What is being assessed?
Three interrelated elements are important to consider when clarifying what should be assessed
- UCD Level Descriptors assist us in devising a coherent assessment strategy that assesses student learning as they progress through the different levels of their programme
- Taxonomies of Learning Outcomes are a useful reference as they are classifications in an ordered system of what can be learned and assessed.
- List of Graduate Attributes help us to focus on “graduateness” and the key transferable skills we want to develop and assess that are important for future work and study e.g. critical thinking, teamwork
UCD Level Descriptors
The UCD Level Descriptors provide a useful reference when planning an assessment strategy for a full programme and designing assessments appropriate for different levels. They help students to understand what is expected of them.
There are five UCD levels, for UCD Level Descriptors see
http://www.ucd.ie/registry/academicsecretariat/level_desc.pdf
Taxonomies of Learning Outcomes
These taxonomies help you plan the progression of learning for your students as you clarify what you are assessing at each level.
Blooms Taxonomy
This visual and further information on this taxonomy can be obtained at Michael Pohl’s website:
http://www.odu.edu/educ/roverbau/Bloom/blooms_taxonomy.htm
Bloom’s taxonomy can be helpful in designing assessments to facilitate first year students moving up these layers as they make the transition from secondary school to university.
The First Year Experience: Transforming Assessment & Feedback
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2009)
Contains a range of practical examples that clarify how change was implemented. http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/firstyear/First_Year_Transforming_Assess.pdf
SOLO Taxonomy
The solo taxonomy is specifically designed for learning outcomes based curricula.
| Characteristic | Level |
|---|---|
| Incompetent, nothing known about the area | Pre-structural |
| One relevant aspect is known | Uni-structural |
| Several relevant independent aspects are known | Multi-structural |
| Aspects of knowledge are integrated into a structure | Relational |
| Knowledge is generalised into a new domain | Extended Abstract |
These levels range from incompetence to expertise. For more on SOLO including a very effective visual see:
ATHERTON J S (2009) Learning and Teaching; SOLO taxonomy UK:
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/solo.htm
For example the solo taxonomy can be used to help to specify what is being assessed in essays.
There are different taxonomies relevant to different disciplines and professions. For a Guide to Taxonomies of Learning Outcomes see: http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/taxonomies3.pdf
Graduate Attributes
What attributes do you want graduates of your programme to have developed to prepare them to move to employment or further study? How do you design your assessments around these key graduate attributes?
UCD Strategy for Education and Student Experience 2009-2013 p.4 states that:
As well as producing students with a high level of expertise in their own discipline, UCD will continue to foster students wider capacities, such as creativity and critical thinking, information communication and problem-solving skills, and teamwork, citizenship and leadership skills, that prepare them for lifelong learning, employment and active citizenship.
UCD’s policy on graduate attributes is at an early stage of development. It is worth looking at international universities work in this area. For example the University of Sydney has a policy, a framework of levels, faculty statements on graduate attributes and research publications.
The University of Sydney Graduate Attributes
