Associate, Economics Network www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk Context - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Effective assessment and feedback

Peter Smith University of Southampton Associate, Economics Network

www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk Workshop on effective economics teaching in higher education Bristol, October 2012

Context

• Assessment & feedback can be stressful

– for staff and students – the potential tyranny of marking & providing feedback

• National Student Survey

– Low scores for feedback

• across institutions and disciplines
• Transition to university

– from A-level to undergraduate

• Formative vs. summative assessment

– importance of incentives

Assessment and feedback are inextricably linked

• The nature of assessment methods used

determines the type and effectiveness of feedback

• Good feedback needs to improve student

achievement on assessments

• …but can be costly as student numbers

increase

• Timing of assessment & feedback can be

critical

Assessment should be designed to:

• be effective

– needs to assess intended learning outcomes

• be efficient

– in terms of staff time

• enable good feedback

– to improve performance in future assessments

Effective assessment

• Discriminating in assessing outcomes

– Knowledge & understanding – Application of (economic) thinking – Analysis & Synthesis – Evaluation – Expression

• “Graduate attributes”

– Communication – Problem-solving – Teamworking – Reflection – etc.

• Different forms of assessment work well for different

attributes/outcomes

Effective feedback

• Gulf between what students want..
• and what we want to give them
• It is important to manage/influence

expectations …

• and to raise awareness of what is meant by

feedback

• …and when students are receiving it.
• Use student-friendly language

What students would like…

based on a survey of c.600 students at Southampton

• Most effective feedback:

– detailed written feedback (hard copy or online) – NOT mark only/brief/delayed

• Timeliness

– Neutral between marks & brief comments after 2 weeks cf. detailed comments after 3 weeks

• Published deadlines for marks & feedback

– to which staff adhere

• Feedback available in time to improve next time
• Consistency across schools & programmes

What students would like…(2)

• Quick turn-around
• More detailed/explanatory
• Legible
• Positive – how to do better next time
• Consistent
• Individual tutorials

What students do not like…

• Results displayed on noticeboard or grades
• nly
• Brief & general feedback
• Group feedback
• Written anonymous feedback
• Delayed feedback

Efficient assessment

can we avoid drowning?

• MCQ

– Economics Network Question Bank – http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/qnbank/

• Technology-enhanced marking

– eAssignment

• http://www.jisc-ea.soton.ac.uk/resources/

– podcasts of answers/common errors – statement banks

• Group work

– http://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/development

• A report as if to a government minister, World Bank etc.
• A presentation to explain an economic issue to a lay audience

– e.g. economic impact of the Olympics

• Standardised tick-box forms
• Masterclasses to replace seminar groups
• TA marking
• Blogs

Peer assessment

(with thanks to Judith Piggott (Oxford Brookes))

• Weekly tasks counting 10% of overall grade
• In seminar/class sessions
• Carefully-designed questions marked by each
• ther before the end of the session
• Then moderated (by TAs)
• Improves attendance
• Gives students a different perspective on

marking & feedback

For Economics Network resources, please visit:

www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk