Implementing first-year assessment principles: An analysis of selected scholarly literature

Abstract

Assessment plays an important role in students’ learning as students often frame their learning around their assessment tasks. Well-designed assessment can be used to facilitate first-year students making their social and academic transition to university. In 2009, Professor David Nicol prepared a framework for first-year assessment practices that included 12 principles. In this study, these principles were revisited and used to analyse papers from 2013 to 2016 in the journals: ‘Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education’, ‘The International Journal of First Year in Higher Education’ and ‘Student Success’. The purpose of the study was to determine how current literature addresses Nicol’s first-year assessment principles, whether there were any issues in implementing them and whether anything new is emerging in the field. Based on this analysis, proposals are made for modifying the principles and recommendations are made for future research.

Aboriginal knowledge, the history classroom and the Australian university

“…The next most common concern (52, 20%) was about being behind others in terms of pre-existing knowledge – 19 (7%) explained this was because they had not grown up or studied in Australia. These concerns relate equally to other first-year units, yet in HIST106 the anxiety about these perceived skills gaps is palpably elevated (Thomas, 2018). Some students were candid about the aspects of this subject that they found particularly confronting.…”

Student Responses to a Tough Early Assessment: A Useful “Kick up the Bum”?

“…A reasonable result in an early assignment can help to build students' understanding of course requirements (Boud & Associates, 2010;Hortsmanshof & Brownie, 2013) and build their confidence (Thomas et al, 2019). The first year experience literature strongly advocates a low-risk, early diagnostic assessment so that students who are at risk can be identified and offered extra support (Kift, 2009;Nicol, 2009;Thomas, 2018). Such early assessment, 'assessment for transition', also helps to actively engage students and 'kick-start their activity' (Taylor, 2008).…”

“…Failure to understand teachers' expectations has been identified as a key factor in first year attrition (Willcoxson, 2010), and hence easy early assessment tasks which do not make expectations clear may not be in the best interests of students. However, especially in elite universities that demand high university entrance scores, most first-year students have been used to achieving high grades at school, and the shock of receiving a fail grade (or near fail) could be demoralising (Thomas, 2018). This paper interrogates the assumption that an experience of failure, or near-failure, early in first year can contribute positively to students' commitment to study.…”