The Viewpoints Project provides tools to support effective assessment and feedback through reflective workshops. [1] The workshops use principles of best practice mapped to a learner timeline to help staff design curriculum. [2] Typical workshops involve sorting assessment and feedback cards, mapping principles to objectives on the timeline, and reflecting on implementation ideas. [3] Evaluations found the approach facilitated discussion, built effective teams, and helped design engaging curriculum.

1. Tools to support effective
assessment and feedback; the
Viewpoints Project Approach
Dr Alan Masson and Catherine O’Donnell
Viewpoints Project, University of Ulster
11th May 2012

2. Overview
• Introduction and background context to the Viewpoints project
• Viewpoints framework and themes overview
• Typical walkthrough of the Assessment and Feedback workshop approach
• Role of the principles in the workshop process
• Some hands-on activities
• Brief sharing of experiences and evaluation findings from Viewpoints
• Questions and close

3. Introduction and background context

4. Viewpoints Project Overview
1. Viewpoints is a JISC-funded institutional curriculum
design project.
2. Its remit is to create a user-friendly reflective workshop
to promote and enhance effective curriculum design.
3. The tools use a learner timeline with established
principles of best practice to help staff consider areas
such as:
• Assessment and Feedback (REAP)
• Information Skills (SCONUL Pillars)
• Student Interactions (8 Learning Event Model)

5. Viewpoints Project – Ulster context
 University introduced a new T&L strategy
Streamlined curriculum approval processes
Identified needs for curriculum innovation
 Viewpoints Project provided an opportunity to promote
innovation and reflection in the curriculum design process
 Project outputs are now institutionally embedded and
aligned

6. Assessment and Feedback at Ulster
• The University has recently adopted
a set of Principles for Assessment
and Feedback for Learning
(
http://ee.ulster.ac.uk/assessment_and_feedback/
)
• The Viewpoints project has
supported the development and
implementation of these Principles

7. Viewpoints framework and themes
overview

8. Viewpoints 3 Part Framework
• Inform, inspire and plan.
• There are benefits for
- Curriculum development.
- Course teams.
- Learners.
• 3 themes
- Assessment and feedback.
- Information skills.
- Learner engagement.
• 2 views
- Course and module.

9. Assessment and Feedback Theme
REAP (http://www.reap.ac.uk/)
1. Clarify good performance.
2. Encourage time and effort on task.
3. Deliver high quality feedback.
4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback.
5. Encourage interaction and dialogue.
6. Develop self-assessment and reflection.
7. Give assessment choice.
8. Encourage positive motivational beliefs.
9. Inform and shape your teaching.
*Implementation ideas for each principle on back of cards.

10. Learner Engagement Theme
The principles of learner engagement are based upon the
8 Learning Events Model developed by LabSET, University of Liège, Belgium.
1. Receive.
2. Create.
3. Debate.
4. Explore.
5. Imitate.
6. Experiment.
7. Practice.
8. Meta-Learn.
*Implementation ideas for each principle
on back of cards.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/viewpointsproject/

11. Information Skills Theme
SCONUL 7 Pillars (http://www.sconul.ac.uk)
1. Define the task and understand the topic.
2. Identify appropriate resources.
3. Search effectively.
4. Find and extract information.
5. Compare and analyse information.
6. Organise and share information ethically.
7. Interpret information and create new
content.
*Implementation ideas for each principle on back of cards.

12. Typical walkthrough of
the Assessment and Feedback
workshop approach

13. Learner timeline worksheet & resources

14. Discussing the objective
 The team agree the objective for their session and
write it at the top of the module worksheet.

15. Reading the front of the cards
 The team read the principles on the front of the
cards, choosing ones appropriate to their objective.

16. Mapping the cards to the learner timeline
 The team take their selected cards and map them to the
appropriate point on the timeline (e.g. at the induction
phase, during first few weeks of course)

17. Reading examples on cards
 The course team turn the cards over and read the
examples/ideas on the back.

18. Choosing relevant examples
 The team select any
examples that would fit with
their course objective and
their teaching practice.

19. Adding in own ideas/comments
 The team write on any of their own ideas or comments,
in order to tailor the examples to their own module.

20. Sample finished worksheets

21. Photos

22. Typed up
worksheets

23. Task 1
Choose 2 assessment and feedback principles that might help
you consider the following objective/challenge.
1. Clarify good performance.
2. Encourage time and effort on task.
3. Deliver high quality feedback.
4. Provide opportunities to act on feedback.
5. Encourage interaction and dialogue.
Objective:
Support Year 1 students’ transition to Higher Education.
Challenge:
Develop an assessment and feedback that provides a supportive learning
environment for students in their transition to Higher Education.

24. Task 2
Vote for your first preference principle, the principle you feel will most
help you achieve the objective/challenge.
3. Clarify good performance.
4. Encourage time and effort on task.
5. Deliver high quality feedback.
6. Provide opportunities to act on feedback.
7. Encourage interaction and dialogue.

25. Task 3
Consider then vote where on the learner timeline this principle could
have most benefit
7. Induction
8. First few weeks
9. Mid semester
10.Final phase
Think about implementation ideas that could have the most benefit
across the learner timeline.

26. Task 4: Using Viewpoints in your project
These are the aspects in full: -
Flexibility - flexibility of the
approach used
Exploration - exploration of
creative ideas
Learner Centred -
considering the learners
experience/learner centred
approach
Environment - provision of
an open and honest
environment within which the
group could engage
Plans/Models - creation of
simple models/structure clear
and sensible plans
Reflection - reflection on at
least one aspect of curriculum
design
Principles - being able to
(confidently) discuss an aspect
of curriculum design with the
knowledge of using sound
principles
Teamwork – being able to
work effectively as a member
of the group
Creativity - new term for task

27. Task 5:
Using the text box type one benefit the Viewpoints approach /
resources could have your
*Course/subject
*Learner
*You

28. Role of the principles in the workshop
process

29. Inform – Inspire - Plan

30. Viewpoints process overview
 Card sorting / storyboarding metaphor
 Timeline and “challenge” provides context for
workshop
 Phases of workshop introduce more complex
“questions” - role of principles as prompts shifts
through these phases

31. Principles
 Provide framework to describe key learner
“interactions” (focus)
 Too many or too few may stifle reflection and
debate
 Relate to the learner experience
 Action based (verb-like)
More consistent meaning v conceptual entities
(i.e. lecture)
Defers decisions about “how” to later

32. Role of Viewpoints principles
 Provide palette of verb like entities with shared
meanings
These principles provide structured prompts:
 individual and group reflection;
 Discussion and debate;
 Introduce possible ideas for consideration;
 Provide things to prioritise / position / action;
 Personal annotation and use as basis of a plan

33. Brief sharing of experiences and
evaluation findings from Viewpoints
Project.

34. Shared meanings and priorities

35. Interactive and engaging

36. Facilitated discussions

37. Informative and supporting

38. Helps build effective teams

39. www.wordle.net

40. www.wordle.net

41. Some Quotes
“Thought provoking.”
“Good to see the plan in front of you.”
“Short sessions exploring ideas - very useful.”
“Enjoyed it – not too time-consuming and time used very well.”
“Good material supplied to encourage wider consideration.”
"Got the team to brainstorm about the way forward in relation
to creativity.”
“Better face to face interaction with course team.”

42. Some Quotes
“Easy tool – visually descriptive, illustrative”
“…Resources excellent prompts”
“Suggestion cards act as a good prompt”
“Cards aided formulation of ideas”
“Accessible and easy to use. Comprehensive
and guiding.”
“Look at the holistic approach.”
“Group participation/engagement on ideas”
“Being given the time to reflect.”
“Useful prompts and discussion.”

43. Questions and close (10 minutes)

44. Further information
Viewpoints project blog: http://viewpoints.ulster.ac.uk
Viewpoints resources site: http://viewpoints.ulster.ac.uk/resources
Dr Alan Masson, Project Director - aj.masson@ulster.ac.uk
Catherine O’Donnell, Academic E-Learning Consultant - c.odonnell@ulster.ac.uk
Dr Vilinda Ross, Research Fellow - v.ross@ulster.ac.uk