Assessment design and strategy

Assessment futures

The aim of this short 4-page document is to provide a stimulus for those involved in the redevelopment of assessment practices. It presents seven propositions to guide assessment thinking and set directions for change to enhance learning achievements for all students.

Tackling racial inequalities in assessment in HE

Dr Paul Campbell hosted this online seminar (54mins) in which he shared findings from a research project investigating students from minority background’s experiences of assessment. The project explored experiences regarding different types of assessment, as well as pre- and post-assessment support You can also review the findings in this published paper.

Designing an assessment strategy for your module session recording

(60mins)

This session distinguishes assessment mode from assessment strategy and considers the principles that an effective and inclusive module assessment strategy may include. Below are timings of key topics for you to jump to if you don't have time to watch the full recording:

7.50 - Conflation of assessment strategy and assessment methods

9.24 - Strategy as a process

15.34 - Principles of assessment strategy (PoAS): consideration of the broader context

23.50 - PoAS: aligned to learning desired and engages students in appropriate learning

39.00 - PoAS: assessment literacy and internalisation of standards designed into the learning activities

55.05 - PoAS: facilitate learning and limit unnecessary evaluation anxiety

56.55 - PoAS: deliberate planning of monitoring/evaluation of assessment strategy

ADC assessment resources

ADC has a range of detailed resources covering assessment design and academic integrity in assessment.

Writing effective learning outcomes

Writing effective learning outcomes session recording (57mins)

In this session, Kerry Dobbins from ADC covers key topics about writing learning outcomes. Throughout the session, she shares insights from research she conducted with students and staff to help inform how we write and use learning outcomes (LOs). Below are timings of key topics for you to jump to if you don't have time to watch the full recording:

7:33 - What LOs are

11:07 - Understanding the broader context of module LOs

24:00 - Purpose of LOs for students

26:33 - Purpose of LOs for teachers: constructive alignment and marking criteria

33:44 - The standard rules for writing LOs

48:06 - Rewriting a set of ineffective LOs

52:40 - Common pitfalls in writing LOs

Useful guides and resources

Writing learning outcomes primer (HEA)

This very short document (2-page) presents guidance on writing learning outcomes (LOs). It was written by the UK Physical Sciences Centre, but is applicable across disciplines.

Aligning teaching for constructing learning - John Biggs

In this short (4-page) piece, Biggs introduces the key steps in constructive alignment: defining the LOs; choosing teaching/learning activities likely to lead to the LOs; assessing students' actual learning outcomes to see how well they match what was intended.

Describing what students should learn, Chris Butcher

(downloadable from the linked to e-book - chapter 6)

This book chapter explores some of the factors that should inform curriculum design, "as well as discuss the ways in which we can tell our students about the expectations we have of them – the intended learning outcomes."

Working with learning outcomes

The resources below encourage us to think beyond the writing of LOs to how they can be used to support the learning of our students. All are short, quick and easy reads:

Making learning outcomes work, Phil Race (downloadable word doc from this webpage)

Beyond learning outcomes, Phil Race

Points to consider in how teachers and students work with learning outcomes

Learning outcomes as a tool for student and tutor reflection

Research about learning outcomes - longer reads

Below are papers presenting the research that Kerry shares in the learning outcomes session recording:

Learning about learning outcomes: the student perspective.

Understanding and enacting learning outcomes: the academic's perspective.

Values-based education

Education for mental health toolkit 

Community Values Education Programme (CVEP) at Warwick

CVEP works with students and staff to create and deliver activities and resources to promote a strong values-driven community at Warwick. Alongside the focus on promoting the Active Bystander approach at Warwick, the team works with academic departments and key groups to respond to needs around values education and develop relevant resources to support learning. Current projects for staff include Active Bystanders in the Teaching SpaceLink opens in a new window and Exploring Values in Academic Induction ToolkitLink opens in a new window. The team also led the Say my Name projectLink opens in a new window, which explores respectful interactions around names. Jane Bryan shared lessons learned from this project in a recent THE Campus articleLink opens in a new window. You can find out more about the CVEP (including how to join its mailing list) on this webpageLink opens in a new window. 

See this newsletter for further resources to explore on this topic.

Taking evidence-based approaches to practice

Research focus - Tackling racial inequalities in assessment in HE

Dr Paul Campbell, Director of the University of Leicester Institute for Inclusivity, joined us in March to discuss the findings from a research project that he led investigating students from minority ethnic background's experiences of assessment. The project gathered evidence to explore experiences regarding different types of assessment, as well as pre- and post-assessment support. You can access the recording of the seminar from this link. The full research report can be accessed towards the end of this webpage.

Writing about learning and teaching in higher education - open access book

If you are looking to write about your pedagogic scholarship activities, you might find this open access book useful. It provides “detailed guidance to pedagogic scholars at all stages—experienced and new academics, graduate students, and undergraduates—regarding how to write about learning and teaching in higher education. It explores established practices, recommends new ones, and challenges readers to expand notions of scholarship by describing reasons for publishing across a range of genres, from the traditional empirical research article to modes such as stories and social media that are newly recognised in scholarly arenas. The book provides practical guidance for scholars in writing each genre—and in getting them published.” You can download the book from this webpage. For support in finding time and space to write, be sure to check out Warwick’s A Write Space: a six-week writing programme.

Research focus - Work placements and WP students: friendship as a method

Colleagues from Life Sciences and Student Opportunity have recently completed research looking into lived experiences of WP students undertaking intercalated year placements. This research made use of novel qualitative data collection, ‘friendship as a method’. The research can be found here; https://luminate.prospects.ac.uk/barriers-to-placement-years-for-widening-participation-students. The research authors, David Molyneux, and Laura Yetton welcome comment, discussion and feedback, and can be contacted via email at David.molyneux@warick.ac.uk, Laura.yetton@warwick.ac.uk.

See this newsletter for further resources to explore on this topic.

Evaluating the effectiveness of pedagogical approaches

Classroom assessment techniques

If you are new to pedagogic evaluation, a first step may be to start extending the range and type of feedback you are gaining from your students. This can help you to build more informed understandings of their experiences and identify aspects that you wish to explore and evaluate further. Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are simple, formative in-class activities that can be used to gain feedback from students about their learning. You might also find this webpage helpful that outlines certain CATs that could be used when evaluating different learning skills.

Evaluation cookbook - a practical guide

If you are looking for some practical advice, this Evaluation Cookbook offers recipes that explore different evaluation methods, including considerations about time, resources and processes involved. It also contains exemplars of how methods have been used in practice. Produced by the Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative, it was originally created to evaluate online learning but most of the methods (or recipes) it presents can be applied in any context.

Impact evaluation

The Cultivate workshop on this month's theme focused on framing evaluation within a pedagogic scholarship context and introducing the principles of impact evaluation. This framework offers a holistic and inclusive approach to evaluating the impact and effectiveness of our pedagogic activities. The resources used in the session can be accessed from this link. Kerry Dobbins will be happy to run a similar workshop for teams or departments – contact Kerry.Dobbins@warwick.ac.uk

See this newsletter for further resources to explore on this topic.

Supporting blended learning

Wellbeing pedagogies: activities and practices to improve the student experience online

We know how important it has been to support students’ wellbeing throughout the pandemic experience and this continues to be essential as we develop our blended learning approaches. Dr Elena Riva’s article on this topic was one of THE Campus’ most read resources of 2021 and in this THE Campus podcastLink opens in a new window she talks about the research she conducted that has informed her advice. Be sure to check out the Warwick Wellbeing Pedagogies LibraryLink opens in a new window too. This resource has been ‘co-developed by students and teachers to share practice and support our community to embed and sustain wellbeing in the curriculum, when planning modules, courses, and assessments’. 

Universal Design for Learning

The way we design learning experiences strongly affects our students’ education, so it is important that our design work is value-driven. Universal Design for LearningLink opens in a new window is a powerful set of principles for approaching equitable design, which is also being explored as an antiracist teaching practice (for example, through Antiracism through UDLLink opens in a new window and Equity by Design movements).

Rethinking lectures for a digital age

Covid-19 has seen colleagues adapting this traditional format in exciting and innovative ways. For many colleagues, blended learning continues to raise questions about the future of the lecture. This THE Campus collationLink opens in a new window brings together advice from colleagues all over the world on how to adapt this format to suit the digital age. The Higher education goes hybridLink opens in a new window collation also offers some useful blended learning advice. 

See this newsletter for further resources to explore on this topic.

Community engagement online

Ideas for building online learning communities

THE Campus has collated a range of practical ideas for creating online learning communities from colleagues across the HE community. These ideas focus on giving students a sense of belonging, supporting peer discussion and collaboration, boosting engagement and improving learning outcomes. Access the collation here. 

Creating online communities built on principles of equity and care 

Equity Unbound and OneHELink opens in a new window have curated a range of open educational resources for online community-building activities. Types of resources include warm up activities, setting the tone activities and liberating structures activities. The resources focus on online environments, but they could also be adapted to use within or support in-person teaching settings too. 

Engaging students in online forums

Online forums can be effective for building asynchronous learning communities. However, as we’ve probably all experienced, getting buy-in and maintaining engagement can be challenging. In this short (15-minutes) videoLink opens in a new window, Flower Darby presents some practical tips for engaging students via online forums. The video was recorded as part of the University of Kent’s Digitally Enhanced Education Webinar series. You can browse their full list of webinar series recordings hereLink opens in a new window. 

See this newsletter for further resources on this topic to explore.