Dear Rebecca and all
Thanks to Chris for mentioning the WrAssE project. I am pleased to say that a long-overdue review of that resource has now begun - Helen Beetham has kindly agreed to set this in motion. We very much hope to re-launch the resource in 2013 on an OER basis - and still as part of the LearnHigher site - offering the opportunity to others to submit new examples of authentic assessed student writing (with appropriate permissions given by the students) , along with comments by academics. In the meantime, expressions of interest and critical comments on how we might improve the resource are always welcome.
Best wishes
John
________________________________
From: learning development in higher education network [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Christine Keenan [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 03 December 2012 15:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Query about the use of student work exemplars.
Hi Rebecca
This is such a shame. I think authentic examples really help students, and I used to do exactly as you describe.
Have you looked at the work done by John Hilsdon and his colleagues at Plymouth: http://www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk/wrasse/
Chris
Chris Keenan
Learning and Teaching Fellow
School of Design, Engineering & Computing
Bournemouth University
Poole House
Fern Barrow
Poole Dorset
BH12 5BB
01202 965307
Chair of the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education
www.aldinhe.ac.uk<http://www.aldinhe.ac.uk/>
www.learnhigher.ac.uk<http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/>
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Rebecca O'Rourke
Sent: 03 December 2012 13:09
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Query about the use of student work exemplars.
Part of my role involves supporting Academic Writing Development for PG students on a PG Certificate and Masters in Clinical Education. I also run a series of workshops on Academic Skills for all Taught PG students in the School of Education. I use – with their permission and fully anonymised – past students’ assessed work as I have found that it is the best way to show new students:
what the disciplinary and discourse differences are between the social science Education and their home scientific and clinical discipline – which might be medicine, pharmacy, nursing or another health profession
what is expected of them in relation to their studies and its assessment
how to translate abstract grading criteria into the language and structure of an effective assignment.
Various activities are built around this material, including marking exercises and tasks to develop a ‘recipe’ for assignment writing. Examples which are lodged in the VLE are annotated to show where and how they meet module objectives and grading criteria. The student who gets the highest mark on each module is asked if they will contribute their assignment, with a short account of their process of researching and writing it, to the collection.
These practices have been highly commended by external examiners, the course director and the students themselves so you can imagine my reaction to a departmental circular from the School Senior Management Team which proposes to regulate the use of these materials in ways which will render them virtually useless. I have no quarrel with seeking written permission and fully anonymising the materials. I am deeply concerned by the opening statement that ”only in exceptional circumstances” will such material be made available and that they can only be used if a “representative range of possible responses to the assessment task “ are included and that the period of time they will be available to the students will be limited.
I would be grateful for evidence of support from others on the use of student work exemplars as good pedagogic practice and I would also like to know if any other institutions have taken the same steps as my own and if so, how people have worked with these new restrictions.
Rebecca O’Rourke
University of Leeds
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