Introducing assessed multi-format e-coursework on undergraduate degree

programmes

Bridget Middlemas, University of Roehampton

The last ten years...

A4 to 3D?

• Moving away from black and white, A4 text based papers towards more multi-format, multi-colour, 3D ways of assessing what’s been learned

• Students are becoming ever more innovative in their uses of ICT, and asking for their skills to be formally recognised through assessment

• Staff now asking how we can assess such things as wikis, e-portfolios, multi-media presentations...

Assessment issues…• What support will students need?• Who’s responsible when things don’t go to plan?• Quality of filming / audio / photos• How will paragraphs / chapters be replaced?• Support prior to and during hand-in• Agreeing a final grade / role of external examiner• Arranging a suitable e-viva opportunity• What’s a fair equivalent / alternative to 3000 or

5000 words?

Example of equivalency chart for a 3000 word essay

Text-based coursework

OR Live presentation / e-viva

OR E-portfolio /multimedia e-coursework / WIKI

OR Group work

Essay – 3000 words, plus 10-15 references

100% graded by lecturer, and double marked where appropriate

A2 or A3 Poster , using text and/or artwork/visual data, plus 10 minute presentation to rest of group; with accompanying 500 word explanatory / background text.You will need to use 10-15 references.

50% Peer assessed by group50% graded by lecturer

E- Project 2000 words, plus 1000 word equivalent to include any of these: photographs, charts, visual resources, audio, artwork etc, plus 10-15 references

50% Peer assessed by group50% graded by lecturer

30 minute teaching or demonstration session for a group of ten peers. Make your own handouts / resources / games to illustrate your session. You will need to use 10-15 references.

50% Peer assessed by group50% graded by lecturerOR100% peer assessed

But what are we actually assessing?

• Learning outcomes?• Quality of text and

references?• Technical competence?• Creativity?• Use of colour and design?• Equivalence ( and non-

equivalence) to other assessment formats?

• Persistence and hard work?

What’s It Worth? Developing equivalent assessment

opportunities for students with disabilities, through the use of digital video and audio recordings

• JISC / TechDis HEAT3 funded project

• 2008-2010• 3 staff involved, all from

different areas:– Learning & Teaching– E-Learning– Disability Office

Some of our questions…• What might an assessment

look like when it’s not an essay?

• How long / big / complicated should an assignment be if it is to replace a 5000-word essay?

• How will we ensure that the students are fully meeting the programme learning outcomes?

• What technical or learning support will students require?

• 8 students

• Range of disabilities / health issues

• All signed confidentiality / permission forms

• Emphasis on a “student voice” approach

• Asked them to choose one upcoming assignment that might be suitable for the project

• Students all second and third years, on a range of programmes…

Programmes for JISC HEAT3 project

• Psychology• Sociology• Classical civilisation• All programmes that

traditionally have a high percentage of text-based coursework

This sounds a potentially very interesting alternative form of assessment and I’m very interested in hearing more about it. A more diverse assessment portfolio will mean that some of our students will really be able to show what they’re capable of…

Disability Coordinator, School of Arts

I’m really pleased to be helping with this project, as there’s no precedent for how to mark a visual, verbal or generally alternative medium of coursework …such exciting stuff!

Programme tutor, Psychology

I think your project will really show everyone what can be achieved, and hopefully, encourage others to think about offering visual assignments alongside text-based ones.

Dyslexia Tutor to one of the participants

Examples• One student made a DVD documentary of her

workplace setting for the Care in the Community Social Work option ( third year), to replace a 3,500 word placement report

• She has found this very time consuming, and stressful, but has said that she greatly preferred it to her usual essay / report type assessments

It’s fantastic to take learning into the 21st century, and encompass all learner types, because aural and visual learners have had it their way for too long I say! Let the kinaesthetic learners show their true colours......

Disabled student on Community Care Placement ( Dyslexia and long-standing mental health issues)

And...

• One student made a 20 minute presentation on “ Gaze” for a psychology option, with her own photographs, audio commentary, full references and an accompanying transcript (to replace a 3,500 word essay)

• Staff were very pleased with this, but expressed concerns about programme requirements set by the British Psychological Society

What do you need to think about?

• Moved outside of our usual “ comfort zone” and disciplinary boundaries

• We discussed a range of ideas from all subject areas

• Visited other universities to see what’s happening elsewhere

• Looked beyond a text-based approach, whilst striving to maintain academic standards and meet programme learning outcomes

• Why not extend the arrangements for all students, not just those with disabilities?

How would you assess these? ?

• PowerPoint or multi-media presentation?

• WIKIs – individual or group?

• A series of podcasts for the VLE?

• A 15 minute radio programme ?

• 20 minute DVD or short documentary?

• Individual contributions to social networking sites for collaborative projects

• An e-portfolio?

Extension of our original project, Summer 2009

•We used some TQEF funding to support a group of Historical Issues in Human Rights students to travel to Poland and Germany

•They were asked to make a WIKI of their field trip, with a view to gaining their opinions on a group WIKI as a learning / assessment tool

Visit to Poland and Berlin “Over the course of the module, we embarked on a

journey away from lecture-based learning, to seek new learning spaces that saw the classrooms and libraries as springboards towards research that would be both nomadic and critical. … our practice was to constantly think and move, rather than sit and learn. The project came to its logical conclusion through the literal boarding of the train heading across Central and Eastern Europe towards Auschwitz.”

http://historicalissuesinhumanrights.pbworks.com/

Alexia’s reflective diary

I will say this from now on. You think you know about Auschwitz? You have read the books? Seen the films? Listened to the stories? Nothing comes close to what you learn by simply standing on the railway at Birkenau.

By viewing the thousands of shoes in front of you. By seeing the hair of the women... I was naive. I thought that I would go in having been what I arrogantly thought as 'desensitized' to such issues, and come out with maybe a few more things that I did not know about the camps or the people.... Never will I forget

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCvXrjKhf9U&feature=related

Here is a poem I made whilst at Auschwitz. I thought of the spirits of the women, who I feel still remain on those grounds.

I see your footprints in my footprints.Your breath in my breath,Your sweat in my sweat. You move through me.Or more, I move through you. Do you see me cry?The tears you no longer weep.You are beautiful,A creature of history, a part of my future. Forever embedded on my heart,The lesson here from which I will never

part.

Final thoughts?

• There needs to be adequate room for innovation and creativity when moving away from traditional text-based coursework

• Clear guidelines need to be developed for staff to mark new types of assignments such as WIKIS, e-portfolios, patchwork text or DVD documentaries

Some more questions…

• Look through the booklet you have been given• Think about how you might use these proformae

in your own practice• How will you ensure that any new e-assignments / e-assessments are equivalent in :

– quality – length / size– difficulty – evidencing that learning outcomes have been met– student ( and staff!) workload

Equivalency discussion

• How could your modules be assessed differently?

• How will you ensure that all students are fairly and inclusively catered for (including those with a disability, or EAL students)?

• Who do you need to speak to in your department about changing any formal assessment processes?

References • Bruns, A. & Humphreys, S. (2005) Wikis in Teaching and Assessment: The M/Cyclopedia Project.

Queensland University of Technology, Australia, at: • http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1104973.1104976

• Cubric M. (2007) Using wikis for summative and formative assessment. International Online Conference sponsored by the REAP Project: Assessment design for learner responsibility - May 2007

• Fuller, M (2004) Incorporating disabled students within an inclusive higher education environment, Disability and Society, Vol 19, no 5: 455-468

• JISC Techdis Inclusive Learning and Teaching: ILT for disabled learners at http://www.techdis.ac.uk/index.php?p=3_10_4

• JISC (2008) Effective Practice with e-Portfolios: Supporting 21st century learning, available at : http://www.jisc.ac.uk/media/documents/publications/effectivepracticeeportfolios.pdf

• Hughes, J. (2008) Letting in the Trojan mouse: Using an eportfolio system to re-think pedagogy, available at: http://www.ascilite.org.au/conferences/melbourne08/procs/hughes.pdf

Nicol, D. & Milligan, C. (2006) Rethinking technology-supported assessment in terms of the seven principles of good feedback practice. In Bryan, C & Clegg, K (Eds) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, London, Taylor & Francis

Karlen, J & Sanchirico, S, (2009) E-portfolio, assessment and credit for prior learning. Proceedings of the Academy of Educational Leadership, Volume 14, Number 2

Middlemas, B (2009) Using a student voice approach to develop more inclusive and diverse ways of assessing coursework. Hearing the Student Voice Project, Napier University. Available at: www2.napier.ac.uk/studentvoices/curriculum/casestudies/middlemas.doc

Middlemas, B (2010) From A4 to 3D - Introducing multi-format assessments on undergraduate degree programmes . Conference paper at CAA 2010, Southampton University

Raiker, A (2009) Transformational Learning and e-portfolios: A Pedagogy for Improving Student Experience and Achievement. The International Journal of Learning Volume 16, Number 8

Strivens, J; Baume, D: Owen, C; Grant, S; Ward, R & Nicol, D (2008) The role of e-portfolios in formative

and summative assessment, JISC Report, available at: http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/elearning/eportfolios/studyontheroleofeportfolios.aspx University of Plymouth, 2007, SPACE Project, (Staff-Student Partnership for Assessment Change and

Evaluation) available at: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=10494 Workman, J (2008) Wikis in the classroom – opportunities and challenges. Marketing Education Review,

Volume 18, Number 1 (Spring 2008)

Thanks for participating...

b.middlemas@roehampton.ac.uk