Assessment Scales and Rubrics Lettered Scales 10 30

Assessment

Scales and Rubrics • • Lettered Scales 10 -30 Point Scales 100 Point Scales Degree Classifications

Common Student Problems • • • Formatting and Style Lack of Structure Lack of Analysis Ineffective use of Secondary / Primary sources Answering the Wrong Question Plagiarism

Common Tutor Problems • • • Overly harsh Overly lenient Too many notes St-hnd Nts Inconsistent with department standards

Student perceptions NSS 2009 Data History (UK) Criteria are fair 75% Marking is fair 82% Feedback is prompt 65% Comments are detailed 79% Feedback has helped me clarify work 70%

Plagerism • • Common Sense Turn-it In® Refer to convenor or departmental specialist Refer to disciplinary officer Intentional v. Unintentional Plagiarism

Top Tips • Make expectations clear – Departmental Guidelines – Personal Guidelines • • Stick to those expectation when marking Offer pre and post essay tutorials Set firm time limits to marking sessions Work with departmental mentor

Feedback

Feedback and self-esteem Jot down the worst feedback comment you could give the student. Negative feedback and clumsy criticism mean we become struck by the belief that we’re wasting our time, the “Why bother? ” mentality becoming draining and pervasive.

Positive feedback Write a positive feedback comment for the essay exemplar you have been given I got a bit of encouragement as well like you’re on the right lines. . . you know what I mean so I was very happy with it with the feedback that I got.

Transferable feedback? Jot down the most unhelpful feedback you received as a student The worst feedback was I won’t mention the [lecturer’s] name basically had one comment – ‘disappointing’.

Constructive feedback Write a constructive comment for the essay exemplar you have been given. I think it builds on it. You take certain things from year one if you like and you keep those things and then in the second year again you take certain elements from the feedback so you are building up all the time the feedback, particularly the technical side of things like what the lecturers are looking for, critical analysis that sort of thing. The feedback you receive will help towards other modules is what I suppose I’m trying to say. So even if you don’t take all the feedback on board on a particular module because you are building on the feedback and can remember certain things from each assignment that you get back so it does help.

Feedback discussions Reflect on how helpful discussing your feedback with a tutor or another student has been for you. Some have given me a detailed analysis or one on one sessions. I have found that the latter has been the most useful, as you understand more the processes you must go through to improve, and it feels as though a more personal approach has been taken.

Student perceptions • Assignments are not marked and returned quickly enough • Comments are not detailed enough and do not give advice on how to improve • Assessment criteria is not explicit or consistent (particularly for students on joint degree programmes) • Do not receive feedback on certain pieces of work (particularly examinations)

Student Perceptions • Ensure students understand the purpose of feedback, the difference between formative and summative assessments • Give clear information (in several places) on feedback practices and expectations of all parties • Gather their experiences, ideas, opinions, misconceptions • Discuss and review feedback practices regularly with individual students and the student body • Consider ways in which students can support themselves/each other

Comments • Focus on comments which students can act on in order to improve in future (‘ways to improve’) • Balance praise as well as criticism, be constructive • Provide clear reasons for judgments, ideally linked to marking criteria • Comments should be specific and not too general • Do not overload assignments with comments • Consider if feedback sheets help or hinder effective forms of feedback

Returning work • Do not include the mark on the script • Return comments and ask students to make an appointment to receive their mark • Engage students in a dialogue about their performance and ways in which they could improve (so called 360° feedback) • Encourage students to use feedback as ‘feed-forward’ to improve subsequent pieces of work • Ask students to assess their own mark based on the comments and the marking criteria

References • Bloxham, S. & West, A. (2004) Understanding the rules of the game: marking peer assessment as a medium for developing students’ conceptions of assessment, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(6), 721 -733. • Chanock, K. (2000) Comments on essays: Do students understand what tutors write? Teaching in Higher Education, 5, (1) 95 - 105. • Higgins, R. , Hartley, P. AND Skelton, A. (2002) The Conscientious Consumer: reconsidering the role of assessment feedback in student learning. Studies in Higher Education, 27 (1). • Nicol, D. J and Macfarlane – Dick, D (2006) Formative assessment and self – regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice, Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199 -218