1. Learning Teaching and Assessment Strategy
Presentation by
Lynne Newall
Northumbria University
Based on original material by Alastair Irons and Dave Kemp

2. Strategy Aims balance between efficiency and learning experience
increase student participation
opportunity for active and reflective learning
ensure high standard, high quality internal moderation procedures
summatively assess using coursework and/or examinations
assess learning outcomes within the unit
maintain balance between group and individual work

3. BSc Unit Learning and Teaching Strategies
unit learning, teaching and assessment strategies should be specified in each module guide
independent learning material should be introduced to students
learning styles vary between stages
level 4
(Yr 1 BSc)
level 5
(Yr 2 BSc)
level 6
(Yr 3 BSc)
strongly guided
progressively independent

4. MSc Unit Learning and Teaching Strategies
unit learning, teaching and assessment strategies should be specified in each module guide
independent learning material should be used
learning styles appropriate to level
level 7
(MSc)
primarily independent

5. Learning Stages Level 4 : learning awareness and assessment honesty
Level 5 : real world learning and increasing individual responsibility
Level 6 : predominantly independent learning
level 7 : independent learning, performing highly-complex tasks and procedures

6. Level 4: Learning Awareness and Assessment Honesty
be aware of different ways of learning
appreciate good and bad practice
select most appropriate learning style for individual and group work
understand and appreciate importance of collusion and plagiarism
be able to reflect and self-assess

7. Level 5: Real World Learning and Increasing Individual Responsibility
develop level 4 skills in real world contexts
develop new learning styles, particularly in negotiating learning techniques and outcomes
monitor own progress through self and peer assessment

8. Level 6: Predominantly Independent Learning
predominantly involve students in independent, directed learning
group and individual
be able to appreciate learning approaches in which they are well practised
expectation of wider reading and research
breadth and depth of knowledge explored
selection of best practice
professional quality of presentation

9. Level 7: Independent Learning
encourage students to take responsibility for independent learning
display a mastery of a complex and specialised area of knowledge and skills
demonstrate expertise in highly specialised and advanced technical, professional and/or research skills
accept accountability in related decision-making, including use of supervision

10. Levels 6 and 7
We now look at the requirements of levels 6 and 7 in more detail:
from a student viewpoint
from a lecturer viewpoint

11. Level 6 Learning Reflects the Ability to:
critically review, consolidate and extend a systematic and coherent body of knowledge, utilising specialised skills across an area of study
critically evaluate new concepts and evidence from a range of sources
transfer and apply diagnostic and creative skills and exercise significant judgement in a range of situations
accept accountability for determining and achieving personal and/or group outcomes

12. What Does Level 6 Entail? From a student viewpoint: report writing
critical evaluation
plagiarism
referencing

13. Report Writing: Key Points
with all forms of writing keep audience, structure and purpose in mind
factual accounts explain essential core at appropriate level
peporting work - need to follow a standard pattern
arguments need clear statements supported by clear facts

14. Generic Structure for a Paper or Report
abstract
introduction
main body
conclusions
reference list
Depending on purpose of
paper the detailed content
of main body will change.
General structure remains
Standards for layout,
references etc.

15. Abstract ABSTRACT Length: A brief description of the aims varies with
work
A brief description of the aims
of the paper, the work undertaken,
and conclusions reached.
Title of work
Author
ABSTRACT
REST OF PAPER

16. Introduction First section of paper Describes background to the
work, giving a clear statement
of the objectives, purpose of
work, any limitations.
Brief outline of rest of paper
Often written
last!
Draft produced
early

17. Main Body Structure depends on type of paper General Points: Plan work
Develop themes
Introduce topics in a sensible logical order
Consider use of diagrams, etc.
Adopt a good style of writing
Review work

18. Main Body in Project Analysis, Synthesis, Evaluation
Analysis - background to problem area/ topic; critical
examination of methods and techniques that might be
used to solve the problem & and constraints.
Includes literature survey
Evaluation - a critical
review of the
technical aspects of
the work; strengths
& weaknesses of
methods & techniques
Synthesis - a description of
the work done; the results
obtained; justification of
these; design choices

19. Main Body - Review Paper
This is a form of literature survey
Aim:
1. to determine the state of art in a particular area
2. to identify a set of useful techniques/ methods/
algorithms for future use.
Give it structure / Develop Themes
How not to do it:
Do not simply list each book or paper you have read
With a precis of it.

20. Main Body of the Project Report in more depth
the introduction should be followed by a clear and orderly presentation of the work you have done.
it will be divided into a number of chapters.
the main body of the report will contain an Analysis of the problem, the Synthesis of a solution to the problem and an Evaluation of the work.

21. Analysis
the analysis should include the 'Background' to the problem area, a discussion of the wider issues, critically examine the methods that might be used in solving the problem and any constraints which apply.
beware of presenting a shallow treatment of the subject which might be obtained from standard texts; you are expected to support your argument by exploring academic literature which is seminal and up to date.

22. Synthesise
justify in detail the method(s) you chose to synthesise a solution to the problem.
discuss how your reading of the literature guided you in your work.
you will wish to make reference to supporting documentation in your discussion of the solution; these will be held in Appendices to the Report.

23. Evaluation
you should present a critical evaluation of the work you have done from a technical point of view.
in this section you should attempt to identify any weaknesses of your work and possible alternative technical approaches.
beware of the 'anecdotal' evaluation - you are expected to take a critical view and justify your argument.

24. Evaluation (cont)
in addition, the evaluation should address the way in which you undertook the project (the process); actual progress made during the project should be related to the Project Plan expressed in the Terms of Reference document.
the emphasis should be on the learning process. A discussion of alternative approaches to the way you undertook the work should, if possible be presented.

25. Evaluation (cont) How do you conduct an evaluation?
list features, attributes, performance etc.
rate these
obtain feedback from users – objective feedback!
think about alternative solutions to the problem.
think about better/alternative ways of producing product.
think about different tools that could be used to produce the product

26. provides summary of previous
Conclusion
should relate to
introduction
bring together the
many points made
earlier in the paper
repeats previous
points
if a report
draws on evaluation
indicates future work
if a review paper
provides summary of previous
points
may indicate future
developments

27. The use of references is the standard
It is very important that you acknowledge
any work of others that you use or adapt
in your own work, or that provides the
essential background or context to your
work
The use of references is the standard
way to do this

28. Standards for References
Styles in Text
Romero (1982) identified three stake holders ...
In [4] the three stake holders in the process are ...
Romero [ROME82] identified three stake holders ...
PREFERRED
Date a Web reference

29. Example List of References
[BRAD89] Bradley IM Notes on Algebraic Specifications
Information and Software Technology 31(7)
Sept 1989,
[SOMM96] Sommerville I Software Engineering 5th ed
Addison-Wesley
alphabetical ordering

30. Avoid Long Complex Sentences
problem of
dialect
Sentence should “sound right”
Be consistent with tense
mixing past with present
be consistent
Passive voice
The computer was turned on
Active voice
I turned the computer on

31. Write Sentences that are Concise
Watch for phrases that
can be shortened to one
word:
along the lines of
like
due to the fact that
because
at some future point
later
Use a few words
to convey message
Watch for redundancy
“the great majority”
“the majority”

32. Write Sentences that are Precise
Say what you
mean
Avoid ambiguity and vagueness
Rather a lot of students passed the first year
vague
Use technical terms to avoid ambiguity and
vagueness

33. Putting it Together To make writing flow you need a Flow
structure that allows the logical
development of the material
a key
Paragraphs
group related sentences
start of paragraph should coincide with change of
emphasis
first sentence in each paragraph should be a
signpost - topic of paragraph

34. Doing what you are Asked to do
Criticize
saying how convincing you find something
Define
giving precise meaning of something
Illustrate
explain using examples or diagrams
Describe
give a detailed account of ..
Explain
give reasons for; interpret and account for
Discuss
looking at a subject from different points of view; pros and cons

35. General Points
Hunt for key words in a question ; quote them in what you write
Target your writing to exactly what is asked of you
Support points of view with factual information
Remember word limits are there to help you
Stick to the word limit: may be penalized if exceeded
Show mathematical calculations
Use sources for ideas
Read around the subject
Write at an appropriate technical level - as reflected by your sources
Do Not Copy

36. Plan Essential Report Structure introduction Work timetable topic 1
sources
resources
topic 1
topic 2
topic 3
topic 4
conclusion

37. Check Your work Kept to topic title? Introduction clarify purpose?
Purpose of each section / paragraph clear?
Conclusion shows how arguments advanced?
Logical flow okay?
Sentences okay - don’t ramble / repeat?
Written too much / not enough?
Does report satisfy aim?

38. Pictorial Diagrams Check List
reference in text?
figure 1. Generic PC
Monitor
Keyboard
System Box
title for picture?
labels on diagram?
size & scale?
simplified / stylised?

39. Relationship Diagrams
Non-pictorial
Representation of structural / organisational features of a situation
Many types used in computing
flow charts
structure diagrams
data flow diagrams
state diagrams
entity relationship diagrams

40. Using Diagrams in your Work
decide on appropriate type based on what you are trying to show
keep simple
if part of a methodology
stick to standards
make sure the diagram makes sense
give diagrams a title, refer to in text
label diagram clearly

41. Collusion and Plagiarism http://www.unn.ac.uk/central/isd/cite
this is where one or more people work together on an individual piece of work.
ONLY work together when the assignment rubric tells you it is a piece of group work
plagiarism
this is where work is copied from:-
a text without appropriate referencing
another student’s work
lecture handouts
“ghosting”
PENALTY
loss of marks, much heartache and poor reference

42. Plagiarism The actual quote from page 211:
Software Project Management, Cotterell and Hughes, 2002
The actual quote from page 211:
“People with practical experience of projects invariably identify the handling of people as an important aspect of project management.”
If in your submitted work we find …..
PLAGIARISM!!! AN EXACT COPY WITH NO REFERENCE

43. What can you do?
Cotterell [Cott2002] states that “People with practical experience of projects invariably identify the handling of people as an important aspect of project management.” OR
From his research Cotterell [Cott2002] established that experienced project managers recognise the importance of good man-management skills to ensure successful projects.

44. What Does Level 6 Entail? From a lecturer viewpoint:
modes of learning and teaching
implementing the strategy
lectures, seminars, workshops, guided learning
assessment, marking, moderation
personal development planning

45. Level 6: Modes of Learning and Teaching
lectures
supported by slides, not ‘talk and chalk’
seminars
apply knowledge imparted in lectures, enable students to practise, question, reflect
workshops
skills in practical subjects-programming, database
guided learning
guidance as to self-study requirements
All the above supported by e-learning (use of Blackboard or equivalent)

46. Implementing the Strategy at Level 6
study skills support
adopt independent learning
introduce complex learning situations
expect students to apply greater problem solving abilities
where appropriate use open or flexible learning
use full range of assessments, including open book exams

47. Efficiency vs Learning Experience
Single 10-credit module:
12 weeks per semester
mix of lectures/seminars/workshops and guided learning
up to 6 single modules studied per semester
time for assessment/revision/individual study and social activities
each module c2 hours/week

48. Lectures (Elizabeth Porter, Feb 2002)
make the structure of the lecture explicit
use the introduction to list key points “first I am going to describe….then I shall discuss…. I shall say a few words about…. and finally I will….”
use “listing markers” such as firstly, my next point is, I’ll move on to my main argument, the last point is…
use “cause and effect markers” to show the relationship between points: “therefore, with the result that, consequently”

49. Lectures (cont.) (Elizabeth Porter, Feb 2002)
use “example markers” to indicate you are going to illustrate your ideas by giving examples: “for instance, an example of this is…”
use “emphasis markers” to indicate the relative importance of a point: “it is worth noting that, it is really interesting/crucial that…”
clarify technical terms/complex ideas
use “semantic markers” to highlight you are re-phrasing what you have just said: “in other words, let me put it this way…”

50. Lectures (cont.) support lectures with handouts/copies of slides used
place on Blackboard so students can get off-line access to them (in advance where possible)
give references to source materials where appropriate
give references to additional articles to encourage independent research/learning
(Ian Bradley’s example module)

51. Seminars (Elizabeth Porter, Feb 2002)
consider the way you design discussion tasks (give out discussion materials in advance, cut down long articles into sub-texts to increase speed of comprehension)
encourage students to seek clarification
encourage/teach students to question, criticise, offer opinion
help students to understand that direct quotations are no substitute for their own thoughts

52. Seminars (cont.)
put discussion material on Blackboard in advance, to enable students to prepare
use a mixture of individual/group work
use student presentations where appropriate
use seminars to identify areas of student difficulty, and to give formative feedback

53. Workshops gain practical skills individual/group activities
copying/collusion
supervised/unsupervised
additional support/help facilities
workbooks
mini-assessments

54. Exercise 1
In groups of 2 or 3, use the module descriptor for the Advanced Database module and determine an appropriate Learning and Teaching Strategy.
Produce a 12-week unit guide, including lecture/seminar/workshop sessions and topics, along with justifications.
Present your group’s guide to the others for discussion.

55. Guided Learning
At level 6, students should be able to determine what additional work they need to do - what additional reading/practical exercises, revision etc. BUT, you can help by:
giving out references to other sources
suggesting alternative authors/texts
encouraging wider reading to use as examples in assignments/exams
showing relationship between subject areas
suggesting practical supporting work

56. Guided Learning (cont.)
The individual project plays a major role in both guided and independent learning:
individual supervisor
one-to-one communication/guidance on a weekly basis
encouragement to research topics independently
students gain in confidence and self-motivation

57. Assessment
use in-course assessment and/or examinations for summative assessment
avoid over-assessment of students (only assess each learning outcome once)
ensure adequate formative assessment and feedback is available to students
innovate where appropriate, particularly in support of independent learning approaches

58. Types of Assessed Work coursework examinations
individual and group assignments
class tests
orals / presentations
self and peer assessment
examinations
open book
closed book
open note

59. Marking All assessments must have:
detailed marking scheme indicating how each set of marks is to be awarded
definitive solution where appropriate
recognition of valid alternatives

60. Exercise 2
Include the Assessment strategy for the Advanced Database module, along with a justification for your choice of assessment type(s).
Present your group’s solution to the others for discussion.

61. What Does Level 7 Entail? From a student viewpoint:
exploration of boundaries, whereas preceding levels focused on knowledge and skills within them
performing more highly complex tasks and procedures
accepting accountability in decision-making processes
responsibility for initiating supervisory and peer support contacts

62. What Does Level 7 Entail? From a lecturer viewpoint:
modes of learning and teaching
implementing the strategy
lectures, seminars, workshops, encouraging independent learning, supervision
assessment, marking, moderation
personal development planning

63. Supervision
Separate session on projects gives detailed information on requirements.

64. Franchise College Flexibility
You will be provided with a module guide for each module you are teaching, but have the flexibility to:
give additional lectures/seminars/workshops as appropriate for your students
give extra guidance/references to additional materials
make recommendations to the module tutor at Northumbria for changes to the delivery/assessment of the module
contribute towards the assessments via the Northumbria module tutor
ensure that your students are prepared for the assessments set

65. Moderation
The total assessment for a module should assess all the stated learning outcomes. Moderation should also check for:
standards
level
correctness
fairness

66. Moderation Process Evidence of Assessment: internal and external
pre-assessment checking
for standards, correctness, level, fairness
post-assessment checking (next slide)
provides audit trail

67. Moderation Process (Cont.)
post-assessment checking
mark
according to marking scheme – e.g. 2/3 where max. of 3 marks to be awarded for that topic
include zero marks – e.g. 0/3 where student has not given any relevant answer to a topic
an indication that each page has been read/considered
second-mark sample of scripts
best, worst, borderline
check addition of marks awarded by marker
indication that all marks have been ratified
if disagreement, recommendation as to resolution (not just average disputed marks) with justification

68. Guidance Tutoring
Each student is allocated a guidance tutor, who helps with:
personal development planning
academic problems
personal difficulties
Not as a professional counsellor – but to direct to appropriate professional contact.

69. Personal Development Planning
Progress files:
consider work and life experiences – development at university with regard to career planning and future employment
reflect on the process of learning - learn to learn
lifelong learning skills – transferred to the workplace
plan/reflect/review progress (including a record of academic results)

70. Progress Files will Normally Contain:
written guidance and support material
review of learning prior to joining Northumbria University
semester by semester planning and review sections
framework for career planning and the development of a C.V.
reflection on work and "life" experiences.
reflections on key skills development
transcript recording academic achievement

71. Exercise 3
What material could your students include in their progress file from what already exists, without having to produce extra written work?
Present your suggestions to the others for discussion.

72. Summary LTA strategy lectures/seminars/workshops assessments
moderation
guided/independent learning
guidance tutoring/progress files