Engaging our diverse students using assessment as learning: presentations, role play and a mobile application

1. Engaging our diverse students using assessment as learning: presentations, role play and a mobile application Peter Chalk, Dr Yanguo Jing (FoC), Peter Hodges, Mazin Alabdulbaqi, (BSc Computer Science) and Fraser Hardy (MSc Mobile Computing) London Metropolitan University Learning & Teaching Conference, 28.6.11

2. Aims & content of talk L&T activities: presentation, role play, interview, viva , crit, performance, seminar contribution etc How practised, described and theorised assessment-as-learning simulated situated learning Example criteria, grading & feedback sheets Student experience Mobile app PGFT = Presentation Grading & Feedback Tool - http://goo.gl/UyFPM - pin number = 99

3. Assessment as learning “The ultimate goal in assessment as learning is for students to acquire the skills and the habits of mind to be metacognitively aware with increasing independence. Assessment as learning focusses on the explicit fostering of students’ capacity over time to be their own best assessors, but teachers need to start by presenting and modelling external, structured opportunities for students to assess themselves.” (Manitoba, 2006)

4. Situated learning “(1) learning is grounded in the actions of everyday situations; (2) knowledge is acquired situationally and transfers only to similar situations; (3) learning is the result of a social process encompassing ways of thinking, perceiving, problem solving, and interacting in addition to declarative and procedural knowledge; and (4) learning is not separated from the world of action but exists in robust, complex, social environments made up of actors, actions, and situations.” [Anderson, Reder, and Simon 1996; Wilson 1993 cited in http://www.games-ed.co.uk/resources/Games-Based-Situated-Learning-v1.pdf]

5. Jenny Moon - Assessing Oral Presentations “One of the features of an oral presentation is that it does not leave a record. Unless the presentation is recorded, there is no chance for discussion of a disputed mark. For this reason, the assessment procedure must be simple so that the assessor can use it easily and fairly from the beginning. This in turn implies that the assessment should operate on the basis of very few assessment criteria – in effect those that the assessor can hold in mind during the presentation.” (Moon, undated, my emphasis)

6. Essex University Guidance 1 http://www.essex.ac.uk/assessment/oral%20assessment_criteria.htm “Criteria typically focus on both the content of the presentation and the delivery broken down into categories such as: Knowledge of subject material Ability to answer/respond to questions Structure of presentation Use of audio/visual material Pace and timing Delivery style” [Thanks to Digby for sources]

7. Essex 2 - criteria for seminar contribution Punctual; Attentive presence Completion of set reading Appropriate contribution to seminar discussion Ability to work in a group (listening, responding, collaborating with others) Implied matrix marking system (?): Excellent (5); Good (4); Competent/ Acceptable (3); Poor (2); Fail/ Very poor (1); No participation (0)

8. Some London Met Examples Responses to email to staff known to be using presentations for assessment, including work placements (2nd author) study skills (1st author & 1st two student authors) FDSc C level ‘Business Practices’ module Check List BSc H Level ‘Current Developments’ presentation

9. Work placement (H Level module) presentation (in outline) ‘Tick the box (Very good 70%+... Very poor, 40%-) for each of the following: Structure & flow Visual Aids Language – clarity and level for audience Content – understanding of company/ tasks Reference to learning outcomes & capabilities Self-presentation, eg eye-contact Handling questions Comments......