Reengineering Assessment Practices in Scottish Higher Education REAP

Re-engineering Assessment Practices in Scottish Higher Education [REAP] Gillian Roberts REAP project co-ordinator in CBS

Scottish Funding Council (SFC) - a 2 year Project • £ 6 m for HE/FE – competitive bidding • E-learning transformational projects • Embedding and substitution • New approaches to teaching/ learning • Measurable benefits to institution/sector • Partnerships with other HEIs/FEIs

Rationale for the REAP proposal • Assessment – key driver of student learning • Assessment is a major cost in HE: economies of scale limited • Assessment influences a wide range of organisational, pedagogical and business processes in HE

Partners and roles • Strathclyde University: across 5 faculties with large 1 st year classes (Mechanical Engineering, Marketing, Pharmacy, Psychology, Primary Education) • Glasgow Caledonian Business School (one faculty: Finance, Management, Marketing, HR, ) • Glasgow University (developing electronic voting technologies) • Allows synergies and comparisons across disciplines /faculty/institution.

Aims of REAP Project • Re-engineer assessment practices in 3 HE institutions using supportive technologies. • Enhanced approaches - self, peer, tutor, to enhance motivation & learner self-regulation • Integrate technologies – online tests, simulations, evoting, e-portfolios, VLEs, admin systems and onlineoffline interactions • Focus is on large classes - esp. 1 st year • Improve learning quality & show efficiencies • Embed new processes in institution

REAP Projects and participants in CBS in 2005 -06 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Managerial Finance – Ken Waddell & Stuart Mc. Chlery Marketing Fundamentals – Sheena Mac. Arthur Economics, Markets & Enterprise – Douglas Chalmers & Alan Radford Understanding Management – Kate Lennon & Lynn Black Organisations & their Environment – Andy Sharp & douglas Chalmers Consumer Buyer Behaviour – Anne Warren Perspectives on People at Work – Pauline Munro Business Research Methods – Dorothy Macfarlane Strategic Management – Alec Wersun & Susan Ogden 10. * Presentations at the GCU Learning and Teaching Showcase event on 25. 5. 06 are in bold

Key research underpinning The REAP project Twigg C (2005) Course redesign improves learning and reduces cost http: //www. highereducation. org/reports/pa_core/core. pdf • Nicol, D. & Milligan, C. (2006), Rethinking technology -supported assessment in relation to the seven principles of good feedback practice. In C. Bryan and K. Clegg, Innovations in Assessment, Routledge. • Gibbs & Simpson (2003) FAST project: Evaluation Tools for investigating the impact of assessment on student learning