Linking assessment to learning outcomes

1. Linking assessment to learning outcomes Cynthia Deane Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology 28 April 2008

2. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 2 Assessment “A way of finding out what our students know and can do” (UCC Portfolio, 2002) “Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences” (Huba and Freed, 2000)

3. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 3 Before we start What are your concerns about assessing learning outcomes? What challenges do you expect when you make changes in the assessment process? What do you want to achieve today? My task: to help you come up with a good assessment plan for your courses.

4. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 4 Some questions for today Why is assessment such a big issue in higher education at the moment? How best can balance assessment FOR learning with assessment OF learning (formative and summative purposes) How do we make sure assessment is fit for purpose? What assessment techniques can we use to measure different types of learning outcomes?

5. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 5 More questions Where can we start if we want to improve the alignment between assessment and learning outcomes? How can we improve exams so that they test higher order skills? How can we make assessment criteria more explicit?

6. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 6 Later today… “Interrogating” your assessment to check whether it follows good practice guidelines Identifying any changes needed to assessment Practice in linking assessment with learning outcomes Anything else to include?

7. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 7 Trends in assessment Traditional Examinations Lecturer-led Implicit criteria Product assessment Content Decontextualised Convergent Individual Changing approaches Course work Student-led Explicit criteria Process assessment Skills Contextualised Divergent Group Brown and Biggs

8. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 8 Assessment IS a big issue Context Curriculum philosophy Qualifications frameworks Institutional policy/practice Subject/discipline Course/module Learners Influences Education theory National, international, Bologna Quality assurance, T&L strategy Professional bodies Validation – HETAC Diverse profiles

9. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 9 Purposes of assessment Educational: feedback, diagnosis, motivation, guidance, learning support “Assessment FOR learning” (formative) Managerial: selection, grading, certification, progression, professional recognition, “gate-keeping” “Assessment OF learning” (summative)

10. 17/07/2012 Options Consulting 10