Assessment for Retention

Assessment for Retention Dr Liz Thomas Senior Adviser for Widening Participation Liz.Thomas@HEAcademy.ac.uk

What problems did computing students face with learning and teaching? • Curriculum contents: maths and programming seen to be very difficult • Not finding the curriculum relevant/interesting, or not what they expected • More “adult” teaching • More distant relationships with staff • Classes too large / not enough practical work • Not able to ask for help • Examinations (too long) JRF research, IAS, 2003-2005 The Higher Education Academy

New learning and teaching methods “…the language they used and the structure of the teaching was a lot more in-depth and complicated, it felt a lot more adult” (Leonard, Computer Science, English University) “When I did drop out it was mainly the teaching methods that were off putting coming from college to university. They were so suddenly academic that it was a real shocker!” (2nd year male first generation student) “I was left on my own and that was it. Lost.” (Colleen, Computer Science, Irish University) The Higher Education Academy

New learning and teaching methods “They just talk. That’s about it, it’s a lecture, you listen and take notes. When you take notes you forget what they are saying. When you go back to your notes you wonder what you have written down. You don’t know whether to take notes or listen”. (Female, first generation entrant who withdrew from university) “It would have been useful to work on the computers whilst the lecturer taught us” (Colleen, Computer Science, Irish University) The Higher Education Academy

Interacting with teaching staff “I found I could never really talk to the lecturers, there were so many people in our class. The lecturers were always busy doing something else. They never had time. There was always someone else talking to them”. (Callum, Computer Science, Irish university. Withdrew during Semester 2) “There were lots of people in the lectures. It was hard to speak to the lecturers. If I had any problems it was hard to get them sorted. The classes were just so big. (Declan, Computer Science, Irish university) The Higher Education Academy

Interacting with staff “The teaching methods: I was used to having close relationships with teachers and lecturers, but in Irish University it was more distant”. (Herbert, Computer Science, Irish University) “I didn’t feel comfortable approaching lecturers and asking how I did some of the work. I didn’t want to feel like an idiot”. (Male, first generation working class entrant who withdrew from university) The Higher Education Academy

Formative assessment and feedback Formative assessment and feedback provide opportunities for interaction between students and staff, (and/or with each other). Feedback (and feed-forward) can be given by teachers, peers or students themselves. The Higher Education Academy

Purposes of formative assessment • Formative assessment provides a framework for sharing educational objectives with student • It enables students progress to be charted • It can generate information that can be used by students to enhance learning and achievement • Feedback information can help staff to realign their teaching in response to learners’ needs The Higher Education Academy

Task What makes good or effective formative feedback to learners? • In pairs or small groups identify what you think makes good formative feedback. The Higher Education Academy

Feedback cycle Task – interpretation - preparation – performance – assessment – feedback – interpretation - learning – informed (improved) performance • Students occupy a central role in this process, and so their capacity to interpret and use feedback needs to be developed. The Higher Education Academy

Seven principles of good feedback 1) Facilitates the development of self-assessment (reflection) in learning 2) Encourages teacher and peer dialogue around learning 3) Helps clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards expected) 4) Provides opportunities to close the gap between current and desired performance 5) Delivers high quality information to students about their learning 6) Encourages positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem 7) Provides information to teachers that can be used to help shape teaching The Higher Education Academy

1) Self-assessment To help students identify standards that apply to their work and to make judgments about how their work relates to these standards. • Identifying strengths and weaknesses of their work before handing it in (this can be assessed too). • Reflecting on achievements and selecting work to compile a portfolio • Students give feedback on each other’s work (this can be assessed). The Higher Education Academy

2) Teacher and peer dialogue Ensuring students understand feedback received and so can take action – this requires dialogue. • Reporting feedback issues in the class and discussing the meaning and implications. • Students reviewing feedback in class and discussing it with peers • Peer-feedback in relation to published criteria and dialogue about this The Higher Education Academy

3) Clarifying “good performance” Students need to know what they are aiming for and monitor progress towards goals. • Provide better definitions of requirements via criteria sheets and performance level definitions • Exemplar assignments • Discussion about criteria in class – and even devising their own assessment criteria • Commenting on each others work The Higher Education Academy

4) Closing the gap between current and desired performance Feedback is intended to lead to changes and improvements in students and complete the feedback loop. • Increase the number of opportunities for re-submission • Lecturers model answers to show how to close the gap • Lecturers and/or students develop their own action points for future assignments/assessments The Higher Education Academy

5) Good quality feedback Feedback needs to be good quality: timely, relevant, informative, and not overwhelming. • Feedback is related to specific criteria • Feedback is provided soon after submission • Provide corrective advice, not just information on strengths and weaknesses • Prioritise areas for improvement • On-line tests so that feedback can be accessed anytime and as often as required • Focus on students with greatest difficulty The Higher Education Academy

6) Feedback to motivate and not diminish self-esteem Feedback can have either positive or negative effects on self-esteem and motivation. Constructive feedback can be more motivating than just grades. • Provide marks on work only after students have had a chance to respond to feedback. • Drafts and re-submissions • Allow students time to re-submit certain parts of their work The Higher Education Academy

7) Informing teaching practice Lecturers need feedback to inform their teaching practice. • Anonymous “one-minute” papers: What was the point of the lecture? What questions remain outstanding? • Students request the feedback they would like when they hand in assessed work. • Students identify a “question worth asking” for discussion at the beginning of the lesson. The Higher Education Academy

What next? • Think of an example of formative feedback and assessment that you currently use. • Which of the principles of good feedback does it meet? • How can you make greater use of formative assessment to improve student dialogue and retention? Identify three action points for when you get home. • Read or visit the Student Enhanced Learning through Effective Feedback (SENLEF) project http://www.ltsn.ac.uk/genericcentre/index.asp?id=21210 The Higher Education Academy

And finally…one-minute feedback paper Quickly answer the following four questions and hand your paper in anonymously at the end: 1) What did you like about this session? 2) What did you not like about this session? 3) What will you do as a result of this session? 4) What else would you have liked from this session? Thank you The Higher Education Academy

Assessment for Retention