HEA: priorities, themes and developments Dr Erica Morris (Academic Lead, Assessment and Feedback)

National body for enhancing learning and teaching throughout the UK Works in partnership with HEIs; student bodies; academic and professional staff; sector agencies and organisations Committed to improving the student learning experience by: – raising the status of teaching – adding to the body of knowledge relating to pedagogy – enhancing professional teaching practice – facilitating networks and communities of practice 2 About the HEA

Specialist support for discipline areas – Arts and Humanities; Social Sciences, Health and Social Care; STEM Leadership of cross-cutting, strategic themes, including – Assessment and Feedback, Employability, Flexible learning, Students as Partners Services and activity – Accreditation and recognition – Change programmes – Workshops and seminars series Research and evidence Informed policy and practice 3 HEA areas and services

Grade Point Average programme of work – October 2013 – July 2016 Pilot involving 21 higher education providers Exploring the potential use of GPA as a possible complement to, or replacement for, the degree classification system Testing a pilot GPA scale Exploring arising operational issues Assessment developments 4

Transforming assessment in higher education (2012) – Assessment standards: a manifesto for change (ASKe) – Annotated resources Unpacking, re-casting six tenets – Assessment for learning – Ensuring assessment is fit for purpose Assessment review tool – Stimulus questions – Evidence, actions 5 A Marked Improvement

Transforming assessment pilot scheme – March 2013 – May 2014 Eight higher education institutions Using and testing assessment review tool Informing changes in departmental and/or institutional assessment policy and practice Improved assessment review tool and complementary resources Assessment developments 6

Promoting and disseminating good practice – Conferences and workshops Pedagogy for employability (2012) – Considers models, perspectives – Case studies Impact study of this resource (2013) – Guide has influenced staff awareness and understanding of employability development 7 HEA work in employability

Defining and developing your approach to employability (2013) – Framework for higher education institutions, promoting discussion and shared understanding Process to develop a strategy – Considering interpretations of employability – Translating into practice – How to engage students and staff – Monitoring process 8 HEA work in employability

Forthcoming events 9 Nurturing talent – developing a professional mentoring scheme (2 April 2014, University of Leeds) Nurturing talent – developing a professional mentoring scheme Sharing best practice in relation to learning: HEARing the student voice (16 April 2014, University of Manchester) Sharing best practice in relation to learning: HEARing the student voice Meeting employers needs by developing graduates as critical thinkers (24 April 2014, Kingston University) Meeting employers needs by developing graduates as critical thinkers Excavate to innovate: ‘unearthing’ students’ and tutors’ perceptions of employability to energise work based pedagogy (30 April 2014, University of Northampton) Excavate to innovate: ‘unearthing’ students’ and tutors’ perceptions of employability to energise work based pedagogy HEA Annual Conference (2-3 July 2014, Aston University) Assessment in Higher Education Conference (24-25 June 2015, Birmingham)

Follow-up 10 Website: details of events, resources and funding Mailing list: sign up through My Academy Assessment: Employability: GPA:

Academic integrity resources – Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) – ww.brookes.ac.uk/aske/ww.brookes.ac.uk/aske/ ASKe (n.d) Assessment Standards: a Manifesto for Change; Feedback: an Agenda for Change. Available from: ASSET website on enhancing feedback – NUS (National Union of Students) (2010) NUS Charter on Feedback and Assessment. Available from: toview.pdfhttp:// toview.pdf Re-engineering assessment practices (REAP) in higher education – ww.reap.ac.ukww.reap.ac.uk Sambell, K., McDowell, L. and Montgomery, C. (2013) Assessment for Learning in Higher Education. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge. The Higher Education Academy (2012) A Marked Improvement: Transforming assessment in higher education. Available from: 11 References and resources

Assessment for learning. Ensuring assessment is fit for purpose. Recognise that assessment lacks precision. Constructing standards in communities. Integrating assessment literacy into course design. Ensuring professional judgements are reliable. HEA (2012) Pilot scheme: application of assessment review tool; informing further development of tool and resources. A Marked Improvement: tenets 12

Assessment for learning model 13 Students developing as learners Informal feedback Formal feedback Practice, rehearsal Formative and summative Authentic assessment Adapted from Sambell, McDowell and Montgomery (2012, p5)

Represents a shift away from assessment merely as testing, evaluation, or of learning. Key principle: ‘all assessment…should contribute to helping students to learn and to succeed’ (p3). Based around a holistic approach and needs to be applied as such. Six guiding assessment principles. 14 Assessment for learning model Sambell et al (2012)

‘Emphasise authentic and complex assessment tasks.’ Engaging and meaningful. ‘Original’ assignments. Reflecting real-world activities. Student and graduate employability. 15 Authentic assessment Sambell et al (2012)