinking Assessment inHigher Education: Learning for the longer term, London:Routledge

John Delany CPIT

http://www.iml.uts.edu.au/assessment-futures/

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What does current literature say we should be doing?

Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University ofMelbourne (Australian Universities Teaching Committee)

James, R., McInnis, C. and Devlin, M. (2002) AssessingLearning in Australian Universities. The Australian UniversitiesTeaching Committee. Canberra.

Core Principles of Effective Assessment

Indicators of Effective Assessment in Higher Education

John Delany CPIT

http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.html

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What does current literature say we should be doing?

REAP Re-engineering Assessment Practices in Higher Education,University of Strathclyde, Glascow

Theory and Practice 12 Assessment and Feedback principles

Nicol & Draper (2009) A Blueprint for TransformationalOrganisational Change in Education: REAP as a Case Study

repeated acts of persuasion

John Delany CPIT

http://www.reap.ac.uk/http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.html

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What does current literature say we should be doing?

Ako Aotearoa

Tertiary Assessment & Higher Education Student

Outcomes: Policy, Practice & Research -summary document(Functions & Purposes, Policy Aspects,

Overarching Principles)

AkoAotearoas resource centre guide about:Assessment

John Delany CPIT

http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/ako-aotearoa/ako-aotearoa/resources/pages/ako-aotearoa%E2%80%99s-resource-centre-guide-about-assessmenthttp://www.reap.ac.uk/http://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-4/n2742-tertiary-assessment--higher-education-student-outcomes---policy-practice--research---summary.pdf

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John Delany CPIT

http://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-4/n2742-tertiary-assessment--higher-education-student-outcomes---policy-practice--research---summary.pdfhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.iml.uts.edu.au/assessment-futures/http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/index.htmlhttp://www.reap.ac.uk/

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John Delany CPIT

http://www.aaia.org.uk/afl/assessment-reform-group/http://www.jisc.ac.uk/digiassesshttp://www.heacademy.ac.uk/resources/detail/assessment/assessment-resourceshttp://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/download/ng/file/group-4/n2742-tertiary-assessment--higher-education-student-outcomes---policy-practice--research---summary.pdfhttp://www.cshe.unimelb.edu.au/assessinglearning/index.htmlhttp://www.iml.uts.edu.au/assessment-futures/http://www.brookes.ac.uk/aske/index.htmlhttp://www.reap.ac.uk/

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CORE BELIEFS: WHY?What is the purpose of assessment?Why do we assess the way we do?'What underpins our approach toassessment?

Philosophy >> Institutional Policy

PRINCIPLES: WHAT?

What makes assessment effective?Propositions for effective assessmentBenchmarks / Values / Criteria

PRACTICE INDICATORS: HOW?

What should we do to make assessmentwork?How do we apply the 'Principles'?

Indicators >> of best practice

Why

What

How

How can we make sense

of all that?

Acknowledgement: JuliaAtkinsconcentric circles: From Values and Beliefs About

Learning to Principles and Practicehttp://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/ValuesBeliefs.pdfJohn Delany CPIT

http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/ValuesBeliefs.pdfhttp://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/ValuesBeliefs.pdf

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Assessment is central to the student

learning experience

Assessment is used to engage students

in learning that is productive

Assessment plays a key role in both

fostering learning and the certification of

students

Assessment is the process of seeking

and interpreting evidence for use bylearners and their teachers to decidewhere learners are in their learning,

where they need to go, and how best toget there

WHY?

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Assessment should motivate students to

learn

Learners should receive constructive

guidance about how to improve

Learning is more effective when students

understand the assessment process

Assessment has most effect when

assessment for learning is placed at thecentre of course and programme design

Assessment should be valid and reliable

WHAT?

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Students regularly receive specific

information, not just marks and grades,

about how to improve the quality of theirwork

Assessment is organised holistically

across subjects and programmes withcomplementary integrated tasks

Learners have opportunities to engage

actively with goals, criteria and standardsbefore, during and after an assessmenttask

Students have opportunities forreflection, self-assessment and peerassessment

HOW?

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A good example University of Strathclyde, Glascowhttp://www.reap.ac.uk/Portals/101/staff_leaflet.pdf

John Delany CPIT

Where to from here?

Is there alignment between what current literature says we should be doing what we say we do what we actually do ?

The broad aim is to identify the current assessment landscape at

CPIT and aspects of assessment practice that need to change inorder to improve student success.

Why? . Policy How? . Make principles explicit. Use principles to analyse and

evaluate our practiceWhat?.... Apply principles to practice

http://www.reap.ac.uk/Portals/101/staff_leaflet.pdfhttp://www.reap.ac.uk/Portals/101/staff_leaflet.pdfhttp://www.reap.ac.uk/Portals/101/staff_leaflet.pdf