Presenter: Chris Moore Organisation: University of the West of England Description: Authentic assessment has the potential to be very valuable, allowing for much more complex analysis of the students’ performance than traditional de-contextualised assessments. On the other hand, online examinations under controlled conditions can be unviable for large student cohorts due to pressures on the real estate of the institution. This session will showcase a number of innovative initiatives that are enabling us to create sustainable authentic assessments and very flexible online examinations. We will bring a number of mobile devices to the session, so that attendees will have the opportunity to experience first-hand the solutions we have developed, actively participating during the session.

1. Unlocking the potential of authentic
assessment and leveraging the
investments in learning technology
infrastructure
Dr Chris Moore, UWE

2. Assessment Problems from an Academic Perspective
StandardAcademicYear:
• 24 weeks of teaching
– Lectures, Practicals, tutorials, placements depending on course
Outcomes:
• Demonstration of knowledge, understanding, application
– 3hrs of controlled assessment + coursework
• Listens to the StudentVoice

3. Fundamental Questions of Authenticity
• Does the student possess the knowledge to progress to and cope with level
two and beyond?
• Does the student understand what they learned at level one?
• Do they have the skills to meet the expectations of level two and beyond?
• Are they seeing the point of what they do and learn?
• Do they retain all of the above enough to be considered employable?
• Are they better learners from having done what they’ve done?
• How can we be sure of all of the above?

4. The Limitations of Tradition
• Coursework
examples:
– Essays
– Lab reports
– Case studies
– Posters
– Presentations
• Exam examples:
– MCQs
– Short answers
(SAQs)
– Essays (could be
case studies or
similar)
O Two components
O A: Controlled conditions (Exam)
O B: Non-controlled conditions (Coursework)

5. The Solution:
• Make it authentic:
– Continuous
– Bite size
– Build on skills
– Link theory to practice
– Get them thinking
– Hit every topic
• Make it beneficial:
– Identify strengths and
weakness
– Build up marks
– Keep revisiting notes
– Encourage outside reading
– Engage better with labs
– Better prepared for exams
– Be rewarded for engagement
Continuous Online Practical
Portfolio

6. Sequential and Conditional

7. So what does it look like?

8. Suggested Work Pattern
Wednesday
9am - Go to lecture
12pm Preprac quiz
opens
Do it, get 0.2-1%
Unlocks Video
Thursday
Relax
Friday
Watch preprac
video
Answer MCQ
question, get 1%
Saturday
Relax
Sunday
Relax
Monday
9:30am – Preprac
and vid close
Go to prac (if
timetabled)
Tuesday
Go to prac (if
timetabled)
Wednesday
Go to prac (if
timetabled)
Thursday
Go to prac (if
timetabled)
Friday
2pm – weekly
registers completed,
postprac quiz goes
online
Attendance unlocks
postprac quiz and gets
you 1%
Saturday
Relax
Sunday
Do postprac quiz
Pass it (40% of
more), get 0.1-1%
Passing unlocks 5th
task
Monday
Do 5th task, get 1%
Tuesday
Relax
Wednesday
9am - Go to lecture
12pm – Preprac
quiz of next
portfolio opens
5pm – Portfolio for
this fortnight closes

9. Anecdotal Feedback (Module evaluations)

10. Take Home Points
• They earned it
– The design practically ensures they put the work in, that it’s their work, and that
they learned from it
• No marking for me
– Automated nature of assessments mean varied, robust, and automatic marking
• They perform and behave better in labs
– Knowing that the practical will be assessed and success being dependant on
knowing what you did and why encourages careful thinking and an engaged
approach
• My attendance is through the roof!

11. The Next Leg…
11

12. Mobile Device Based Assessment
12

13. Advantages
• Randomised questions
• Randomised order of answers
• Inclusive of all learners
• Feedback on completion
• Instant and automated marking
• Instant reporting of marking to admin
• I could go on (I probably will…)
13

14. Circumvent the Limitations of Tradition
• Must prove it’s you (but
remain anonymous)
• Must be there
• Resourcing/Infrastructure
• To open the book, or not to
open the book?
14

15. Customise, Restrict, and Free them!
• Tailor to suit exam
• Limit what they can do
• Open up what they can do
compared to traditional methods
15

16. The Testing Phase
• Two hundred Level One Students
• Eighty Five Multiple Choice Questions
• Ninety Minutes
• Half Paper, HalfTablet
16
Wake
and
tap
Login to
Blackboard
Click on
only
available
link
Read
instructions
Take
exam
Complete
and review

17. The Results
17
TABLET USERS
STATISTICS
GRADE
DISTRIBUTION
Minimum
Value 25
Greater than
100 0
Maximum
Value 90 90 - 100 1
Average 59.58 80 - 89 6
Standard
Deviation 13.08 70 - 79 13
60 - 69 21
50 - 59 28
40 - 49 13
30 - 39 4
20 - 29 1
10 - 19 0
0 - 9 0
PAPER USERS
STATISTICS
GRADE
DISTRIBUTION
Minimum
Value 20
Greater than
100 0
Maximum
Value 81 90 - 100 0
Average 55.88 80 - 89 4
Standard
Deviation 13.74 70 - 79 12
60 - 69 33
50 - 59 31
40 - 49 16
30 - 39 11
20 - 29 5
10 - 19 0
0 - 9 0

18. The Future…
18

19. All done, and thank
you!
@ceemour
www.cp-moore.com
Chris3.moore@uwe.ac.uk