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Rethinking Assessment and Feedback

Professor David Nicol Centre for Academic Practice

University of Strathclyded.j.nicol@strath.ac.uk

University of Glasgow, March 2008

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• Nationally only 55% of students think feedback is prompt and had helped to clarify things they did not understand [Scotland: 48%]

• Nationally only 63% of students agree that have received detailed comments on their work [Scotland: 49%]

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This presentationThe background

Concepts and ideas

Framework and 12 assessment and feedback principles

Recommendations for implementation

Case studies of practice from the University of Glasgow

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BackgroundResearch: HE Academy 2004: Literature review: 7 principles of good assessment and feedback practice in relation to development of learner self-regulation (Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick, 2004: 2006)Local Implementations: Scottish Funding Council 2005-7: The Reengineering Assessment Practices (REAP) project (£1m) www.reap.ac.ukPolicy and strategy: University of Strathclyde Assessment Policy and Practice Guidelines Synthesis: QAA Scotland 2007-8: First Year Experience: Assessment and Feedback publication

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Re-engineering Assessment Practices

REAP projectScottish Funding Council (£!m)Strathclyde, Glasgow University, Glasgow Caledonian Business SchoolLarge 1st year classes (160-900 students)A range of disciplines (19 modules ~6000 students)Many technologiesLearning quality and teaching efficienciesAssessment for learner self-regulation

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First Year: The academic experienceWhat is important in the first year?

Coping with transitionUnderstanding what is requiredEngagement with academic programmesReceiving support and feedback Experiences of successFeeling in control of own learningBelief that you can succeedA sense of belonging within the academic and social culture

Based on research by Yorke (UK) and Tinto (US)

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EMPOWERMENT/SELF-REGULATION

SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

Figure 1: Framework for the analysis of assessment and feedback practices

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

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Rethinking assessment and feedback1. Consider self and peers as much as the teacher as sources of assessment and feedback

Tap into different qualities than teacher can provide Saves time Provides considerable learning benefits (lifelong learning)

2. Focus on every step of the cycle Understanding the task criteria (Sadler, 1983) Applying what was learned in action

3. Not just written feedback Also oral, computer, vicarious, formal and informal

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Black, Harrison, Lee, Marshall and Wiliam (2005)

As well as assessing and marking (through discussion and clear guidance) their own work they also assess and mark the work of others. This they do in a very mature and sensible way.…. The students know that homework will be checked by themselves or another girl in the class at the start of the next lesson…. They take pride in clear and well presented work that one of their peers may be asked to mark. Any disagreement about the answer is thoroughly and openly discussed until agreement is reached.

Alice, Teacher at Waterford School, UK

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12 Principles of Good Assessment and Feedback

Practice

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Good formative assessment and feedback practices should:

1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)2. Encourage ‘time an effort’ on challenging learning tasks3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback 5. Ensure that summative assessment supports formative

learning processes6. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer, teacher-

student)7. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning8. Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of

assessments.9. Involve students in decision making about assessment policy and

practice10. Support the development of learning groups and communities11. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem12. Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape the

teaching

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Good formative assessment and feedback practices should:

1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)2. Encourage ‘time an effort’ on challenging learning tasks3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback 5. Ensure that summative assessment supports formative

learning processes6. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer, teacher-

student)7. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning8. Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of

assessments.9. Involve students in decision making about assessment policy and

practice10. Support the development of learning groups and communities11. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem12. Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape the

teaching

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Good formative assessment and feedback practices should:

1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)2. Encourage ‘time an effort’ on challenging learning tasks3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback 5. Ensure that summative assessment supports formative

learning processes6. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer, teacher-

student)7. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning8. Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of

assessments.9. Involve students in decision making about assessment policy and

practice10. Support the development of learning groups and communities11. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem12. Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape the

teaching

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Good formative assessment and feedback practices should:

1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)2. Encourage ‘time an effort’ on challenging learning tasks3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback 5. Ensure that summative assessment supports formative

learning processes6. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer, teacher-

student)7. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning8. Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of

assessments.9. Involve students in decision making about assessment policy and

practice10. Support the development of learning groups and communities11. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem12. Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape the

teaching

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Good formative assessment and feedback practices should:

1. Help clarify what good performance is (goals, criteria, standards)2. Encourage ‘time an effort’ on challenging learning tasks3. Deliver high quality feedback information that helps learners self-correct4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback 5. Ensure that summative assessment supports formative

learning processes6. Encourage interaction and dialogue around learning (peer, teacher-

student)7. Facilitate the development of self-assessment and reflection in learning8. Give choice in the topic, method, criteria, weighting or timing of

assessments.9. Involve students in decision making about assessment policy and

practice10. Support the development of learning groups and communities11. Encourage positive motivational beliefs and self-esteem12. Provide information to teachers that can be used to help shape the

teaching

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Dynamics of Implementation

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EMPOWERMENT/SELF-REGULATION

SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

Principle 1: Clarify what good performance is

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

• Students create criteria• Students add own criteria • Students identify criteria

from samples of work• Exemplars of different

performance levels provided

• Students rephrase criteria in own words

• Provide document with criteria

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ENGAGEMENT

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE 6.Encourage

interaction and dialogue around learning (peer and teacher-student)

2. Encourage time & effort on challenging learning tasks

+

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ACADEMICEXPERIENCE 6.Encourage group

discussion of how that feedback might be used in tutorials

3. Deliver individual written feedback on students’ work

+

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SOCIALEXPERIENCE

ENGAGEMENT

ACADEMICEXPERIENCE

Students self-assess own performance using MCQs

Students self-assess using MCQ and provide confidence ratings

Students create MCQs and feedback for wrong and right answers 6. Encourage

interaction and dialogue around learning (peer and teacher-student)

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Principle 6Principle 7

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MCQ and Confidence-Based Marking

Mark if correct

Penalty if wrong

Degree of certainty C=1 Low C=2 Medium C=3 High

1 2 3

0 - 2 - 6

Scoring regime for confidence-based marking

Ref: Tony Gardner-Medwin (2006), Confidence-based marking: towards deeper learning and better exams.

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Guidelines for Implementation

1. A single principle or many2. Active involvement of students3. Tight-loose – maintain fidelity to the

principles (tight) but encourage disciplines develop their own techniques of implementation (loose)

4. Clarify students’ responsibilities

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Guidelines for Implementation

5. Alternate solo and group work6. Consider programme coherence 7. Use the principles as quality

enhancement tool8. Share your learning designs9. Evaluate changes (process

indicators)10. And where ICT can add value

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www.reap.ac.uk/resources www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/FirstYear

Transforming assessment and feedback: Enhancing integration and empowerment

(published by QAA Scotland)

• Recommendations: how to implement at module, course and institutional level

• A Literature review: how assessment and feedback can support empowerment and integration

• 12 principles of assessment and feedback practice (+ questions to enhance quality)

• 100+ examples and case studies illustrating implementation across the disciplines

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Rethinking Assessment and Feedback

Questions

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My PublicationsNicol, D (2008), Transforming assessment and feedback: Enhancing integration and empowerment in the first year, to be published by Quality Assurance Agency, Scotland (June)Nicol, D (in press), Assessment for learner self-regulation: Enhancing achievement in the first year using learning technologies, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education,Nicol, D (2007), Laying the foundation for lifelong learning: cases studies of technology supported assessment processes in large first year classes, British Journal of Educational Technology, 38(4), 668-678Nicol, D (2007) E-assessment by design: using multiple-choice tests to good effect, Journal of Further and Higher Education.31(1), 53-64.Nicol, D. & Milligan, C. (2006), Rethinking technology-supported assessment in relation to the seven principles of good feedback practice. In C. Bryan and K. Clegg, Innovations in Assessment, Routledge.Nicol, D, J. & Macfarlane-Dick (2006), Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice, Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218.See also www.reap.ac.uk