Closing the loop: identifying effective formative assessment practices in open and distance learning Stylianos Hatzipanagos King's College London

Project team Paul Black (King’s) Stylianos Hatzipanagos (King’s) Ana Lucena (IOE) Bob McCormick (OU) Steven Warburton (King’s)

Paul Black (King’s)

Stylianos Hatzipanagos (King’s)

Ana Lucena (IOE)

Bob McCormick (OU)

Steven Warburton (King’s)

Closing the loop: explored policy, teaching practices and tutor views in three Open and Distance Learning environments. investigated relationship between formative assessment and learning technologies

explored policy, teaching practices and tutor views in three Open and Distance Learning environments.

investigated relationship between formative assessment and learning technologies

Formative (FA) and summative (SA) assessment Formative or assessment for learning (Albon, 2003; Wiliam et al., 2004; Nicol & MacFarlane-Dick, 2004; Black, 2005) Duality “SA/FA” may not represent opposite poles of assessment (Hargreaves, 2005; Dylan, 2006) FA is SA with feedback, which can be used by the learner (Taras 2005) positive implications for student learning allows students to play a more active role in management of own learning (Nicol 1997)

Formative or assessment for learning

(Albon, 2003; Wiliam et al., 2004; Nicol & MacFarlane-Dick, 2004; Black, 2005)

Duality “SA/FA” may not represent opposite poles of assessment

(Hargreaves, 2005; Dylan, 2006)

FA is SA with feedback, which can be used by the learner (Taras 2005)

positive implications for student learning

allows students to play a more active role in management of own learning (Nicol 1997)

ODL ODL environments : necessity for FA practices. proactive in FA practices out of need to provide systematic feedback to students.

ODL environments :

necessity for FA practices.

proactive in FA practices out of need to provide systematic feedback to students.

FA and technologies learning technologies promote innovative assessment practices and lead to deeper thinking about how tutors conceptualise assessment in higher education (McCormick 2004). assessment practices have been supported by technology for many years. However… … .main focus on developing tools such as objective tests rather than addressing fundamental issues, such as how they can be used to support effective assessment approaches (Nicol and Milligan, 2006).

learning technologies promote innovative assessment practices and lead to deeper thinking about how tutors conceptualise assessment in higher education (McCormick 2004).

assessment practices have been supported by technology for many years. However…

… .main focus on developing tools such as objective tests rather than addressing fundamental issues, such as how they can be used to support effective assessment approaches (Nicol and Milligan, 2006).

Tutor engagement Disjunction between beliefs, ambitions and pragmatic approaches to the use of FA. Practitioners’ attitudes to FA context-dependent and sometimes discipline-oriented. Classification of approaches in two substantial groups and one smaller: The first two claimed that they were proponents of FA; they either used FA in their practices (group 1) or claimed that they did not, however they would consider it if pragmatic constraints allowed it (group 2) Third smaller group did not consider FA necessary for their context.

Disjunction between beliefs, ambitions and pragmatic approaches to the use of FA.

Practitioners’ attitudes to FA context-dependent and sometimes discipline-oriented.

Classification of approaches in two substantial groups and one smaller:

The first two claimed that they were proponents of FA;

they either used FA in their practices (group 1)

or claimed that they did not, however they would consider it if pragmatic constraints allowed it (group 2)

Third smaller group did not consider FA necessary for their context.

S ignificant number of tutors engaged in FA but not extensively in what we considered as FA. No tion of FA varied e.g. often was equated to ‘continuous assessment’. Formats of assessment have changed because of the possibilities new technologies can afford

S ignificant number of tutors engaged in FA but not extensively in what we considered as FA.

No tion of FA varied e.g. often was equated to ‘continuous assessment’.

Formats of assessment have changed because of the possibilities new technologies can afford

e-assessment: range of technologies Non-formative Objective tests (they ‘disagree’ with certain disciplines) Model answers received or revealed after students submit an answer, as non-personalised feedback Electronic submission of coursework Formative Communication tools in VLEs Online tutorials Games that allow monitoring and intervention Audio to canvas opinions/understanding of concepts/issues. Audio more meaningful conceptually than video Tools such as certainty based marking Videoconferencing Social software: Blogs e-portfolios

Non-formative

Objective tests (they ‘disagree’ with certain disciplines)

Model answers received or revealed after students submit an answer, as non-personalised feedback

Electronic submission of coursework

Formative

Communication tools in VLEs

Online tutorials

Games that allow monitoring and intervention

Audio to canvas opinions/understanding of concepts/issues. Audio more meaningful conceptually than video

Tools such as certainty based marking

Videoconferencing

Social software: Blogs

e-portfolios

Conclusions FA practices can be problematic in courses with emphasis on end of year assessments as the ‘closing the loop’ component of the assessment process very rarely takes place. FA can enrich e-learning approaches by making the feedback central to all assessment activities. e-assessment tools promote a dialogue in relation to feedback, peer and self assessment activities which by their nature place the student at the centre of the educational process.

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