Understanding our understanding of assessment in HE

Author(s):

Maddalena Taras(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2011

Network:

22. Research in Higher Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

22 SES 01 B, Teaching, Learning and Assessment in Higher Education

Paper Session

Time:

2011-09-13

13:15-14:45

Room:

L 202,1 FL., 37

Chair:

Monne Wihlborg

Contribution

Background

Assessment is central to education for both accreditation and to support learning. As such it has a critical impact on the student experience and how they focus their learning, and on staff and how they organise the curriculum. The literature on assessment does not provide a coordinated understanding of definitions, terminologies and relationships between them. This situation exists both within and across education sectors (Black and Wiliam 2009; Havnes and McDowell 2008, Stobart 2008, Taras 2008) and despite the common use of assessment theories by Scriven (1967), Ramaprasad (1983), and Sadler (1989).

This paper reports an empirical small-scale study of lecturers at an English university to examine and evaluate their understanding of the terminologies of assessment and the relationships between them: more specifically it focused on clarifying their understanding of definition, which tasks related to these definitions, the functions and processes of assessment and how they interrelate.

Due to the inconsistencies in the literature, the research posits that these lecturers will reflect the representations in the literature and therefore have an incomplete and un-harmonious understanding of assessment terms and how they relate and interrelate.

Method

A questionnaire of 44 items was developed which would collect both qualitative and quantitative data on lecturers’ understanding of assessment terminologies, processes, functions, feedback issues and the roles these processes have in helping students, supporting validation and accreditation and how they used these assessment processes, for example formative assessment and self-assessment. The research collection instrument had both yes – no responses and fully articulated definitions and explanations. Subsequent to a pilot study to test the instrument, the responses and the data was collected from 50 lecturers.

Expected Outcomes

Evaluation of the results indicates that lecturers were not clear on their understanding of for example, summative, formative and self-assessment, nor were they clear or consistent when reporting on the relationship between them. As regards functions of assessment (the central distinguishing feature between summative and formative assessment by Black et al 2003), these are also unclear in lecturers’ minds. In addition, feedback, which is the distinguishing feature of most definitions of formative assessment (Sadler 1989, Black and Wiliam 1998, Stobart 2008), is not seen as such for most lecturers. On the positive side, the data show extensive use of formative assessment by the tutors, mainly in the classroom but also a substantial amount in the form of homework. This shows a clear focus on wishing to promote assessment to support learning. This is also evident since student self-assessment is relatively widespread and it is used more frequently as a formative assessment exercise than a summative assessment one.

References

Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (2006) Developing a theory of formative assessment, in: Gardner J. (Ed.) Assessment and learning (London, Sage). Black, P. & Wiliam, D. (2009) Developing the theory of formative assessment Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5-31. Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B. and Wiliam, D. (2003) Assessment for learning. Putting it into practice Maidenhead: Open University Press Black, P. and Wiliam, D. (1998) Assessment and Classroom Learning Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy and Practice 5(1) 7-74 Broadfoot, P. and Black, P. (2004) Redefining assessment? The first ten years of Assessment in Education, Assessment in Education, 11(1) pp. 7-27. Boud, D.J. (1995) Enhancing learning through self assessment London: Kogan Page Cowan, J. (2006) On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher Reflection in Action (Second Edition) Oxford University Press Havnes, A. & McDowell, L. (Eds) (2008) Balancing Dilemmas in Assessment and Learning in Contemporary Education New York/London: Routledge pp213-224. Sadler, D. R. (1989) Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18, 145-165. Stobart, G. (2008) Testing times: The uses and abuses of assessment, New York/London: Routledge. Taras, M. (2008) Assessment: sectarian divisions of terminology and concepts Journal of Further and Higher Education Nov 32(4) 389-397. Wiliam, D., Lee, C., Harrison, C. and Black, P. (2004) Teachers developing assessment for learning: impact on student achievement, Assessment in Education, 11(1), 49-80. Tight, M. (2004) Research into higher education: an a-theoretical community of practice? Higher Education Research and Development, 23(4) pp395-411. Wiliam, D. (2007) Keeping learning on track: classroom assessment and the regulation of learning. pp.1053-1058 in F.K.Lester, (ed.) Second handbook of mathematics teaching and learning. Greenwich CT: Information Age Publishng

Author Information

Maddalena Taras (presenting / submitting)

University of Sunderland

Education

Sunderland

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