JISC formative e-assessment practical Enquiry Day 3rd July

Please join us for the first Practical Enquiry Day for the JISC project at the Institute of Education on Thursday 3^rd of July at the Institute of Education's WLE Centre. This is the first Practical Enquiry Day which is being organized as part of the project Scoping a vision for formative e-assessment which is funded as part of the JISC e-Learning Programme from June 2008 – January 2009. The project involves scoping current practices involving formative e-assessment, and building ‘cases’ where formative assessment is being supported by the use of a variety of electronic tools. The day will be run as a workshop, and aims to present and discuss key aspects of formative e-assessment in practice. It will act as a pilot for the development and framing of cases within the project. We invite a range of practitioners, researchers and programme developers to share practical examples of e-assessment and its formative role in learning. It is anticipated that this group will be involved in ongoing participation in project workshops (two or three) which will be arranged for the autumn term.

As this is our first meeting we are keen to gain an overview of practice and development work with formative e-assessment from as many participants as possible.

To register for this event, or for any inquiries, please contact Sarah Gelcich s.gelcich@ioe.ac.uk project administrator.

Outline

10.30

Refreshments

10.40

Introduction to project and aims of the workshop by members of the project team

11.00

Presentations of e-assessment practices:

Trudie Roberts and Ceridwen Coulby, ALPS CETL, Leeds

Kim Whittlestone, LIVE CETL, Royal Veterinary College

Stylianos Hatzipanagos, Learning Institute, Kings College, UoL

Linda McGuigan and Terry Russell, Centre for Lifelong Learning, University of Liverpool

Denise Whitelock, Institute of Educational Technology, The Open University

Andrew Rosenthal, School of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University

Lesley Fletcher, School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University

12.45

Dylan Wiliam on formative e-assessment – key issues for the project

13.15

Lunch

13.45

Modelling formative assessment processes: Yishay Mor

14.30

Next steps

15.00

Depart

Presentations and outputs

Terry Russell & Linda McGuigan, University of Liverpool, Centre for Research in Primary Science and Technology

aim: pedagogy where teaching, learning & assessment are seamless
context: primary school science, 24/7 technology, multi-media content, constructivist approach
examples: peer and self assessment using IWB & 'digital creativity' and EDAs.

issues/claims: a FA approach is necessarily linked to constructivist pedagogies;

it's about a paradigm shift - learners are different, therefore pedagogy must change. Formative e-assessment is part of a cylcle to inform a constructivist process

Leslie Fletcher, Liverpool John Moores University

context: technology aided access programme in mathematics for engineering students.

examples: access tests which provide instant feedback scores shared with tutor, who guides towards support materials/focused practice for repeat tests

issues: "Is what I'm doing formative or summative?" Is there a need for (direct) 'human contact' as part of the FA process? Is that relevant where learners 'learn by doing'? Disciplinary differences and processes of FA

Trudie Roberts and Ceridwen Coulby, ALPS CETL, University of Leeds

context: 5 universities, health and social care settings, work-based learning and assessment

challenge: the struggle to assess knowledge and competence in the workplace

issues: confidentiality, self-assessment and service-user assessment e.g. patients involved in assessment

key issues for FEA:  embedding, transferability, disciplinary issues, using learning theory to inform pedagogy, changing cultures  

Stylianos Haspanagos, Kings College, University of London

aim: 'closing the loop' in distance education.

context: distance learning.

issues: FA can be negotiated, not transmitted. It is realised by students; FA as 'continuous assessment' by tutors; FA requires matching the media to the context

Denise Whitelock, The Open University

examples: exams for student self-monitoring based on feedback; 'Collaborative Formative Assessment'; 'Social Learn'

issues: The human dimension is vital (to learning) with FA - how do students feel when they get feedback? Assessment as feedback is integral to learning; disciplinary differences; what is formative? What about periodic summative assessment? The process of FA should include changing pedagogy.

Andrew Rosenthal, Oxford Brookes University

aim: use feedback quizzes to help students 'learn maths by doing'

context: maths tests online for exemption purposes

example: feedback quizzes; Multiple Choice Questions, Problem-Based Learning

issues: FEA as enabling 'learning by doing'; 'is there a lot of reinvention of wheels?'; sustainability - what happens when the software moves on? Do processes move on with the software? 

Kim Whittlestone, RVC: Formative assessment any time, any place, anywhere

aim: students as drivers/co-constructors of structures, learning and assessment processes

context: vet training, workplace assessment

example: using EDAs to enable reflection on practice embedded within assessment

challenges: problem of surface approaches to learning - making it stick, being more reflective about work-based learning, embedding in everyday practice

goal/concept: to develop a 'pedagogic ladder' of desirable learning behaviours/processes including e-assessment as embedded

issues: working with the complexity of these behaviours/processes, developing social collaboration and learner responsibility for learning and assessment

Keynote: Dylan William, IOE: Formative e-assessment, some theoretical resources