Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education

"As an overview, Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education makes a very useful contribution to assessment literature, providing a publication that is relevant and accessible to practitioners whilst giving rigorous exploration of issues associated with student assessment. It should find a readership on that basis and will be welcomed as a considered and insightful contribution to the literature on student assessment." Higher Education Review What are the main issues when considering the design and management of effective assessment strategies for academic programmes? How should lecturers design and use assessment in university so that it helps students to learn, as well as judging their achievement? How can students be prepared for assessment, including peer, self and group assessment? This book provides comprehensive practical guidance on managing and improving assessment within higher education. It tackles all stages in the assessment cycle including: Assessment design Preparing students for assessment Marking and moderation Providing feedback Quality assurance It also provides a concise introduction to the research literature on assessment which will inform practice, debate, programme enhancement and practitioner research within university departments, teaching teams and courses for higher education teachers.The practical guidance in the book is substantiated with reference to relevant research and policy. In particular, it considers how the different purposes of assessment create conflicting demands for staff; often characterised by the tension between attempting to support student learning whilst meeting imperatives for quality assurance and demonstrable maintenance of standards. Issues are debated using concrete examples and workable solutions are illustrated. Consideration is also given to the management of assessment as well as to how new technologies might be used to develop assessment methods and enhance student learning. Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education is key reading for both new and experienced lecturers, programme leaders and academic developers, and will enhance their efforts to use assessment to improve students’ learning as well as to grade them fairly, reliably and efficiently.

Table of Contents:
ContributorsAcknowledgements PART 1: INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT 1.Introduction The primacy of assessmentPolicy Research evidence Why another assessment book Situated Practice Audience Plan of the book How to use this book A note about terminology Conclusion 2.The Evidence base for assessment practice in higher education The relationship between assessment and learning The relationship between feedback and learning The validity of assessment tasks Constructive alignment Conclusion 3.The conflicting purposes of assessmentValidity Reliability Effectiveness Comparability and consistency Equity Practicability Transparency Attribution Conclusion and possible ways forward PART 2: DEALING WITH ASSESSMENT 4.Teaching a module: maximising the potential of assessment Assessment basics Assessment and learning Writing assessment tasks Designing and setting up group assignments Writing assessment criteria and standards Peer and self assessment Designing tasks to reduce plagiarism When problems crop up Conclusion 5.Preparing students for assessment What is involved in becoming academically literate? A framework for preparing students for assessment: integrating guidance and feedback Giving explicit information to students Telling what cannot be told: tacit information transfer Conclusion 6.Marking Introduction Marking and marking practices Assessment criteria, grade descriptors and marking schemes Other approaches to improving accuracy of marking Managing your marking Issues in marking Peer marking Marking group assignments Conclusion 7.Providing effective feedback for learning Timely feedback Written feedback Formative feedback Engaging students with feedback Evaluating the student perspective Conclusion 8.Moderation: towards greater consistency in markingSetting the context Moderation Internal moderation External moderation Conclusion 9.Managing assessment in different roles Introduction Promoting equity Tutor level Module leader level Programme leader level Head of department level Chairs of assessment boards Institutional leadership A note on data protection Conclusion 10. Supporting widening participation through assessment Introduction Widening participation, retention and achievement Using assessment to support retention and achievement Equal opportunities in assessment practice Assessing disabled students and those with specific learning difficulties Assessment and promoting race equality Conclusion PART 3: DEVELOPING ASSESSMENT 11. Planning a programme assessment strategy The importance of a programme approach Validation Six steps to an effective programme approach Step 1: Programme learning outcomes Step 2: Mapping learning outcomes across a programme Step 3: Make it fit for purpose Step 4: Provide for progression Step 5: Match assessment and pedagogy Step 6: Identify constraints on assessment Conclusion: an iterative approach 12.Planning the assessment for a module Introduction Reference points Deciding on the assessment plan Module Descriptor template Building in flexibility Conclusion 13. Diversifying assessment methods Introduction Why diversify? Caution Diversification in action Challenge one: developing authenticity Challenge two: assessing skills Challenge three: improving the validity of examinations Challenge four: assessment which supports learning Challenge five: linking formative and summative assessment Challenge six: assessing large cohorts Assessment methods Sources of information Conclusion 14. Computer aided assessment Introduction Benefits of computer aided assessment Challenges of computer aided assessment On-line testing Assessing on-line discussion Supporting diverse learners in CAA Cheating and plagiarism detection Sources of further information Conclusion 15. Professional development and assessment Introduction Workplace learning Areas for review Conclusion References GlossaryIndex

About the Author :
Sue Bloxham is Professor of Academic Practice and Head of the Centre for Development of Learning and Teaching at the University of Cumbria, England. Peter Boyd is a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Development of Learning and Teaching at the University of Cumbria. Sarah Chesney is Senior Lecturer in E-learning in the Centre for Development of Learning and Teaching at the University of Cumbria. Andrew Ginty is a Senior Lecturer in Learning & Teaching Development at the University of Cumbria. Marion Nuttall is the Academic Enhancement Manager at the University of Cumbria.