USW, CELT Seminar introducing the A4L policy

1. © University of South Wales
Assessment FOR
Learning:
Assessment Policy and
Procedures
CELT Seminar
Treforest, 22 April 2016

2. © University of South Wales
Richard Oelmann
• Centre for Excellence in Learning and
Teaching
• Senior Learning Technologist
• Previously – taught on Primary Initial
Teacher Training
• Previously – Deputy Head Teacher

3. © University of South Wales
Seminar Summary
This seminar reviews the key elements of the University’s
New Assessment FOR Learning policy and the way
academics can use it to develop their own assessment
approaches.
The session focuses on the USW approach to Assessment
FOR Learning, including an outline of the key principles of
assessment and the USW requirements around the
assessment life-cycle and assessment that is fit for purpose
in a disciplinary context.
The seminar will include opportunity for you to share your
practice as well as learn from fellow academics they ways
they have addressed the University’s expectations.

4. © University of South Wales
What is assessment?
“In higher education, ‘assessment’
describes any processes that appraise an
individual’s knowledge, understanding,
abilities or skills.”
(QAA UK Quality Code for Higher Education, Chapter
B6: Assessment of students and accreditation of prior
learning, 2011, p.1)

5. © University of South Wales
What is Assessment for
Learning?
Assessment for Learning focuses on the learning
process and is conducted during normal teaching
sessions.
It allows students to work with tutors to identify
learning objectives and enables feedback to
improve the learning.

6. © University of South Wales
Assessment FOR
Learning
• Authentic assessment – engaging, meaningful
assessment tasks
• Students developing as learners – effective
attributes and skills to self-assess and evaluate their
own learning
• Informal feedback – e.g. in-class group
discussions, peer review
• Formal feedback – range of forms of feedback,
used at a number of stages
• Practice, rehearsal – opportunities to learn practice
• Formative and summative – appropriate balancing
of these two types of assessment
(Sambell et al 2013)

7. © University of South Wales
Constructive Alignment
All components of the Learning Environment
support each other
(Biggs 1999)
Assessments
Teaching and
Learning
Activities
Learning
Objectives

8. © University of South Wales
Why do we assess our
students?

9. © University of South Wales
USW Principles of
assessment
• Drives effective learning
• Fit for purpose
• Clear and timely
• Active dialogue between staff and students
• Seamless engagement
• Feedback – integrated, timely, feedforward
• Balanced and achievable timeframes
• Variety
• Reliable and trusted
• Secure
●
Minimises opportunities for malpractice
●
Real life briefs and simulations

10. © University of South Wales
Requirement 1
• Learner centred
• Measure evidence of achievement
• Challenged to apply and use knowledge,
rather than to restate facts
• Assessments should test what is intended
to be tested.
• Shared view between staff and students
• Assessment Dialogue and Assessment
Approval events in June
• Adhere to Assessment Tariff

11. © University of South Wales
Requirement 2
• Assessment Dialogue
 take a holistic view and review the assessment
approach across the course to align it to the principles of
Assessment for Learning.
• Assessment Approval
 confirm the assessment briefs, hand in and return by
dates for the next year, prior to the publication of the
assessment to students

12. © University of South Wales
Assessment Dialogue
and Approval

13. © University of South Wales
Requirement 3
●
Published to students
●
after the Assessment Approval Event,
●
at the start of their module and
●
are made available on the University Online
Learning Environment.
●
Variations
●
must be compelling eg consideration of current
cases or problems and
●
must be approved by the Academic Manager.

14. © University of South Wales
Requirement 4
●
Course Handbooks
●
are completed to the approved University
template and
●
include an assessment schedule for all
modules,
●
hand in and return by dates clearly
published
●
1st
September

15. © University of South Wales
Requirement 5
• That all modules include elements of
formative assessment
• Those elements are made clear to
students within the Module Guide.
• Approved assessment briefs should
include details of formative assessment
opportunities and embed formative
feedback as well as summative feedback.

16. © University of South Wales
Requirement 6
• That all modules make clear through
dialogue with students the standards
expected of assessment on the module eg.
●
peer review of work
●
review of previous work.
• Module tutors are required to have a
dialogue with students that embed a
common understanding of standards prior
to summative assessment being
submitted.

17. © University of South Wales
Requirement 7
• That all summative feedback is returned
to students within 20 working days.

18. © University of South Wales
Requirement 8
• Standardisation and Moderation of Marks Procedure
●
assessment boards
●
external examiners

19. © University of South Wales
Requirement 9
• Submission and Receipt of Assessment
●
monitored by Academic Managers

20. © University of South Wales
Requirement 10
• Extenuating Circumstance Regulations
●
Assessment,
●
Late submission and
●
Extenuating circumstances.

21. © University of South Wales
Requirement 12
• All appropriate text based assessments
should be submitted via plagiarism
detection software.

22. © University of South Wales
Requirement 13
• That courses run in-line with the
expectations of the Academic Blueprint,
including Immersive Learning with
summative feedback within the first six
weeks.
• Where relevant, external experts should
be involved in discussion about
assessment and industry expectations as
part of a professional dialogue about
standards.

23. © University of South Wales
Performance indicators
Assessment designed to these principles
should facilitate the following:
1. Better motivated and engaged students
2. Increased progression and student
success
3. Better student outcomes on modules
4. Increased confidence from learners in
the USW assessment regime

24. © University of South Wales
As a result the key measures that will be
used to assess our performance will be:
1. Module and course performance data –
student outcomes (e.g. pass rates),
progression and retention rates
2. Module and course evaluation that
provides feedback on the quality of the
assessment regime
Performance indicators

25. © University of South Wales
Discussion:
Assessment for Learning
in Practice
By Felix Ling [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) or CC BY 2.0
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons