Christine O'Leary, Sheffield Hallam University

1. Developing employability within undergraduate programmes by fostering learner autonomy through assessment Christine O'Leary, Sheffield Hallam University

2. ABSTRACT • Autonomy is an important feature of graduate employability (Lees, 2002). Assessment influences the decisions students make about how as well as what they learn (Boud, 2002; Ramsden, 2003). Little (2000:69) argues that autonomy in language learning is dependent on- " the development and exercise of a capacity for detachment, critical reflection and independent action..". This paper will explore how assessment approaches which demand self-awareness, reflection, metacognitive knowledge and collaborative learning can contribute to the development of autonomy in the case of final year languages' students at Sheffield Hallam University .

3. Outline • Introduction • Definitions of learner of autonomy • Assessing learner autonomy in practice: examples from final year students on the Institution-wide Language Programme (IWLP)which also caters for the Languages degree programme • Conclusion

4. Introduction • Assessment shapes how students view the curriculum and make decisions about what they learn and how they learn it (Boud, 2002; Ramsden, 2003). • Biggs(2003) recommends aligning the type of assessment with the approach to teaching and learning for the learning to be effective. • Learner autonomy is linked to the concept of "employability" which is concerned with the way in which graduates can be assimilated into employment (Glover, Law et al, 2002; Lees, 2002).

5. Introduction (continued) • Autonomy is a capacity which the student may or may not choose to exercise. If you don't bring it into an assessment programme, the majority of students will not see its importance. • Given that assessment influences the decisions student make about how as well as what they learn, assessing autonomy may be essential for its development in an institutional context.

6. Definitions of learner autonomy • Learner autonomy is defined as learners' ability to take charge or control of their own learning (Holec, 1981; Little, 1990; Benson, 2001& 2006). Little (2000: 69) defines autonomy in language learning as - " Autonomy in language learning depends on the development and exercise of a capacity for detachment, critical reflection, decision making and independent action; autonomous learners assume responsibility for determining the purpose, content, rhythm and method of their learning, monitoring its progress and evaluating its outcomes. " • Learner autonomy is about interdependent as well as independent learning (Kohonen, 1992; William and Burden, 1997; Benson, 2001; O'Rourke & Schwienhorst, 2003).

7. Case Study … • ULS French Stage 6- Assessment Programme • Language undergraduates • Portfolio including group translation and interpreting tasks & associated self/peer evaluation, activities selected by the learners based on needs and a reflective piece of writing (20%) • Time constrained translation (40%) • Interpreting tasks (40%)

8. Case Study … • Portfolio marking criteria: • Planning ability to assess learning needs, define objectives and plan work accordingly • Reflection ability to reflect on and assess progress made. The extent to which feedback given to peers is detailed and constructive

9. Case study...... • Portfolio marking criteria (continued) • Performance:The standard of the tasks (group and free choice activities) included in the portfolio • Progression: Evidence of development and progress (e.g. acting on feedback through resubmission of work)

10. Case study..... • Undergraduates/ postgraduates from other disciplines • Portfolio including 6 tasks exploiting the sources to be used in the final report/ presentation, a planning record and self-evaluation based on their research diary and the final report (50%) • A formative mini-presentation on research progress/ learning process with peer feedback (5%) • A final presentation with peer/tutor questions (45%)

11. Case study... • Marking criteria • Content- combined assessment of portfolio content & final report, including selection of materials and exploitation of sources. (40%) • Planning, organisation and presentation, including reflection. (20%) • Accuracy of language. (20%) • Use of language. (20%)

12. Case Study … Planning- " These are the dates I propose to have each task done by. I have specifically left the interpretations exercises until last because I want to get as much practice as possible (..) I am less confident in this area." Needs analysis " I still have problems using the correct gender for many words and although this should not be a problem for the translation task (..), this would be a problem when it comes to interpreting"

13. Case Study … • Defining objectives " In order to improve my interpretation skills, I am going to choose tasks that will enable me to practise my note taking techniques" • Assessing progress made " I found that I almost forgot important grammatical structures on the spot. I knew that I had said something wrong once I had said it .."

14. Case study.. • Taking responsibility for own learning through the development of own strategies/method of learning " Upon completion of the three translations I have come up with the following list of pointers to good translation: • Don't re-write the text, as you may lose emphasis on certain points of the text • Identify the audience of the text to gain an insight into the level and type of language that should be used.... • "In doing the portfolio, I found a new way of working: research then write. When I write something for my law course, I write, and then I find examples or quotations to support what I think".

15. Case Study … • Feedback to peers " Once again in the third paragraph which Sarah interpreted I only found a couple of things to question.I was unsure if saying " nous attendons" which literally means " we are waiting" gives the correct message that" they are expecting". However it was a good attempt to get around the word if she did not know what expecting was in French."

16. Case study.. Interdependent learning- • Reflection on method including peer support " On the whole, I think it is very useful to do a group translation and then an individual translation as I can use the pointers that I learned in my group translation in my individual translation" • promotion of critique and dialogue " Of all three translations completed, I found the group translation most useful...... The main reasons for this is because I was in a group of three whereby each group member contributed significantly to the final version. Each point discussed was debated enthusiastically and each view was well justified by all group members"

17. Case study... • Personal reflection " Generally, I am pleased with my progress but sometimes my grammar isn’t perfect because I have forgotten certain aspects and I need to revise these." "I have learnt more vocabulary relating to my subject and I have developed my skills." "I enjoyed this portfolio but I am sorry to have started so late"

18. Conclusion • The portfolio-based assessment at Levels 5 & 6 of language study fosters the development of autonomy through: • being embedded in the student learning experience i.e. assessment as learning • promoting student directed learning e.g. group translation • sharing responsibility between tutor & students e.g. choosing activities based on needs, planning when each activity are to be done.

19. Conclusion (continued) A personal reflection.. • The portfolio work encourages the students to develop and use their capacity for autonomy in order to demonstrate it. • The effectiveness of such an approach depends on curriculum design, particularly with regards to aspects of learner development such as metacognitive knowledge. The opportunity to make choices also plays a key role. • It is not clear how much the Languages undergraduates exercise their autonomy in the other modules they study. This would be worth exploring in future studies.

20. References • Boud, D (2002) Assessment and learning: Contradictory or complementary? In: P.Knight (ed) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. London: Kogan Page, pp. 35-48 • Glover, D, Law, S et al (2002). Graduateness and employability: student perceptions of the personal outcomes of university education. Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 7(3). Taylor and Francis Ltd: 293-306. • Holec. H (1981) Autonomy in Foreign Language Learning. Oxford:Pergamon. • Kohonen, V. (1992) Experiential language learning: second language learning as cooperative learner education. In Nunan (ed) Collaborative Language Learning and Teaching, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press: 14-39. • Lees, D (2002) Graduate employability - literature review

21. References (continued) • Little, D.(2000) Autonomy and autonomous learners. In Byram (ed), 69-72 • Nunan, D (1997). Designing and adapting materials to encourage learner autonomy. In Benson & Voller (eds), 192-203. • O' Rourke, B & Schwienherst (2003), Talking text: reflections on reflection in computer-based mediated communication. In little et al (eds), 47-62. • Ramsden, P. (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education. London: RoutledgeFalmer. • Williams M and. Burden R. (1997). Psychology for Language Teachers. Cambridge University Press.

22. Questions/ comments