UCD Teaching & Learning - Assessment Redesign

Assessment Redesign Project

Overview Background Goals Methods Results Next Steps

Project:	Assessment Redesign Project
Project Team:	Aine Galvin, David Jennings, Elizabeth Noonan & Geraldine O’Neill
Collaborator(s):	Programme & School Teams from Architecture, Physics, Radiography, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine
Funding:	HEA Training of Trainers Fund
Timeline:	Phase One: December 2011 to June 2012 Phase Two: September 2012 to April 2013

background:

One of the priority actions of the University’s Education Strategy is: “A review and reform of the structure, outcomes, assessment and remediation strategies for first year, and in particular the first semester, to support the transition from second - to third-level and to adapt to the different needs of different students”.

An analysis of assessment practices in first year was completed in 2010. A key outcome of the 2010 project was the development of Module Design Principles and Practices for First Year Assessment, informed by current research and best international practice. The Assessment Redesign Project will focus on revision of assessment type and quantity, aligned with the first year assessment design principles, for the highest learning experience for students.

goals:

The aim of the project is the redesign and development of assessments that encourage active, high quality student learning whilst also being most time-efficient for staff (streamlining staff workload associated with designing assessment, grading and giving feedback). Other project objectives include:

•   Generate baseline data on current assessment practices;
•   Articulation of ‘headline’ programme and stage outcomes;
•   Revision of assessment type and quantity;
•   Implementation of new assessment practices for first year students in 2012-13;
•   Development of a Programme Guide to Assessment.

Phase one will focus on work with the following pilot programmes/schools: Architecture, Physics, Radiography, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine

Phase two will allow the work completed by the pilot programmes/schools to inform a roll-out of similar assessment review and redesign at first year level with other UCD programmes/schools. Other activities will include an evaluation of activity conducted in phase one and the dissemination of experience, case-studies and resources arising from the initial project activities.

Methods:

Each programme/school team will participate in a series of three inter-related workshops, which will focus on:

1. Articulation of ‘headline’ programme and stage outcomes, aligned with institutional graduate attributes and professional body standards;

2. Mapping of programme outcomes to teaching, learning and assessment activities across all stages;

3. Redesign of first year module assessment for 2012-13, using (i) First Year Assessment Principles, (ii) revised stage one outcomes; (iii) overview of current practices; (iv) Programme Assessment Equivalences Guide.

The project team will share experience, resources and expertise with colleagues from the University of New South Wales who are involved in a similar project, through our mutual membership of the Universitas 21 international network of leading research-intensive universities.

Results:

Last academic year, UCD Teaching and Learning worked closely with staff in Architecture, Physics, Radiography, Social Science and Veterinary Medicine in the Assessment ReDesign project. As part of this process, the Programmes/Schools reviewed their programme outcomes; mapped the programme outcomes to their assessment practices (using a mapping-tool designed specifically for the project); and reviewed the efficiency and effectiveness of their first year assessment practices.

The Deans, in particular, found the programme mapping exercise to be a valuable process in encouraging staff dialogue around the programme’s assessment strategies. The 1st Year module coordinators involved in the project (n=41 modules) reported in the evaluation (1st Year Module Co-ordinators Evaluation ) that they planned to reduce assessment work-load for both staff and students by, for example, becoming aware of the demands of parallel modules, reducing word-count and/or reducing numbers of submission. In parallel with this reduction of summative assessment (Assessment OF Learning), they had increased the focus in the first year on more assessment FOR learning tasks, i.e. assessment activities whose purpose was primarily for feedback and student self-monitoring.

Some resources that you might find useful, arising from and used in this project, are:
1) The Balance Between Assessment FOR and OF Learning
2) Six Ways to Engage Students with Lecturer’s Feedback (A Focus of 1st Year podcast)
3) The Design of Multiple Choice Questions for Assessment
4) Reducing and Diversifying Assessment in 1st Year Social Science: Case Study from UCD Assessment ReDesign Project

Next Steps:

Phase 1: December 2011 – June 2012

December 2011 - Development of detailed project plan; research and selection of curriculum mapping tool; build programme profiles; collation of relevant resources and case studies;
January 2012 – Initial discussions with Programme Deans/Heads of Schools to map-out expectation of individual programmes and define parameters of project;
February-March 2012 – Series of workshops with programme teams;
April 2012-Incorporate assessment redesign into revised module descriptors for implementation in semester one & two, 2012-13;
May-June 2012-Provision of support and guidance to module coordinators to design and implement alternative assessment;
June 2012-Evaluate and disseminate the outcomes of project.

Phase 2: September 2012 – April 2013

Work completed in phase one will inform rollout of similar assessment review and redesign at first year level with other programme/schools.