Using Dialogue as an Assessment Tool

1. Using Dialogue as an Assessment Tool Conference Paper July 2010 ESCalate-sponsored Project RMHPilkington@uclan.ac.uk

2. To explore how dialogue can be used: • To assess knowledge • To assess practice • To evidence reflection on practice • To assess professional learning • 5 universities across UK • November 2009 – December 2010 Aims

3. Introduction to the Project • Discussion of theory and support for Dialogue as an Assessment tool • Methodology • Emerging issues • training assessors, issues of judgement, evidence of reflection, evidencing scholarship, process questions, managing and facilitating dialogue • Conclusions: Questions and Answers Structure of Presentation

4. Using dialogue to assess students, staff • Using dialogue to assess professional learning: competence, using standards • Transcription of recorded dialogue; sharing and reflection on process; interviews with assessment protagonists (assessors, students) • Analysis of transcripts for evidence of reflection, learning, evidence around practice, professional achievement • Review of process, challenges, benefits through interviews • Analysis of how dialogue constructed; themes; evidence to inform judgement • Recommendations to others for practice • Investigation of dialogue as tool for assessment The Project

5. Critical discussions • APEL /APL processes • Reflective dialogues • Professional conversations • Dialogue with evidence • Group assessment • Presentations • Narrative, story-telling Examples of use

6. Sharing, exchange • Between peers • Participatory • Open-endedness • Unknowns • Talk between 2 or more people in which thoughts feelings and ideas are expressed, questions are asked and answered, or information exchanged Dialogue defined

7. Trust • Empathy • Honesty • Sincerity • Openness • Learning • Self awareness • Growth • Mutual responsibility • Listen • Challenge • Interrogation • Inquiry • Exploration • Reflection and critique • Shared knowledge • Process • Multiple levels of communication Characteristic Elements

8. Defining dialogue

9. Written • Static, superficial, write to order, • Writing reflectively • Emergence of values • Word limit • Limited opportunity to probe, question, explore • Evidence all present • Easier to grade? Dialogue • Multi-layered • Flexible • Easier to reflect • Engagement easier to show and explore • Opportunity to probe, question • Depth of learning • Avoids plagiarism • Natural when talking about self and practice • May need back-up evidence A Comparison

10. Mentor – mentee process (Brockbank & McGill) • Criterion led professional conversation (Bowen Clewley) • Appreciative Dialogue (Ghaye) • Assessment process (O’Donovan et al) • Self and Peer assessment (Yorke & Knight; Bryan & Clegg) • Socialisation, literacy (Lea & Goodfellow); • individual construction of professional knowledge (Shulman, Eraut, Boud); • Work-based, informal learning (Boud); • Values-led, professional and reflective (SEDA/UK PSF, Moon, Larrivee); • Organisational learning and change models (Pedlar, Burgoyne, Easterby-smith, Kotler) Model of UCLan dialogue

11. Preliminary analysis: • Construction of dialogue, facilitation • When is a dialogue a dialogue? • Appreciative aspects • Evidence to support judgement • Evidence of rigour • Level of Reflection • Evidence of scholarly practice • Value for individual Interesting Outcomes:

12. Assessment of informal professional learning • Creation of a learning space • Re-profiling idea of HE professional • Re-configuring teaching and learning • A career development and CPD tool • Means of organisational change Seeking case studies Conclusions

13. Brockbank A & McGill I 2007 Facilitating Reflective Learning in HE SRHE/OUP 2nd Ed. • Bowen Clewley L ‘Assessing against competency standards in the workplace’ in 207-227 in Arguelles & Gonczi (2000) • Easterby Smith • Eraut M 1997 Professional Learning and Competence • Ghaye T & Lillyman S 2006 Learning Journals and Critical Incidents RP for HE Professionals 2nd Ed Quay Books London • O’Donovan B, Price M and Rust C (2004) ‘Know what I mean? Enhancing Students understanding of assessment standards and criteria’ in Teaching in HEVol 9, No 3, July 2004 • Knight P & Yorke M (2003) Assessment Learning and Employability SRHE/OUP • Boud D and Falchikov N EdsRethinking assessment in HE 2007 Routledge • Bryan C & Clegg K 2006 Innovative Assessment in HERoutledge • Goodfellow R & Lea MR (2007) Challenging E-learning in the University: a literacies perspective SRHE / OUP • Larrivee, Barbara(2008)'Development of a tool to assess teachers' level of reflective practice', Reflective Practice,9:3,341 — 360 • Moon J (2004) A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory & Practice RoutledgeFalmer • Pedler M (1996), Action Learning for Managers,The Learning Company Project • Pedler M, Burgoyne J, Boydell 1997 The Learning Company McGraw Hill, Berkshire • Shulman LS ‘Knowledge and Teaching’ pp61-77 in Leach J, Moon B (eds) (1999) Learners and Pedagogy Sage/ Paul Chapman pubs References: