Transcript Two way traffic: transforming assessment practices

Two-way traffic: transforming assessment
practices in Tertiary Education
Debating the best drivers for transformational
change.
Steve Draper, Glasgow University
David Nicol, Director, REAP project
Catherine Owen, Manager, REAP project
Heriot Watt University, 31 May 2006
Background: PEW foundation programme
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Teaching and learning supported by technology
Goals: reduce costs, improve learning quality
Focus: large first year classes
Readiness criteria (institution/course)
Bids – rigorous procedure, national competition, 30
selected across a range of institutional types
No partnerships required
Outcomes: cost saving (40%), improved learning (20
of 30 projects)
Five models: supplemental, replacement, emporium,
buffet and fully online
Background : SFC e-learning transformation
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3 areas: (i) FE-HE transition, (ii) support for
students and promotion of effective learning
(iii) collaborative content
Goals: new approaches to teaching and
learning, embedding, sustainability, measurable
benefits to institution and learners.
26 bids – 6 selected, funding circa £1m
Institutional collaboration required
Background: The REAP Project
3 HE institutions (Strathclyde, GCU, GU)
 Primarily large 1st year classes (160-900)
 Goals: transform assessment to support
development of learner self-regulation
 Expected Outputs: exemplar models of enhanced
technology supported assessment
 Impact on organisational strategies, structures,
processes, roles and responsibilities etc. of changed
assessment practices.
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Background: Peer Instruction and EVS
Eric Mazur – Harvard
 Approach: teaching through questioning with
voting and peer discussion
 Technology: electronic voting technologies
 Goals: address issue of conceptual
misunderstanding in science education
 Outcome: large rise in learning (standardised tests)
 Outcome: massive worldwide take-up of classroom
technologies
 Led in UK by Jim Boyle, Steve Draper
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The pedagogical drivers
Twigg: active learning and personalisation (eg buffet
model), constructivist thinking.
 REAP: new theorising about assessment – role of
student in evaluating own work (LLL), first year
experience dissatisfaction (QAA reports)
 Peer Instruction: conceptual misunderstandings in
specific disciplines, learning for understanding.
Constructivist thinking - cognitive development
(Piaget) scaffolding (Vygotsky)
Q. What role does pedagogy play in promoting
transformation? What pedagogical drivers are best?
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Level of analysis/intervention
Many levels possible: student, teacher, course team,
department, HEI, and national policy level
 Twigg: course team level
 REAP: course team and organisational level
 Peer Instruction: individual teacher level
 TESEP: focus is on training students
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Q. Which level of intervention is likely to be most
effective in improving teaching and learning in HE?
Justify the reason for your answer.
Learning from across the Atlantic (Pew)
Selection process: rigorous readiness criteria – would
change have happened anyway?
 Is reducing costs for large first year courses either
tenable or desirable?
 Focused at course level/what about other levels?
 Measurement of change: nationally standardised tests
 Dissemination within the programme (among funded
course teams) done by CEO (Twigg) not HEIs
 Dissemination to the HE sector also by CEO
Q. To what extent is the Pew model appropriate to the
UK context?
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Money as a driver for transformational change
Twigg aimed to save money: realising the potential of
ICT.
 Money can be a necessary means to an end (e.g. buy
equipment)
 Money as a motivator for change – e.g. wins intrainstitutional arguments
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Is reducing costs for large first year courses sensible?
 Peer Instruction – no money involved
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Q. What is the role of money in transformational change?
Questions and discussion
1.
What role does pedagogy play in promoting
transformation? What pedagogical drivers are best?
2.
Which level of intervention is likely to be most
effective in improving teaching and learning in HE?
Justify the reason for your answer
3.
To what extent is the Pew model appropriate to the UK
context?
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What is the role of money in transformational change?