Reimagining Assesment is meant to be experienced in a Desktop.

Tablet and Mobile version to be published soon...

Studying, brainpower and technology are all elements of the students life and how they achieve their goals.

Every student goes into their course to follow their passion and achieve their dreams.

Technology effectively leverages the assessment experience and facilitates development of digital capacity for both the academic and student.

Assessment drives the learning and as such is a powerful and valuable aspect of the educator and learner experience.

About Reimagining Assessment

Reimagining assessment from the perspective of the educator and the learner has become increasingly important in recent times. There is a desire for a shared understanding of assessment and how this can be realised in an ever changing context.  

In light of this, a community of practice was established, led by Dr. Fiona O’Riordan, Teaching Enhancement Unit, DCU and Dr Mary Fitzpatrick, Centre for Transformative Learning, UL, with input from other HEIs across the sector. The overarching aim was to create a distributed sense of learning, in a bid to bridge the perceived gap through sharing examples and resources on the process and product of assessment. This resource is the output from the community of practice and provides resources around three critical elements of assessment: workload, groups, and feedback.

Finding Common Ground

This resource is an interactive tool designed by educators and learners for educators and learners in a bid to re-evaluate assessment through partnership.

Learner

Niall Henry

DCU Student

We are all in this together. We want to be partners in the assessment journey.

Educator

Karen Buckley

Assistant Professor, DCU

We want to reflect on assessment and challenge existing values and beliefs about assessment.

Educator

Dr. Brett Becker

Assistant Professor, UCD

Students and academics need to have a shared sense of assessment literacy

Learner

Niamh Kennedy

DCU Student

There should be equity and consistency across modules and programmes.

Learner

Niall Henry

DCU Student

We are all in this together. We want to be partners in the assessment journey.

Educator

Karen Buckley

Assistant Professor, DCU

We want to reflect on assessment and challenge existing values and beliefs about assessment.

Learner

Niamh Kennedy

UL Student

There should be equity and consistency across modules and programmes.

Educator

Deborah Kirkland

Lecturer Griffith College

Assessments offer a valuable opportunity to provide a unique personalised experience for both the educator and learner, especially in online large classroom scenarios.

Learner

Ruairi O Gallchoir

Student Intern, IUA

As a student, I believe that good assessment practice can often be the difference between just knowing and actually understanding a concept.

Educator

Dr. Brett Becker

Assistant Professor, UCD

Students and academics need to have a shared sense of assessment literacy

Learner

Chloe Power

Student Associate Intern, NFTL

There should be a strong sense that assessment is enabling, adaptable and flexible, and developed in partnership with both students and staff.

Conversations on Assessment

It is clear through conversations with educators and learners that there are diverse perspectives on assessment in terms of its role, value and approach across the sector which is evident in the conversations with educators and students. These are captured in the illustration below – allow time for the think bubbles to animate!

Values

Feedbacks

Concerns

Reinvent

Groups

Group assessment is considered differently by the educator and the learner.
The educator regards it to be a very effective and often efficient means of developing key graduate attributes such as creativity, collaboration, proactivity.

The learner’s initial reaction is that they prefer the efficiency of working on an individual basis due to the lack of trust and peer partnership in terms of achievement of outcomes.

Learner
Suggested approaches:
  1. Develop group culture throughout the module with clear expectations.

  2. Call out group work in the learning outcomes.

Educator
  1. Incorporate opportunities for some individual component e.g. a reflection piece.

  2. Design a detailed rubric and share/discuss in collaboration with students.

Groups

Group assessment is considered differently by the educator and the learner.
The educator regards it to be a very effective and often efficient means of developing key graduate attributes such as creativity, collaboration, proactivity.

The learner’s initial reaction is that they prefer the efficiency of working on an individual basis due to the lack of trust and peer partnership in terms of achievement of outcomes.

Learner
Suggested approaches:
  1. Develop group culture throughout the module with clear expectations.

  2. Call out group work in the learning outcomes.

Educator
Learner
Educator
  1. Incorporate opportunities for some individual component e.g. a reflection piece.

  2. Design a detailed rubric and share/discuss in collaboration with students.

Workload

The focus for both educators and learners is the purpose of assessment and how this is aligned to the learning outcomes. Some key factors for consideration include the value of the assessment strategy and the balancing of quality and quantity of assessment.

From an educator's perspective it is imperative that assessment is included in the programme level planning discussions which will allow for transparency in relation to the use of module descriptors to ensure alignment of NFQ and ects credits. Learners speak to an increasing importance of understanding the ‘why’ of the assessment and consideration of not just doing an exam just because that was always the approach.

Learner
Suggested approaches:
  1. Balancing the approach to ensure an opportunity for the demonstration of learning outcomes.

  2. Educators need to call out and make explicit where assessment of, as and for learning is within each module across the programme.

Educator
  1. Be wary of the high stakes approach and the tension impact on student learning.

  2. External examiners can influence the workload to safeguard consistency across the programme.

Workload

The focus for both educators and learners is the purpose of assessment and how this is aligned to the learning outcomes. Some key factors for consideration include the value of the assessment strategy and the balancing of quality and quantity of assessment.

From an educator's perspective it is imperative that assessment is included in the programme level planning discussions which will allow for transparency in relation to the use of module descriptors to ensure alignment of NFQ and ects credits. Learners speak to an increasing importance of understanding the ‘why’ of the assessment and consideration of not just doing an exam just because that was always the approach.

Learner
Suggested approaches:
  1. Balancing the approach to ensure an opportunity for the demonstration of learning outcomes.

  2. Educators need to call out and make explicit where assessment of, as and for learning is within each module across the programme.

Educator
  1. Be wary of the high stakes approach and the tension impact on student learning.

  2. External examiners can influence the workload to safeguard consistency across the programme.

Feedback

Feedback is regarded as a valuable element of the assessment process by both the educator and the learner. It comprises of both the grade awarded and alignment to the criteria and areas for improvement.

The educator considers a variety of approaches to providing the feedback narrative while being conscious of the time and effort this takes. The learner consider it as a very emotional process which is necessary and welcome albeit when it is provided in a meaningful and accessible way

Feedback

Feedback is regarded as a valuable element of the assessment process by both the educator and the learner. It comprises of both the grade awarded and alignment to the criteria and areas for improvement.

The educator considers a variety of approaches to providing the feedback narrative while being conscious of the time and effort this takes. The learner consider it as a very emotional process which is necessary and welcome albeit when it is provided in a meaningful and accessible way

Next Steps

This resource captures the key insights shared in discussions at meetings of an assessment community of practice comprised of both educators and learners. The themes are indicative of the key areas of importance and concern at a time when balancing our approach to assessment in our role within the teaching, learning and assessment has been greater than ever.

It is our hope that this community of practice will continue to lead and contribute to the ever evolving conversation on assessment.

Please contact us with, or for, any further information:
mary.fitzpatrick@ul.ie and fiona.m.oriordan@dcu.ie