The assessment diaries
19
JISC Activity week The assessment diaries at the University of Glamorgan Alice Lau 16th November 2012 15:00 - 16:00
description
A presentation on the use of online Assessment Diaries at Glamorgan. The presentation will enable the viewer to understand the logistical process of gathering assessment deadlines and feedback dates and how these are brought together for a student and staff overview of the Assessment Diaries. Participants will be invited to discuss the feasibility of transferring this approach into their institution.
Transcript of The assessment diaries
JISC Activity week The assessment diaries at the
University of Glamorgan
Alice Lau 16th November 2012
15:00 - 16:00
Background
• Came about as a result of the Change Academy project titled “Putting assessment at the heart of learning” in 2008
• In responsed to the issue of unclear assessment information, such as feedback dates and the issue of assessment bunching, one department introduced the idea “Assessment Diaries”.
Assessment Diaries (its earliest form) •The assessment diary
is a list of module codes and titles, dates for when assessments are submitted and dates by which they are to be returned.
•Developed the diary in consultation with colleagues teaching on the same course in order to avoid bunching of assessment deadlines. •The diary was mainly in a table format and available as par of the student handbook and posted on the VLE for students
Presenter
Presentation Notes
AL – So from students’ feedback one of key thing we think we can do better is in avoiding assessment overload and bunching. Individual staff knows the importance in letting students know the deadlines and often each module has a hand in and handback date, but what they don’t realised is that often it is the same date. The idea is therefore to get staff talking about what they are using – not only dates but from discussion, also look at what assessment methods are used. Initially, the diary started with just a hard copy timetable like this in award handbook, but in one faculty, with the use of simple Access database, we have put this online.
The good and the bad • The NSS score for assessment and feedback in the
department improved significantly after the introduction of the diaries
• The team meeting with colleagues teaching on the same course initiated wider discussions around the assessment diet for the entire course.
• The table format was rigid and not flexible enough • Taking a lot of administration effort
Workflow before latest version of assessment diaries
Get assessment information from Student Database
Email module tutors to check assessment information and ask for
deadlines and feedback dates
Received all information?
[No]
[Yes]
Create assessment diary
Email reminders to module tutors
According to diary, email students reminder 2 days before
assignment deadlines
Befo
re
Subm
issio
n
Administrators Module Tutors
Received email from administrators
Respond to administrators’ email – provide dates
Create assessment diary
Workflow before latest version of assessment diaries
Check online submission (Tii) to identify students who have not submit ted
Submitted?
[No]
[Yes]
Email students about 5 days rule and information on mitigating circumstances and advice shop
A Da
y af
ter c
ours
ewor
k de
adlin
e
Await module tutors to mark student assignments
Email tutors to request grades for mark entry
On/
soon
aft
er fe
edba
ck
date
/ 20
wor
king
day
s
Assessment Diaries (institution-al wide introduction)
• Developed an online version that uses an in house web-based front end which is driven within Blackboard
• Personalised - giving students and tutors clear, easily accessible information about when assignments are to be submitted and returned.
• Automated reminders are also sent to staff requesting them to populate the diaries with the required information.
• A series of automated reminders to students are generated two weeks before submission, one week before and on the day of the submission deadline.
Demo (staff view)
• Staff log in to Blackboard • Go to assessment diaries • assessment information is already pre-
populated from our student information system (information entered at module inception)
• Staff check information and input deadlines and feedback dates
Presenter
Presentation Notes
The Assessment Diary The Assessment Diary is essentially a simple list of module codes and titles, dates for assessment submission and return of feedback. This information is posted on the institution’s VLE, Blackboard. The diary uses an in house web-based front end which is provided within Blackboard and is personalised giving students and tutors clear, easily accessible information about when assignments are to be submitted and returned. A series of automated reminders to students are generated two weeks before submission, one week before and on the day of the submission deadline. Automated reminders are also sent to staff.
The full list view
The calendar view
Example of reminder email to staff
The JISC funded project • Evaluation of Assessment Diaries and
GradeMark This project evaluated two assessment and
feedback related innovations aimed at addressing assessment bunching and poor feedback to students: – Assessment Diaries and – GradeMark
For a recorded webinar of the project findings: http://bit.ly/jiscelopenwebinars
AD findings from the student perspective
• Expectations • Experience
– Awareness of assessment diary – Information accuracy – Feedback dates
Although I am happy with the way assessments are being handled in the vast majority of times, I do feel that if the tutors would make use of the Blackboard Assessment Diary fully then it would make things a lot simpler for us to keep an eye on the deadlines.
Presenter
Presentation Notes
KF Expectations that deadlines would be given through a variety of communication channels 48% expected to also receive feedback dates 36% of students expected the deadlines to be sent via email (unusual practice at Glamorgan) Of the 48% who expected to receive feedback dates, 80% did receive them. Students were articulate in the way they expressed the receipt of the deadlines via the AD as a mechanism to help but that they readily accepted their responsibility in finding out about and sticking to deadlines. Experience – there’s a lot more detail in the final report, but to give a flavour of the findings we’ve captured them in these areas: Level of awareness of the phrase ‘Assessment Diaries’ was quite low but all the students in the focus groups talked about their experiences of using them – even though they didn’t recognise the name – and that it helped them to plan their time. Info Accuracy: they like using it, but where the information is incomplete or inaccurate it puts them off Feedback dates: 66% of those students received a feedback date, received their feedback on the date specified or earlier (34% were late) CA finding about if late they are ok as long as they are informed Students having feedback parties because they know when the feedback will be released – even if that’s 1159
AD findings from the staff perspective
• View video of staff experiences of using Assessment Diaries
Presenter
Presentation Notes
KF cue up first video. Whilst you are listening to the video, you might like to make a note for yourself of the benefits and challenges that staff express about assessment diaries, and consider how these might impact in your institution
Discussion prompts....
• How are your assessment and feedback dates
currently given to your students
• If you had a similar product, what would you anticipate as the challenges associated with capturing the assessment information
Presenter
Presentation Notes
KF facilitate discussion
Sharing experiences....Assessment Diaries
• A phased introduction • Ensure staff and student awareness of the purpose of
the tool • Encourage collaborative discussion between
academic staff to set realistic assessment and feedback dates
• Ensure a link between the Assessment Diaries and the VLE and Student Record System
Presenter
Presentation Notes
KF For institutions looking to introduce a tool similar to the Assessment Diaries, the project team would suggest ensuring:
Further information • Resources on JISC design studio • http://jiscdesignstudio.pbworks.com/w/page/50671157/Glam
organ%20Assessment%20Diaries%20Project
• Project Blog: http://assessdiariesgrademark.wordpress.com/ • Karen Fitzgibbon, Alice Lau. "Evaluation of Assessment Diaries
and GradeMark at the University of Glamorgan". July 2012, Ariadne Issue 69 http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue69/fitzgibbon-lau
...or contact us Dr. Karen Fitzgibbon Head of Educational Development Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://celt.glam.ac.uk Alice Lau Research Fellow (Assessment) Email: [email protected]
Web site: http://celt.glam.ac.uk
