Assessment feedback: changing student attitudes

1. Assessment feedback: changing student attitudes Alex Bols, Assistant Director (Research) & Head of Higher Education, NUS alex.bols@nus.org.uk

2. QAA Quality Code – T&L Using appropriate evidence, higher education providers create, and systematically address opportunities to improve, an environment that encourages high-quality learning for all students. DRAFT TEXT

3. "All I get is a grade next to my matriculation number without any indication on how I'm actually doing"

4. “I got an essay back where the only comment was 'use a bigger text size’, there was nothing on how to improve my grade"

5. “For a rather lengthy scientific report, the feedback I received consisted of a mere 2 ticks and a question mark”

11. A – Accessible T – Timely L- Legible K - Konstructive

13. Assessment… • Should be for learning, not simply of learning • Should be reliable, valid, fair and consistent • Should consist of effective and constructive feedback • Should be innovative and have the capacity to inspire and motivate such as with the use of technology • Should measure understanding and application, rather than technique and memory • Should be conducted throughout the course, not simply positioned as a finale event • Should develop key skills such as peer and reflective assessment • Should be central to staff development and teaching strategies, and frequently reviewed • Should be of a manageable amount for both students and tutors • Should encourage dialogue between students and their tutors, and students and their peers • NUS Principles: Feedback… • Should be for learning, not just of learning • Should be a continuous process • Should be timely  • Should relate to clear criteria • Should be constructive • Should be legible and clear • Should be provided on exams • Should include self-assessment and peer-to-peer feedback • Should be accessible to all students • Should be flexible and suited to students’ needs

14. Key Information Set

16. 65% of students believe that if they are expected to pay more for their university experience they would have higher expectations NUS/HSBC Student Experience Report (2010) “this market totalitarianism will utterly and irreversibly transform the relationship between institutions and students…If students are to pay hugely increased fees, then they must have increased rights and increased power.” Aaron Porter, NUS President, Nov 2010

17. Table 1: Percentage of students that rated themselves against the dichotomy of students considering themselves in a community of learning or as consumers

18. Table 2: Subject based dichotomy of students considering themselves in a community of learning or as consumers