Title: Jeremy Hall
1An Exploration of Assessment Practices at Cardiff
Universitys Schools of Engineering, Psychology
and the Centre for Lifelong Learning
- Jeremy Hall
- Nicholas Jones
- Wouter Poortinga
2Key Questions
- What does the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
Education (QAA) say about the breadth of
assessment of our subject areas? - How is this being met in our own schools
course/programme design?
3QAA Benchmark Statement for Music Assessment
- Music programmes have assessment strategies which
reflect the variety of abilities and skills
developed within diverse curricula, and which
enable students to demonstrate progressive levels
of attainment. A variety of methods is desirable,
involving both formative and summative
assessment. - http//www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/benchm
ark/honours/music.asp
4Lee Dunn Selecting Methods of Assessment (2002)
- When choosing assessment items, we tend to stay
with the known or the 'tried and true methods',
because they seem to have the ring of academic
respectability, or possibly because it was the
way we were assessed as undergraduates ourselves.
From learners' perspectives, however, it often
seems as if we are turning them into 'essay
producing machines' or 'examination junkies'.
When choosing methods it is important to offer
variety to learners in the way they demonstrate
their learning, and to help them to develop a
well-rounded set of abilities. - http//www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/2_learntch/
briefing_papers/methods_assessment.pdf
5Cardiff University Assessment Strategy
- Assessment is at the heart of the student
experience it shapes the curriculum and helps
define what is important for students. Assessment
is thus an integral part of all learning and
teaching activities. The Cardiff University
Assessment Strategy is the vehicle through which
enhancement of assessment will be achieved. The
Strategy is based on the three principles that
underpin practice at University, School,
programme, and unit of study level. The
principles of assessment are that it will be
valid, reliable and explicit. - www.cardiff.ac.uk/learning/wp-content/uploads/2009
/08/Assessment-Strategy-final.pdf
6Music Modules within LEARNs Humanities
Programme Embedding Assessment
Course Diary (or Learning Log) Listening Journal Short Class Exercises These are designed to develop relevant skills and count for part of the assessment Short Homework Exercises review of an article, CD recording, or a concert annotated bibliography essay plan questionnaire programme / CD liner note Oral Presentations Practical Performances
7QAA Benchmark Statement for Psychology Assessment
- The choice of assessment methods should be
clearly related to the learning objectives.
Assessment methods may include formal
examinations, multiple-choice tests, assessed
essays, practical reports, other reports,
information technology use, case-studies,
portfolios, dissertations and formal assessment
of performance in oral presentations and debates,
including seminar and individual presentation. - To ensure that the full range of skills being
developed () a diversity of assessment methods
is encouraged.
8Benchmark Standards Psychology
- A typical honours degree psychology graduate
should have obtained - subject knowledge and understanding
- E.g. subject specific knowledge/ scientific
underpinnings of psychology - subject specific skills
- Use statistical methods
- generic skills, with a particular emphasis on
independent empirical research - E.g. communicating ideas, computer literacy,
scientific reasoning, presentation skills
9Assessment in School of Psychology
- Does breadth of assessment cover the benchmark
standards (i.e. overall learning outcomes)?
10Conclusion Psychology
- The assessment practices at the School of
Psychology are diverse and broadly reflect the
benchmarks of knowledge and skills that a typical
single honours psychology student is expected to
have acquired upon graduation. - However, main focus is on traditional written
examination. - Incorporating assessment methods for more generic
academic skills? - E.g. performance in oral presentations and
debates, including seminar and individual
presentations.
11QAA Benchmark Statement for Engineering
curriculum
- Teaching, learning assessment
- There should be a holistic approach to the
design of the curriculum. - The methods of teaching, learning and assessment
should be constructed so that the learning
activities and assessment tasks are aligned with
the learning outcomes that are intended in the
programme
12QAA Benchmark Statement for Engineering
curriculum
- Teaching, learning assessment
- Existing engineering programmes have been
developed over many years and deploy a diverse
range of learning, teaching and assessment
methods to enhance and reinforce the student
learning experience. This diversity of practice
is a strength of the discipline. - Whichever methods are employed, strategies for
teaching, learning and assessment should deliver
opportunities for the achievement of the learning
outcomes, demonstrate their attainment and
recognise the range of student backgrounds.
13QAA Benchmark Statement for Engineering
assessment
- Assessment
- Assessment is the means by which students are
measured against benchmark criteria and should
also form a constructive part of the learning
process. There should be a programme level
approach to assessment that ensures output
standards are met.
14Assessment Method BEng EEE Total Marks Total Marks Total Marks Total for 3 years Total for 3 years
Assessment Method BEng EEE Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Total Marks
Unseen exams (Exam / class test) 860 90 853 72 730 0 2605 73.3
Lab exams
Oral exams
Open-book exams
Synoptic exam
Multiple-choice test
Problem solving exercises (example classes) 60 60 1.7
Essay assignments 10 10 0.3
Other types of extended writing 65 65 1.8
Oral presentations 30 30 0.8
Student-led seminars/discussions
Design tasks 35 35 1.0
Computer-based exercises 40 40 80 2.6
Lab reports 65 115 80 260 7.3
Simulation exercises
Work placement reports
Learning logs/diaries Learning portfolios 50 30 20 100 2.8
Exhibition/poster displays
Group projects
Independent projects (30 credit module) 100 x 3 300 8.4
Misc. 10 10 0.3
TOTALS 3555 100
15Overall Conclusion
- All three QAA subject Benchmark Statements
recommends that assessment methods should be
diverse. - However, it is noteworthy that diversity is
somewhat neglected in the Cardiff University
Assessment Strategy. - The Strategy was approved by Senate in November
2005. We would suggest that diversity of
assessment methods is a topic that should be
addressed more robustly and explicitly in the
next update of the document.