Assessment principles

1. Assessment principles Diploma of Tertiary Learning and Teaching

2. DTLT503 Assessment

3. Assessment task: remember when … • Think back to the worst assessment-related thing that ever happened to you as a student. • Recall a few details of what happened, why it happened, and whose fault it was. • How badly did this assessment incident damage your motivation? • Share your nightmares with those near you. • Volunteers: share your nightmare with us. Any thoughts about how it could have been avoided?

4. A conversation…. • How do you feel about the quality of the evidence students provide on their assignment work? What concerns or irritates you most?  • What do you think is the most significant learning achieved by students through doing your assignments? • What learning do you most highly value on your course? Do you tell students what you most highly value? If so, do assignments assess what you tell students you most highly value?  What are the tensions for you in this? •  How well do students succeed? Why do you think this is? What do students say about your assessment tasks. Discuss your answers with a peer and a colleague. Record your thoughts, concerns, questions and use these to guide the next step. Reflect on what this might mean for your current assessment practices

5. Assessment concerns … write on post-its ….. • problems you’ve encountered with assessment • one main question you have about assessment • The most positive thing about assessment …. We will follow up on these next week

6. Quick warm up questions … • What is assessment? – in one sentence • Why assess? – list 3 reasons • When do we assess? – 3 examples • How do we assess? – give 3 examples • When preparing assessment tasks what do you need to think about? – state 3 things

7. Terminology activity TransparencyFormative assessment AuthenticitySummative assessment ValidityMarking guide Diagnostic assessmentCourse descriptor Learning outcomes Reliability Norm-referenced assessment CurrencySufficiency DTLT503 Assessment Types

8. Assessment elements • The elements that include part of the teaching & learning process (assessment for learning) • The elements that specifically lead to marks and grades(assessment of learning)

9. “Assessment as we know it has failed us as educators!” It tends to drive compliance, not initiative Fosters dependency by learners on assessors and being assessed Makes us look to others to judge us It is backward looking: to what has been achieved, not what is needed to be achieved Makes us fearful rather than building confidence Depletes capacity rather than builds it; Has strong emotional influence on self-concept, self-worth Defines student activity What is your experience?

10. How have we reached this state? Fixation on certification Dominance of end points to the exclusion of the learning process Distortions in teaching and learning balance Fixation on measurement “assessment = measurement” : little regard for ‘assessment as learning’ Acts of measurement influence what is being measured approaches to learning and to study

11. Common tutor complaint: Students skip class/activities etc & just want to know ‘is it in the assignment’ By focussing assessment on recall and facts, learners will study to recall, not to deepen understandings Oversimplified and end-point assessment drive student learning

12. Shifts in assessment thinking … From teacher-centred to learning-centred From testing knowledge to judging outcomes From assessing subjects to judging professional capability From testing students to producing learners

13. We’ve lost sight of the learners and learning!! • All assessment should be ’for’ learning. • Some assessment indicates measurement points

14. Assessment 2020Assessment Futures Project Assessment is …. … is a central feature of teaching and the curriculum. It powerfully frames how students learn and what students achieve. It is one of the most significant influences on students’ experience of higher education. … is the making of judgements about how students’ work meets appropriate standards. Students also need to develop the capacity to make judgements about both their own work and that of others to be effective continuing learners. … plays a key role in both fostering learning and the certification of students. However, unless it first satisfies the educational purpose of ensuring students can identify high quality work and can relate this knowledge to their own work, the likelihood that they will reach high standards themselves is small.

15. Key ideas 1: We need to change our conception of assessment Assessment ≠measurement by others Assessment = informed judgement by self and others

16. Key ideas 2: Assessment is always about learning, whatever else it does • Unless each assessment activity is safe for learning, nothing else matters • We need to first ensure the positive impact of assessment on what students do before worrying about validity, reliability, etc. • Suggestions for practice….. • Create assessment activities which engage and draw learners to higher levels of learning • Be clear about the assessment curriculum – what do we value? • Involve students in assessment conversations, developing criteria, practice activities

17. Key ideas 3: What does it mean to put learning first, without compromising certification? If we design each item of assessment as if it were a learning task THEN assessment becomes recognised as a learning activity that requires engagement on appropriate tasks. Timing: place all assessments to maximise the influence on learning e.g. so that feedback can influence the next task

18. Key ideas 4: What does it mean to think about assessment in terms of learning beyond the end of the course? • Change what assessment is for and what it involves • For developing expertise in assessment as a learner • For developing judgement skills Ensure that all assessment tasks build capacity to enable students to make judgements about their own learning Suggestions for practice….. • Getting students involved in assessment is not an option • Use the assessment criteria as a teaching tool • Make ‘response to feedback’ an essential challenge • Make effective use of self and peer learning strategies

19. Assessment perspectives Assessment has most effect when…. Boud (2010) In small groups, take 2 of these statements , and expand out by considering…. • Possibilities for how this principle might be applied in your context • An alternative viewpoint • The choices teachers will need to make to ensure this happens (APC: thinking tool) Report back to the group

20. Describe a significant assessment experience you have had as a teacher How does your experience ‘fit’ with these ideas? What could have been done differently to improve your experience?

21. Reference Boud, D. and Associates (2010). Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education. Sydney, Australia: Australian Learning and Teaching Council. www.assessmentfutures.com

22. For possible use….. Types of Assessment DTLT503 Assessment Types

23. Assessment - What’s its Purpose? • Diagnostic • Formative • Summative DTLT503 Assessment

24. Assessment - What’s Its Purpose? • Diagnostic: pre-entry skills, level of learning DTLT503 Assessment

25. Assessment - What’s Its Purpose? • Diagnostic: pre-entry skills, level of learning • Formative: feedback, Is the learner on track? DTLT503 Assessment Types

26. Assessment - what’s its purpose? • Diagnostic: pre-entry skills, level of learning • Formative: feedback Is the student on track? • Summative: final decision making & results DTLT503 Assessment Types

27. Main types …. • Norm-referenced Assessment • Criterion – referenced assessment aka Standards–based assessment • Competency – based (e.g. Unit Standards) • Achievement –based (e.g. NCEA: Achievement Standards) DTLT503 Assessment Types

28. Comparing both types … Norm-referenced assessment[rarely used now] • Learner is given ONE mark or grade • Learner results are compared against results achieved by others • ‘Pass’ grade identified (e.g. 60%)  50% x 49% • Learner result is ranked • Learner final result may be scaled Criterion - referenced assessment [mostly used now]Standards – based • Measures learner performance against pre-specified, explicit behavioural criteria • Implies that the criteria are achieved to a specified standard • No ranking of learners DTLT503 Assessment Types

29. Standards - based assessment The learner’s performance is measured against predetermined standards of competence or achievement • Two approaches: • Competency - based assessment (C/NYC) (e.g. Unit Standards) • Achievement - based assessment (A/M/E/; Graded) (e.g. NCEA: Achievement Standards) DTLT503 Assessment Types

30. Standards - based assessments Competency - based assessment • Judges the learner’s performance against a pass/fail criterion ‘Can do’ statements, like: • Competent/ not competent • Pass/fail • Achieved/not achieved • No grades or ranking are associated with learner performance Achievement - based assessment • Judges learner’s performance against a pre-determined set of grade-related criteria • Excellence/merit/ achieved • A grade, B grade ….. E grade • For a summative assessment the ‘pass’ grade/s must be identified DTLT503 Assessment Types

31. Task … Assessing a Product- Chocolate Chippie Biscuit -Design assessment criteria for this product DTLT503 Assessment Types

32. Assessment perspectives Assessment has most effect when…. Boud (2010) In small groups, take 2 of these statements , and expand out by considering…. • Possibilities for how this principle might be applied in your context • An alternative viewpoint • The choices teachers will need to make to ensure this happens (APC: thinking tool) Report back to the group DTLT503 Assessment