Find your way around e-assessment

1. Find your way around e-assessment Jo Smedley Joint Information Systems Committee Supporting education and research

2. Academy/JISC Collaboration • Background • Implementation partners of the HEFCE e-learning strategy. • Accessibility of e-learning resources/information in UK higher education institutions • Working with JISC Exec, JISC Services, JISC RSCs, the Academy, Subject Centres • Aims • Achieve effective inter-working and communication • Enable simplified access to Academy/JISC resources through either website • Strategic advice and guidance to JISC and the Academy to inform planning

3. Understanding Users:Academy/JISC Collaboration • JISC and the Higher Education Academy • a wealth of complementary expertise and resources • JISC • development programmes, tools, resources, content, repositories, research etc • advisory services • Academy • pedagogy, overarching L&T context, resources, professional development, research, staff development focus etc • discipline focus through subject centre network

4. Understanding Users:Institutional focus groups • Examples • What are the key drivers to use technology in assessment? • What challenges are there in using technology in assessment effectively? • What types of resources enable effective assessment? (and why?)

5. Outcomes from Collaboration Campaigns • Academy/JISC assessment campaign (Sept 07 – Jan 08) • Develop materials in assessment using appropriate blends of communication vehicles to engage different user groups in a variety of new directions • Examples: • subject-specific • engender deep learning • learning through assessment • tackling academic misconduct and plagiarism • specific institutional spaces for assessment • etc

6. Collaboration webpage on assessment

7. Collaboration webpage on assessment http://www.jisc.ac.uk/aboutus/partnerships/he_academy/assessment.aspx

8. Perceptions of existing Academy/JISC resources:Interim feedback • How do you normally find resources? Google! • Did you search for generic resources or those developed specifically for your discipline – what’s the rationale behind your approach? Discipline – assurance that resource works in my context • Did the search outcomes meet your expectations i.e. did you find what you were looking for? Yes and no, takes too long, need to see value ‘at a glance’ • How effective/useful do you think existing Academy/JISC resources are? Very – if know where and how to find them

9. Perceptions of existing Academy/JISC resources:Interim feedback • What additional support do you need? • materials/resources that: • have a subject-specific focus, • engender deep-learning, enhancing reflection and transferability of skills • provide examples of good practice for a range of staff experience • address academic misconduct and plagiarism • Reports on specialised topics e.g. evaluating effectiveness of different technologies, learning spaces • Educational development events and think-tanks • Support to keep up to date with evolving interoperability standards

10. Perceptions of existing Academy/JISC resources:Interim feedback • Raising awareness and communication vehicles • How do you prefer to receive information? News: email & mailing lists, general: webpages • What format do you prefer for resources/information? A blend e.g. paper, case studies, publications, effective practice guides, online tutorials, podcasts, videos, forums3

11. Other resources: Tangible Benefits of e-Learning • Publication • “….clear evidence of improved student retention as a result of the improved personalisation and mentoring opportunities afforded by e-learning applications such as e-portfolio systems” (P31). • Case Study: Wolverhampton (Health Sciences and Practice Subject Centre) on The use of e-portfolios to support nursing and midwifery •  “Versatility of this tool has provided multiple points of engagement by both staff and students and a personalisation of the learning opportunities…” • Briefing Paper • “Technology has enabled institutions to support additional student numbers and improved personalisation…” • http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible/tb-briefing-paper.pdf.  • http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/publications/camel-tangible-benefits.pdf • http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/case-studies/tangible

12. Other resources:physical and virtual spaces • Designing Spaces for Effective Learning (2006) • Introductory guide to designing technology-rich spaces • Case Studies (2007) • Five video case studies exploring the implementation of technology-based designs for individual spaces and whole campuses • Design and Management of Open-Plan Technology-Rich Learning and Teaching Spaces in Further and Higher Education in the UK (2007) • Report on the operation of open-plan spaces, with case studies and guidelines for senior managers • Planning & Designing Technology-Rich Learning Spaces (2007) • Applied infoKit following the life cycle of a project from vision to post occupancy, with an image gallery, virtual campus tour and links to related resources • Personalisation of space (Edge Hill Case Study) • Moving away from passive activity and embracing the agenda for personalisation in learning (Lewisham College) http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/infokits/learning-space-design

13. Other resources:student experiences • Focuses on the learner in a digital age • ….“Institutions and organisations should consider allowing learners to personalise their learning technologies when this has clear benefits”. • ….“Students clearly place greater value on technologies they have “discovered” or selected for themselves. Ownership, personalisation and appropriation of technologies is one of the overarching themes which emerge from the data” • Quote from LXP: Student Experiences of Technologies Final Report (Conole, et al, 2006) cited in In Their Own Words.  http://www.jiscinfonet.ac.uk/publications/in-their-own-words/

14. Further information • Academy • Sharon Waller: sharon.waller@heacademy.ac.uk • http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/learning/elearning/collaboration • JISC • Jo Smedley: j.smedley@jisc.ac.uk • http://www.jisc.ac.uk/aboutus/partnerships/he_academy.aspx