1 / 14

Using Blogs in Summative Assessment - the Student Experience

Using Blogs in Summative Assessment - the Student Experience. Julie Vuolo and Irene Anderson. Background. New module; mature, part-time students N=22 Assessment strategy to: meet module learning outcomes

bernie
Download Presentation

Using Blogs in Summative Assessment - the Student Experience

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Using Blogs in Summative Assessment - the Student Experience Julie Vuolo and Irene Anderson

  2. Background • New module; mature, part-time students N=22 • Assessment strategy to: • meet module learning outcomes • respect diversity of student population i.e. differing learning styles and preferences; prior HE experience • give less experienced students an opportunity to gain marks for content over style • minimise plagiarism opportunities

  3. What we did • September 2009: set blog as part of the summative assessment strategy for a 30 credit module (20%) • Evaluated the student experience by survey and focus group • 8 students in total

  4. Survey Outcomes

  5. Initial Feelings

  6. Themes • Fear of the unknown • Bravery and willingness to engage • Collegiality and support • Impact on learning

  7. Fear of the Unknown • technology, extra work, anxiety • associated with Face book; social not education • Didn’t realise it would be quite so easy to access.... ... terminology blog is very slang...it is a word that I’d heard and thrown out my head....I did ask my teenage daughters, what’s a blog?..

  8. Bravery and Willingness to Engage • forced to get involved, would not normally speak up but better for me having to do it • more personal but does push a bit more Tutor: would you change your mind about coming on the course [if knew about blog in advance]? 3. ..seriously consider it.. Others felt differently, prefer to know what they were facing in advance 4. . .different way of learning....exciting...going to do something new... ...once it was explained...views definitely changed...

  9. Collegiality and Support • would not have got to know people so well, challenging as not sure who was enrolled initially • Strategic alliance: things that you’re interested in and the ones you are going to keep up... • When experiencing difficulties:that you are not the only one. Psychologically it was good. Really interesting reading peoples’...what they have been doing. • Tutor support - .very worthwhile having comments from the tutor..reassured..right lines...

  10. Impact on Learning • motivation, plagiarism avoidance • support, different way of learning • focusing and pushing, organised more prepared to do the work, probably would have left it. ...made me work better towards the assignment... ..makes you more aware of what you’ve got to do... ..not sure how much I learnt [from others]...great for sort of focusing..choosing your topic...getting the ball rolling.

  11. Feelings After

  12. Key messages • Expect and respect students feelings of fear and anxiety • Ensure academic requirement of blog clear • Provide supportive and safe blogging environment • Iterate deadlines • Pre-course information, written and verbal guidance, practical demonstration, show previous student comments & blogs; emphasise benefits • Written guidance inc. marking criteria, agree ground rules • Carefully worded, timely feedback from tutors; agree input frequency; put up staff / student photo; facilitate peer support; tutors own blogs • Written and verbal deadlines; all to do blog sign off (closure)

  13. Future • Evaluate other cohorts • Correlate essay and blog outcomes

  14. Useful reading

More Related