How university teachers design assessments: a cross-disciplinary study

Bearman, Margaret; Dawson, Phillip; Bennett, Sue; Hall, Matthew; Molloy, Elizabeth; Boud, David; Joughin, Gordon

doi:10.1007/s10734-016-0027-7

Cited by 63 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…It requires tutors to design and manage the assessment instruments used and monitor the process to address any problems students have with it. This web service can be an excellent technological tool to facilitate the impetus for change identified by Bearman et al (2017) The last objective that guided this study was to influence the practice of peer assessment to focus on areas of greatest potential for change and improvement. The results obtained in the IPMA analysis confirm the importance of evaluative judgement and feedback as the primary elements on which to act in order to significantly improve competence development.…”

Section: Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing student competence through peer assessment: the role of feedback, self-regulation and evaluative judgement

2020

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How can students' competence be developed through peer assessment? This paper focuses on how relevant variables such as participation, evaluative judgement and the quality of the assessment interact and influence peer assessment. From an analysis of 4 years of data from undergraduate classes in project management, it develops a model of causal relationships validated using the PLS-SEM method. It demonstrates relationships between these variables and considerers the influence of students' competence and the mediating nature of feedback and self-regulation on the process. It points to how peer assessment practices can be improved whilst highlighting how evaluative judgement and feedback are two key elements that can be addressed to deliver the effective development of students' competence.

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Section: Practical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developing student competence through peer assessment: the role of feedback, self-regulation and evaluative judgement

2020

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“…A cross-case comparison of education, law and English degrees at one Australian university illustrated a range of distinctive and overlapping features, distinguishing each discipline and assessment regime. Each case reflected the complexity of assessment design and interpretation in higher education (Bearman et al 2017), and highlighted that a consistent approach to categorising and communicating assessment components might enhance a variety of assessment processes. Analytical tasks were identified as the main rhetorical purpose for assessment in the three cases, making up the highest percentage of assessments in education (22%), law (30%) and English (42%).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elaborating a framework for communicating assessment aims in higher education

Thomas

Moore

Rundle

et al. 2018

Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education

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Assessment is a central feature of student learning in higher education and has a strong influence on the student experience. Accordingly, the appropriate communication of assessment aims is a priority for all higher education institutions. This study proposes an analytical framework for the interpretation and creation of assessments across higher education disciplines. The framework suggests that assessments can be categorised according to rhetorical purposes, formats, modes and group arrangements. Assessments from three degree programmes at one Australian university are analysed using the framework to show its usefulness in classifying and evaluating task components and generating broad images of degrees based on assessment regimes. We draw on these practical applications to explain and compare discipline-specific qualities of each degree, and argue that the framework might enhance the communication of assessment aims to benefit higher education stakeholders.

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“…This aligns with previously identified challenges of teaching Indigenous health (Jackson et al, Gair, 2016;McDermott & Sjoberg, 2012;Ranzijn et al, 2008;Ryder & Edmondson, 2015;Thackrah & Thompson, 2013;Virdun et al, 2013). In addition, even if individual teachers reflected deeply about transformative learning and sequenced their teaching and assessment tasks to scaffold student learning and they aligned their assessment tasks to closely align with and scaffold the learning goals, they may not have the time, the authority or the space within the curriculum to influence the dominant hegemony of a scientific based and biomedical learning focus (AIDA/MDANZ, 2012; Bearman et al, 2016;Brigg, 2016;Delany et al, 2016;Department of Health, 2016).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other studies have focused on factors influencing academics' capacity to undertake this necessary design work. Bearman et al, (2016) found the task of designing assessment was influenced by academics' personal beliefs about teaching and goals of learning. They also found the affordances and barriers provided by higher education institutions, including the explicit and implicit value given to a subject area within a disciplinary program and the influence of regulatory requirements from accreditation and competency standards, impacted on the capacity of academics to design and implement assessment tasks (Bearman et al, 2016;Bearman et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The requirement to examine the legacy of colonialism and white privilege can also make students feel uncomfortable (Riley et al, 2013;Williamson & Dalal, 2007). This learning context creates extra challenges beyond the normal factors (Bearman et al, 2016) impacting on academics who are responsible for designing and implementing assessment. Identifying how teachers navigate the teaching and assessment design work in the context of Indigenous health education in health profession programs of learning, provides potentially rich and valuable information about the intersection between higher education principles of assessment design and the realities of academics' experiences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring learning goals and assessment approaches for Indigenous health education: a qualitative study in Australia and New Zealand

et al. 2017

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In higher education, assessment is key to student learning. Assessments which promote critical thinking necessary for sustained learning beyond university are highly valued. However, the design of assessment tasks to achieve these types of thinking skills and dispositions to act in professional practice has received little attention. This research examines how academics design assessment to achieve these learning goals in Indigenous health education. Indigenous health education is an important area of learning for health practitioners to help address worldwide patterns of health inequities that exist for Indigenous people. We used a constructivist qualitative methodology to (i) explore learning goals and assessment strategies used in Indigenous health tertiary education and (ii) examine how they relate to higher education assessment ideals. Forty-one academics (from 9 health disciplines) involved in teaching Indigenous health content participated in a semistructured interview. Thematic analysis revealed learning goals to transform students' perspectives and capacities to think critically and creatively about their role in Indigenous Health. In contrast, assessment tasks encouraged more narrowly bounded thinking, to analyse information about historical and socio-cultural factors contributing to Indigenous health. To transform students to be critical health practitioners capable of working and collaborating with Indigenous people to advance their health and well-being, the findings suggest assessment may need to be nested across many aspects of the curriculum using a programmatic approach, and with a focus on learning to think and act for future practice. These findings accord with more recent calls for transformation of learning and assessment in health education.

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How university teachers design assessments: a cross-disciplinary study

Cited by 63 publications

References 17 publications

Developing student competence through peer assessment: the role of feedback, self-regulation and evaluative judgement

Developing student competence through peer assessment: the role of feedback, self-regulation and evaluative judgement

Elaborating a framework for communicating assessment aims in higher education

Exploring learning goals and assessment approaches for Indigenous health education: a qualitative study in Australia and New Zealand

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