VICE PHEC Education Research Conference Presentation. Durham University August 28-29th 2014.

1. Students as Creators: Alternative
Assessments For Learning.
Dr. Barry Ryan.
College of Sciences and Health,
Dublin Institute of Technology.

2. An age old question?
The Chicken or the Egg?
Assessments….
…..of learning?
……for learning?
Image attribution Judy Inky
Students….
…..knowledge consumers?
…..knowledge creators?

3. Students: Creators vs Consumers.
Consuming knowledge
Image attribution Halmeoni
Creating knowledge
Image attribution Geralt

4. Students: Creators vs Consumers.
Biggs (2003):
“Learning cannot be transmitted by direct
instruction, but is created by the students
learning activities”.
Neary (2009):
“Real Life, Complex and Unstructured
research-like activities”.

5. Students as Creators:
Multi-Level Approach.
Image attribution: http://www.sohood.com
Why are computer games so popular:
• Challenging, but achievable with practice
• Incrementally harder with each level
• Rewarding upon completion

6. Students as Creators.
Level One: Digital Citizens
Engaging and interacting during class;
collaborating and communicating outside
class
Movement Making Serious Play

7. Students as Creators.
Level Two: Science Communication
Biochemistry videos communicating
complex content in an engaging and
understandable way.

8. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Assessment for Learning Environment

9. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Assessment for Learning Timeline and Logistics

10. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Opportunities for Learning during assessment

11. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Project Analysis and Evaluation
Ethically sourced data.
Constant Comparison Method* Analysis.
*Strauss, A.L. and Corbin, J. (1990). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. (2nd Ed). Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage.

12. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Project Analysis and Evaluation: Key Themes
Emotions of
Learning
Active
Learning
Group
Based
Learning
Reflection
Technology
Enhanced
Learning

13. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Key Theme: Emotions of Learning
Most perceived learning took place when
students were happiest.

14. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Key Theme: Active Learning

15. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Key Theme: Technology Enhanced Learning
Digital Natives, Digital Migrants, Digitally
Aware?

16. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Key Theme: Group Based Learning
Project was too big
to complete alone.
Positive View No Conflict
“I liked this assessment, it didn’t feel like an assessment; but I still
learnt lots, had some fun and made new friends in my class”

17. Example Level Two: Science Communication
Key Theme: Reflection
“It gave me a chance to look back at what, why and how I learnt”.
Image attribution: 8300 Pixabay
“This assignment challenged me but made me realise my capabilities
went, and can go, much futher”.

18. Students as Creators.
Level Three: Authentic Learning
Advanced topic, assessment student specific
and student centred.
Peer Learning Reflective
Writing
Student
designed
assessment

19. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Helen Keegan (University of Salford): Alternative-Reality Game-based Learning
Tina Overton (University of Hull): Dynamic Problem Based Learning
Image attribution: Nemo and Openclips: Pixabay

20. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Authentic Learning: Real Life Scenarios
Friday
(PM)
Friday
(AM)
• Present ideas to peers
• Discuss choices
• Constructive criticism
• Plan for next stage
• Digest memo
• Align to previous memos
• Identify tasks
• Allocate tasks and plan
• Logistics and timelines
• Individual research
• Group meetings
• Adapt to add-on memo

21. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Authentic Learning: Real Life Scenarios
• Memo One: Form group + review current research areas
• Memo Two: Prepare presentation on new target product
• Memo Three: Develop digital portfolio to document development
• Memo Four: Prototype logistics for small scale production
• Memo Five: Annotated review of process related publication
• Memo Six: Market comparison and patent database review
• Memo Seven: Science communication for product marketing
Image attribution: Openclips Pixabay

22. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Idea development, production process creation and communication

23. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Peer Interaction and Peer Assisted Learning
Peer Feedback:
‘Two Stars and a Wish’
PAL: Student designed learning activities

24. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Project Analysis and Evaluation: Key Themes
Responsibility
Group Based
Learning
Industrially
Relevant
Learning
Reflection
Personal
Development

25. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Key Themes: Reflection and Responsibility
Reflection
“I now realise that working as a group forced
me to acknowledge one of my own (big)
personal flaws; I am a control freak!”
Responsibility
“This assignment offered a lot of freedom,
encouraging us to think outside the box, and
to not rely on stagnant SOPs or templates”
“I feel that I took the reins in this particular
aspect of the project”
Image attribution: 8300 Pixabay

26. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Key Theme: Personal Development
Personal Development
“I believe I benefited greatly from this
assignment. Although at times, I felt
overwhelmed, I do feel it’s one of those
rare occasions that I have developed both
academically as well as personally”. Image attribution: PublicDomainPictures Pixabay
Group Based Learning
“I really enjoyed the team meetings.
Hearing other group members give their
ideas, taking them in and giving my opinion
was what I found to be the real highlight of
the project”. Image attribution: PublicDomainPictures Pixabay

27. Example Level Three: Scenario Based Learning
Key Theme: Responsibility
Industrially Relevent Learning
“I found the scenario based learning a
very effective way to learn, as making
presentations, discussing choices and
having to back up points was very
similar to work I did on work placement.
It’s a very industry style approach to
learning and collaborating information”. Image attribution: TPSDave Pixabay

28. Students as Change Agents.
Level Four: Designers and Developers of the Curriculum:
• Example: Laboratory redesign to incorporate PBL and evaluation.

29. Students as Change Agents.
Laboratory redesign to incorporate PBL and evaluate.
Brief:
Introduce a more student centred
approach to first year UG labs.
Change Agent:
Evaluate the common methods employed to ‘activate’ students
Rationalise and develop a suitable approach for TFCH1003
Trial and Evaluate
Recommendations and integration.

30. Students as Change Agents.
Laboratory redesign to incorporate PBL and evaluate.
Remove ‘cook-book’ nature of labs
Method:
Develop a POGIL* approach to labs
*Process Orientated Guided Inquiry Learning
Result:
Evolution of a traditional lab into a PBL/POGIL lab.
1. Initial workshop to introduce concept
2. Memos to drive inquiry and guide student learning
3. Student driven lab and evaluation

31. Students as Change Agents.
Laboratory redesign to incorporate PBL and evaluate.
Evaluation
Ethically collected data via survey
and focus groups. Image attribution Geralt
Conclusions:
• Initially struggled with ‘lack of structure’
• Improved ‘perceived’ learning
• Something different or real alternative?
• Bias (Moderator Acceptance) and Scaleability

32. Students as Creators.
To effectively create, or re-design, as part of an assessment a
student must:
• Analyse and synthesize several multimodal sources
on the subject content.
• Brainstorm, conceptualize, create, implement and
evaluate their idea(s).
• Reflect and refine not only their design, but also
their understanding.
Are these not some of the key skills we want every student to develop in
every module?

33. Students as Creators: Alternative
Assessments For Learning.
Finally, another age old analogy….
Image attribution Eric Wongmama
Is incorporating an assessment
for learning approach a….
Sprint
or a
Marathon?
‘The longest journey starts with a single step’ -Lao-tzu
of for
Consumers Creators Peer Assisted Change Agents

34. Students as Creators: Alternative
Assessments For Learning.
Thanks and acknowledgements:
Liam Reid (DT422 Pharmaceutical Healthcare Graduate, 2013).
All the staff and students based at DITs Cathal Brugha St campus.
The support and guidance from the Learning, Teaching and
Technology Centre, Mount St, DIT.
Image attribution Nemo
Comment, Questions, Collaborations?