Mark Russell King’s College London @markrussell Principles: How might we best use them to enhance practice ? A presentation to Queen’s University Belfast Mark Russell King’s College London @markrussell

Briefly introduce yourself and … Discuss with your neighbours what you would do if you wanted to fail more students and / or provide them with a lousy experience?

Learning = f (assessment)? From what the students tell us… to How to design a learning environment

Assessment and desirable Learning The methods we use to assess students are one of the most critical of all influences on their learning. (Ramsden, 1992)

Assessment and designed Learning Designed Learning Activities Designed Assessment Activities Intended Learning Outcomes Designed Assessment Activities Intended Learning Outcomes Designed Learning Activities

What is working now? Take a few minutes to tell your neighbour a couple of things about your current assessment endeavours that you know / think or have a hunch that works. Specifically tell them… What you do that you know / think / have a hunch works. How you know it works. Swap over Jot a few notes on a Post-It note

What does the literature suggest is good assessment?  Conditions under which assessment supports 7. Should develop key skills such as peer and reflective assessment students learning 8. Should be central to staff development and teaching strategies, and frequently Setting assessment tasks reviewed Capture enough study time (in and out of class) 9. Should be of a manageable amount for both students and tutors Are spread out evenly across timeline of study 10. Should encourage dialogue between students and their tutors, and students Lead to productive activity (deep vs surface) and their peers Communicate clear and high expectations (NUS’ Principles of effective assessment) Feedback Conditions Is sufficient (in frequency; detail) Is provided quickly enough to be useful Focuses on learning rather than on marks Is linked to assessment criteria/expected outcomes Makes sense to students Is received by students and attended to Is acted upon, to improve work and/or learning (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004) Good assessment and feedback practice should: 1 Help to clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards) 2 Encourage 'time and effort' on challenging learning tasks 3 Deliver high-quality feedback information that helps learners to self-correct 4 Provide opportunities to act on feedback (to close any gap between current and desired performance) 5 Ensure that summative assessment has a positive impact on learning 6 Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer and teacher-student) 7 Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning 8 Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of assessments (Centre for Excellence in Teaching & Learning 9 Involve students in decision-making about assessment policy and practice in Assessment for learning, Northumbria 10 Support the development of learning groups and learning communities University) 11 Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem 12 Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape their teaching (Nicol, 2009) Assessment Standards Manifesto (AsSKe) Assessment… 1. Should be for learning, not simply of learning Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education 2. Should be reliable, valid, fair and consistent Encourages contact between students and lecturers 3. Should incorporate effective and constructive feedback Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students 4. Should be innovative and have the capacity to inspire and motivate such as Encourages active learning with the use of technology Gives prompt feedback 5. Should measure understanding and application, rather than technique and Emphasizes time on task memory Communicates high expectations 6. Should be conducted throughout the course, not simply positioned as a final Respects diverse talents and ways of learning event (Chickering & Gamson, 1987)

As a (possible) summary … Good assessment for learning … …Engages students with assessment criteria …Supports personalised learning …Focuses on student development …Ensures feedback leads to improvement …Stimulates dialogue …Considers staff and student effort

How best to use such Principles / Themes ?

Principles and Staff

People matter

Provide alignment diagnostics?

Show the Features and Consequences?

Without trivialising … Some quick ideas Ask students to … Demonstrate how they have used feedback from previous assessment activity to enhance the current assessment task Ensures feedback leads to improvement Ask students to … Summarise what the feedback you provided meant to them. Stimulates dialogue

Principles and Practice

Practice matters

Share (P’s) Themes in Practice (TiPs) #1?

Share (P’s) Themes in Practice (TIPs) #2

Principles and Students

Students matter

Beyond smiling faces

Principles and Processes

Assurance or opportunities for enhancement? Processes matter Programme design Programme review Assurance or opportunities for enhancement?

Is the notion of a dual professional properly promoted? A little further … Is the notion of a dual professional properly promoted?

Use, don’t hide-away If we all have a responsibility then we all should be engaged with the principles

What about you ? How do you personally reflect and engage your colleagues and your students with your thinking about / (principles of) good education?

Summary Assessment matters Work with the organisation yet look for CPI Develop P’s that are relevant for you and continually work with … Staff Students Processes

Mark Russell King’s College London @markrussell You and the Institution: A beautiful partnership A workshop at Queen’s University Belfast Mark Russell King’s College London @markrussell

Working with you … Ranking the Challenges

On your tables Lay out the attitudinal statement (SA,A,NAND,D,SD) Share out the challenge statements among your table By yourself place the statements you have been allocated alongside the attitudinal statement that best reflects your view (1-2 mins). Looking at the location of the statements discuss if you agree / disagree with the given location and offer justification to your table. Move the challenge statements to a new ‘table-agreed’ location.

What did you learn?

The most likely thing I will do as a consequence of this ‘Challenge Ladder’ activity is Make a note of a contact around the table Try out a solution I just heard about Share more widely the solution I created and just spoke about (others seemed to like it) Use/modify the idea as an activity for use with 'staff' at my institution Use/modify the idea as an activity for use with 'students' at my institution Nothing

Working with the institution 1. In what ways are our institutional processes helping and hindering our assessment intentions ? 2. Your team has been brought in to create the educational governance and structures / activities to build brighter assessment futures. What will you do? This year? Within three years? Within six years?

As a possible summary… If we are serious, we need to… recognise that responsibility for the enhancement of assessment rests with many stakeholders (including us). work in ways that are context specific but nudge where needed give people opportunities to share their work and thinking be appreciative (where we can) and try not to be too value laden Institutions are not bricks and mortar. They are made up of people and systems. As difficult as it is, we can influence both!

…what will you do as a consequence of today? And finally… …what will you do as a consequence of today?