Reducing Assessment

Pauline Kneale p.e.kneale@geog.leeds.ac.uk

University of LeedsLearning and Teaching Strategy 2002/3 - 2006/7

address issues of over-assessment review assessment strategies in all

Schools review assessment grids for all new

programmes consider the development of Faculty

assessment norms increase the use of more sophisticated

on-line tools for formative assessment

Action in Geography

October 2002-March 2003 – radical review of the syllabuses

Outcome was a move to 20 credit modules in levels 1 and 2, already there at level 3

Return of some whole year modules Reduction of assessment in January Aim for real consistency across the

school

Motivations

Two new Profs HEFCE benchmark statement

Missing some elements of the syllabus Broad but not deep coverage in some

areas Some absence of syllabus coherence

Students complaining of bottlenecks in coursework submissions at end of semesters

Students complaints that the work set took much longer to complete than staff suggested

Motivations (cont)

Research evidence that students were not really getting into a topic before the assessment loomed

Need to address the expanded numbers in a strategic way

Administering 75 UG modules and 40 PG modules is a heavy admin burden, it would help to cut the module numbers

Motivations (cont.)

10 credit modules: presentation 10%, essay 40% and exam 50% led to students ‘trying hard until they had passed the 40% hurdle’, ‘many opportunities to trip up’; ‘tendency for marks to cluster around 60%’. “OK I could get a first for this but having out the effort into the first set of practicals, now I can get on with other things.”

How

Program wide approach for consistency Don’t underestimate the difficulty Considerable attachment to modules

by individuals, especially those who see their work as progressive - teaching to all years

Bi-weekly meetings of staff from the different programmes, chaired by the programme managers – two new Profs

What are the UG levels for?

Level 1 Exploration and Inspiration Level 2 Analysis and Criticism Level 3 Creativity and Scholarship

Level Report / Essay

Exam Work sheet

Poster Oral Present

15 cr = 500 wds

10 cr = 2 hours

1 cr 2hr prac, or 2 cr if not handed in at prac

4 cr 2 cr

25 cr = 750 wds

10 cr = 2 hours 4 cr 2 cr

33 cr = 1000 wds

9 cr = 1.5 hours

4 cr 2 cr

Assessment norms

Raise the standard of performance in assessments

Fewer assessments, greater depth Retained the range of posters,

reports, essays, presentations, group work etc. but each student will do fewer pieces of work in levels 1 and 2.

Encourage guidance for attaining 80%

Level 1 – least radical!

Before 2* 10 Cr 1 x 2 hour

examination (100%).

1 x 2 hour examination (100%).

After 20Cr 1* 1 1/2 hours

Unseen written examination 50%End of Sem.

1*11/2 hours Unseen written examination50% end of Sem. 2

Slightly more radical

Before 2 * 10 Cr MCQ examination

60% 1½ hr 2 * workshops 20%

1 x 1.25 hr exam (MCQ) 70%, 1,500 wd group report and 5-slide power-point presentation 30%

After 1 * 20 Cr 1* 1,000 wd assessed

essay, inc. bib’graphy 40% Fri of wk 11

1* 2-hour unseen written examination comprising one essay plus MCQs 60% end of Sem 2.

Reductions at level 2

Before 2 * 10 Cr 2 * worksheets 20%

1 * small group PowerPoint presentation 15% 1*2hr exam 65%

2 hour Exam 67%Group presentation 33%

1*10 minute presentation by groups of 4 or 5 students 15%

1*1500 words summary report to accompany presentation 15%

1*3 hour exam 60%

Final year geography UG

Dissertation 40 Credits Work placement or Research

Placement or Independent study 20 Credits

3 * 20 Cr taught modules

Progressive teaching or progressive learning

All staff will teach at three of the four levels

All staff will contribute to one residential field class (there are 8 plus odd days)

Constraints

Awareness of need to complete revisions by February / March To make associated departments aware Timetabling

Outcomes

Full suite of 20 credit modules 52 rather than 72 UG modules 640 formal teaching hours, not 869 Reading weeks in weeks 7 of

semester 1 and either 7 or 11 (bank holiday permitting) semester 2 with deadlines for coursework at the end of week 7.

Staff comments

Fewer assessments have been well received by students, and have helped us use teaching time for discussing information rather than preparing for tests etc.

Research placement is helpful as students engage with academic speakers (this year from around the world, via the WUN seminar series on Tuesdays). They not only learn stuff, but process (ie good/bad talks, good bad question and answer skills). But small numbers

Staff comments (cont)20 Cr modules in levels 1 and 2, Some work well, where staff communicate

and try to integrate the different sections of the module

some modules just look like 2 bits bolted together with no integration and staff not knowing what's going on in the rest of the module. (IF staff don't know, what chance have students?)

100 compulsory level 1 credits has caused problems for students wanting to switch programmes (esp into Jt Hons)

Staff comments (cont)

Fewer assessments: creates new problems at end of sem 2

‘it has NOT halved the work (admin or otherwise) - created problems of communication/organisation etc’

HUGE dis-engagement of third year students with Leeds. (Some live >100 miles away and effectively commute - don't have a Leeds address.)

Staff comments (cont)

Compulsory Work or research placement / independent study at level 3

Work placement - V popular & works well. Some students TOO (?) committed to it & spend too long on it. But results reflect that. Excellent pre-job experience

We cannot find placements for all who want them, and that is a big staff load

Uneven workload between the three modules

Staff comments (cont)

students like the 40 credit dissertation and there was no evidence from the first set of marks that standards dropped significantly with a move to a more independent approach to the dissertation.

S/S committee had recognised excessive time invested in in it when only 20cr

Staff comments (cont)

The 40 Cr dissertation (cont) Benefits from embedding preparation in

level 2 tutorial module BUT Not so good for students who do not do

level 2 tutorial (Jt hons, exchange, temp leavers etc)

DSG supervision - uneven support;

Staff comments (cont)

‘.. as an unintended consequence of the merging of 2, 10 credit modules, I observed that students took the second semester more seriously than when the same course was split into 2 modules (I think it's because they had not got a passed module under their belt in January)’.

Issues

Reducing the assessment load Reducing the bunching of assessments in

certain weeks of the year Team teaching / managing study leave Making assessment match learning activity Challenging for excellence – 80% target It needs time and discussion Start now