Inclusive Practice in Assessment and Feedback Workshop 23 rd April 2012

1. Inclusive Practice in Assessment and Feedback Workshop 23rd April 2012 Dr Jackie Reynolds Creative Communities Unit Staffordshire University

2. Creative Communities Unit • Wide range of awards and courses • Master’s degrees to undergraduate short courses • Supporting continuing professional development of people who work or volunteer in the community, voluntary or statutory sectors • Multi-disciplinary team of staff, many with experience as practitioners in community based work

3. Current Practice in Assessment • Two main methods of assessment: • Individual presentation • Individual written assessment, e.g. Essay or portfolio • ‘Top down’ approach to developing assessment • Need for a more participatory approach, in keeping with the core values and teaching of the CCU

4. Assessment Challenges • Non-traditional students, studying part-time • High proportion of mature students • High numbers require additional learning support • Special requirements not always covered by Learning Support Agreements • Different learning styles • Practical and financial issues over part-time students on short courses being able to engage with the Student Enabling Centre

5. Assessing Disabled Students • Waterfield and West (2006) sought an ‘assessment toolkit’ – to reduce discrimination and ghettoisation of disabled students • They found that disabled and non-disabled students had similar difficulties and experiences regarding assessment • Madriaga et al. (2010) placed greater emphasis on the non-disabled student voice in exploring inclusive practice. Starts with the premise that ‘everyone is impaired’

6. Assessing Disabled Students • Contingent approach (“special arrangements” e.g. extra time) - essentially a form of assimilation into an existing system; • Alternative approach (e.g., a viva voce instead of a written assignment) offering a range of assessments embedded into course design as present and future possibilities for a minority of disabled students; • Inclusive approach (e.g., a flexible range of assessment modes made available to all) capable of assessing the same learning outcomes in different ways.

7. Assessing ALL Students • “By contrasting the two student experiences, we wanted to show that difficulties and challenges in learning and assessment are not only the preserve of a ‘disabled student support’ agenda. All students will benefit from a disabled student support, or inclusive practice, agenda that does not necessitate discriminating between disabled and nondisabled students… This agenda should not be cast aside as an equality and diversity issue, it is a quality issue – ensuring quality teaching, learning and assessment in higher education.” (Madriaga et al. 2010:656-7)

8. Inclusive Practice in Assessment and Feedback: Project Aim To integrate a participatory approach to the development of assessment and feedback processes within the CCU Short Course Programme and the MA programmes in order to more fully engage students and to build an assessment and feedback strategy to more fully support students with additional needs

9. Inclusive Practice in Assessment and Feedback • Funded by Staffordshire University’s Transformation in Assessment and Feedback initiative - encouraging innovative approaches to assessment and feedback across the university. • Finding out from students what they like and dislike about assessments. Understanding what can make it harder to complete assessments (e.g. different learning styles; health and disability issues etc). • Making sure that our assessments and feedback cater for a broad range of needs and preferences.

10. Project Activities to Date • Researching alternative possibilities: desk research; discussions with staff; attending seminars and training • Online survey • Individual interviews with students • World Cafe style consultation workshop

11. World Café Workshop

12. World Cafe Discussions • Appreciative Enquiry • What works well in your current assessment and feedback strategies? • Record your discussions by making notes/drawings on table cloths

13. Inclusive Practice in Assessment and Feedback Project • Sharing our experiences

14. World Café WorkshopDiscussing Feedback so Far • Posters with quotes from surveys and interviews • Discuss in groups • Second round of discussions • Recordings/notes on tablecloths

15. Discussing Feedback so Far Examples • “One of my big bug bears about systems for dealing with disabilities is that it’s always much, much more work for a disabled person to go through than it is an able-bodied person. So you’ve got everything that the able-bodied person has got to do plus loads of other stuff.” (Interviewee 1)

16. Discussing Feedback so Far Examples • “There’s this big focus on learning styles, so your learning is allowed to be diverse, but your method of communicating your learning, then has to go back into this funnel, which actually turns out to be ‘can you write two and a half thousand words’? As if that’s the only way in which we communicate. And actually it’s one of the worst ways of communicating in some ways.” (Interviewee 1)

17. Discussing Feedback so Far Examples • “I’d like to see anything action based and that includes scope for some form of accreditation of experience that leads to learning. Without academic referencing that learning is often considered mere opinion, whereas in reality the level of expertise gained from experience is (or can be) at a higher level than those writing about it.” (Survey respondent)

18. Discussing Feedback so Far Examples • “I really enjoyed my MA due to how it was taught. There were a range of teaching styles used by lecturers and there was application of the knowledge to real-life. I would be cautious about relying too much on technology to teach the course as, for me, it takes away the human parts of the course - interesting and insightful discussions with fellow students and lecturers. Learning using a computer is boring and doesn't allow much room for flexibility and subjectivity which is vital for a course like Community Practice.” (Survey Respondent)

19. World Café WorkshopPresenting Survey Findings • To invite responses, discussion and feedback • Further group discussions followed the presentation

20. Survey Findings • 48 completed responses (51 started) • 54% (n=27) of respondents were aged 46 or over • 70% (n=35) were female and 30% (n=15) male • 49% (n=25) were in full-time employment when studying with the CCU • 16% (n=8) had left full-time education at aged 16 or under; 53% (n=27) had left at aged 20 or over • 42% (n=21) had not studied for a period of 10 years or more prior to CCU

21. Survey Findings • 18% (n=9) of respondents considered that they had a disability • The biggest challenges overall were seen as lack of experience in academic writing and lack of available time to complete the work • “Having left school at 17 years of age, my only other learning since then has been work related/based so I had to get used to the academic way of learning again which was also at a much higher level”

22. Survey Findings • What do people like about current assessment? • Valuing the range of assessment experiences (4 comments) • Enjoyment of academic writing/engaging with theory (4 comments) “A variety of assessments allows for all student to have at least one path which suits their abilities, also different topics may be more suited to different methods of presentation” “The combination of using personal experience, theory and practical application to compile information and argue cases for and against. In the portfolio I enjoyed exploring a number of different theories and sources for relatively short written pieces. For the essay assignment although it was a challenge, the opportunity to explore an aspect of theory and practice in detail was a satisfying exercise.”

23. Survey Findings • What do people like about current assessment? • Opportunities to gain useful feedback (5 comments) • Valuing presentations (6 comments) “My favourite was the individual presentation because as a group everyone was incredibly supportive and we enjoyed sharing our projects and getting feedback.” “Enjoyed the subject matter, interaction and general learning environment. I did feel nervous about the individual presentation, but am glad I did it, and got a good response. It gave me confidence, and made me realise I can give an effective presentation.”

24. Survey Findings • What makes it difficult to complete assessments? • Lack of confidence in academic writing 44% (n=16) • Unexpected event (e.g. Illness, bereavement) 36% (n=13) • Practical issues (e.g. Time) 31% (n=11) • Lack of understanding of what was required 25% (n=9) • Other 17% (n=6) • Impact of disability 8% (n=3) • Assessment not suited to own learning style 3% (n=1)

25. Survey Findings • What would have improved the experience of completing assessments? Examples include: • More guidance/academic support (5 comments) • More choice of assignment options (1 comment) • More interaction with other students (1 comment) “More time to talk it through - with peers or perhaps students a stage further on - aware of demanding too much time from busy lecturers. Again using the blackboard discussion facility could have worked, or using the creating communities Ning to foster conversations and debates”

26. Survey Findings:Feedback • Main area for improvement – a more personalised, mentoring approach “I think marrying some assessment with students' own goals in studying the course, and focused mentoring to bring things together - so the Uni objectives are knitted to students own objectives - eg for me I struggled as I took the course to effect a career change, but then struggled because I didn't have any live practice to relate the course material to. I have done LOADS of volunteering since then and done some good stuff, but am now bogged down in unpaid projects, am so behind with assignments that I am too embarrassed to take the courses I want to complete - I NEED a mentor to help me prioritise and capture my experiential learning for the course and make sure everything I have been doing contributes towards MY goals.”

27. Workshop Findings • Broader range of assessment options “Menu of assessment methods to match the diversity of learning styles” “Written word-based assessment dominates. More oral/audio files/image feedback?”

28. Workshop Findings • More links to practical experience “Need a range of opportunities for students to ‘showcase’ what they have learned on different levels – personal; practical; academic”

29. Workshop Findings • Questioning traditional academic requirements “Why is it necessary to produce so many words per essay if you have addressed each required criteria in less. Surely less words are better!”

30. Bottle Voting

31. Bottle Voting Results! • Presentations 17 • Personal research projects 16 • Electronic websites etc 9 • Computer based etc 5 • Others 5 • Essays 3

32. Workshop Final Discussion • Top suggestion for improving assessment • Top suggestion for improving feedback

33. Final Discussion: Examples of Suggestions • “Get rid of penalties for low word count – if the student can say it in few words, celebrate. “Brevity is the soul of wit”. This implies more detailed marking schemes” • Tutors’ notes on electronic copy is my preferred feedback – discuss them face-to-face/also email communication. You can keep notes in front of you on screen while re-drafting the assignment

34. Final Discussion: Examples of Suggestions • “Definitely want to see more practical assignments in MA courses. Social networking, blog assessments” • “Don’t lose academic elements altogether – can be useful to be challenged”

35. Proposed Changes • Assessment for Short Courses (all to have) • Individual presentation (30%) • Portfolio (70%) • Portfolio content to include: • Goal setting • Annotated bibliographies • Reflection • Negotiated element of work-based learning • Response to statutory consultation

36. Proposed Changes • Create a policy document • Essay • Topic reform/policy recommendations • Use of discussion board on Blackboard • Blog entries • Video podcast • Viva voce • Also exploring greater use of IT – PeerWise, Web PA,

37. Proposed Changes • Assessment for Master’s Programme • Retains essays (become gradually longer to prepare for dissertation) • Core module has more study skills support/tasks – e.g. Webquest with online discussion • Research methods module • Dissertation workshops to support • Also, a variety of assessments, e.g. Blogs, portfolios, personal development journal, oral exam, qualtrics survey, personal research project

38. Next Steps • To re-consult with a range of students on the proposed changes • To finalise development and validation of new assessment and feedback processes based on student feedback • To train colleagues in new assessment and feedback processes • Continue to share learning from the process and consultation feedback with the faculty, the university, the wider academic field, the student body and the local community.

39. World Cafe Discussions • What would the ‘ideal’ assessment and feedback strategy for your own practice look like? • Record your discussions by making notes/drawings on table cloths

40. Action Planning • Identify one thing that you could do to try to achieve the ‘ideal’ assessment and feedback strategy • Identify one thing that you need your organisation to do

41. References • Madriaga, M. Hanson, K. Heaton, C. Kay, H. Newitt, S. & Walker, A. (2010) Confronting similar challenges? Disabled and non-disabled students’ learning and assessment experiences. Studies in Higher Education. Vol.35 No.6 pp.647-658 • Waterfield, J. and West, B. (2006) Inclusive Assessment in Higher Education: A Resource for Change .Plymouth, University of Plymouth

42. For further information Please contact: • Dr Jackie Reynolds j.reynolds@staffs.ac.uk Tel. 01782 294793 • Dr Barbara Emadi-Coffin b.emadi-coffin@staffs.ac.uk Tel. 01782 294792