From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Janette Myers
Sent: 16 February 2017 09:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Assessment workload and assessment tariffs

Dear All,

What an interesting thread, raising so many complex, inter-related aspects of our work: what do we do to help students learn - how can we help our staff to develop students - and how is this even possible, given the nature of today's HE contexts - and of the nature of education itself in our society?

I have been a Learning Developer for many years and notice that my work changes not because of our students, they are not getting worse, but they are operating in wider educational contexts that are themselves inimical to learning - ever less about 'leading out' and ever more about the scholarisation of childhood and regimes of surveillance, measurement and control... all mixed in with fees and the *need* to get good degrees.

In this context we are all in high pressure 'performance zones' - rather than creative and enabling 'learning zones' - see:

http://www.ted.com/talks/eduardo_briceno_how_to_get_better_at_the_things_you_care_about

Unsurprisingly, this pressure on discipline staff means more focus on content and less on process - juggling heavier teaching loads - in punitive cultures of 'killer modules' and the need to improve NSS ratings by any means bar having time with our students.

Students internalise the focus on grades  - they have less space and time to learn - and much less awareness anyway of what learning looks and feels like.

Our response was to develop a one year first year module (Becoming an educationist) that attempted to 'de-school' the students first - to get them to explore what learning feels like in a creative and empowering space with many opportunities for low stakes writing and playful learning. We utilised free writing and blogging to learn to try to help students develop a writing habit - such that they wrote more often - and thus became better at writing, themselves. 

Where the only writing undertaken is high stakes, for assessment, the writing itself cannot grow...  and we cannot 'fix' it no matter how nuanced our feedback - and students cannot fix it if they have no spaces to write to learn.

On a much more practical note, we are also putting together a Staff Guide to Assessment and Feedback - short - bullet points - useful - taking as a starting point Race: feedback should help students take ownership of their work - build self-efficacy - and promote active learning.

What tips might you include?

All the best,

Sandra

On 16 February 2017 at 00:04, Derek.Rowntree <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

 

Hi Joe and all interested,

 

If staff are expected to give students constructive comments and suggestions based on their reading of an assessment, then I suppose it follows that, if they want to keep up the standard of their feedback, they need to spend more and more time on offering remedial help as the quality of the writing declines. But how will the powers-that-be feel about investing more time/resources in providing such remedial help?

 

Derek

 

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From: Joseph Allison <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 15 February 2017 16:24
To: Derek.Rowntree; [log in to unmask]
Subject: RE: Assessment workload and assessment tariffs

 

Hi Derek and all,

 

I had a discussion just the other day about this with someone in the middle of marking. Their feeling was that it used to take 30 mins on average to mark an essay, but it was now more like 50 mins, the time increase in his view was down to a drop in the standard of writing.

 

Best wishes,

Joe

 

From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Derek.Rowntree
Sent: 15 February 2017 15:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Assessment workload and assessment tariffs

 

While we are talking about how many hours students might be expected to devote to producing written assignments, has anyone considered how much time an assessor might be expected to spend assessing one (and ideally giving the writer constructive feedback)?

 

Dr Derek Rowntree

 

 

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From: learning development in higher education network <[log in to unmask]> on behalf of Hancock, Jessica <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: 15 February 2017 14:50
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Assessment workload and assessment tariffs

 

Hi

 

Ours are guidelines rather than rules, but here are the suggestions for a 20 credit module:

 

100% of total assessment load: 3000 words or equivalent at L1 and L2

4000 words or equivalent at L3, LH and LM

 

70% of total assessment load: 2000 words or equivalent at L1 and L2

3000 words or equivalent at L3, LH and LM

 

50% and under of total assessment load:  1500 words or equivalent at L1 and L2

2000 words or equivalent at L3, LH and LM

 

I don’t think there’s a rule for the hours, but I checked one module which is 20% of the total hours.

 

Dr Jessica Hancock

Lecturer in Academic Development

GCU London

 

From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Knight
Sent: 15 February 2017 09:21
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Assessment workload and assessment tariffs

 

Hi all

 

We are looking to increase consistency in assessment workload across our courses to ensure parity and avoid over-assessment

 

I wondered if any of you had standardised institutional practices re the way that assessment activities and related student work are linked to credits? For example, an approach whereby a Level 3-7 module worth 15 credits is linked to coursework of 3000-word equivalent and 30 credits to 6000-word equivalent seems something of a sector norm.

 

Also, do you have institutional approach to the proportion of the notional working hours of a module that it would be normal to expect to be spent on the completion of assessment tasks. For example, Bloxham and Boyd (2007) suggest 20-30% of learning hours

 

Any thoughts, suggestions or examples would be very much welcomed

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

 

 

John Knight

Academic Developer & Learning Development Tutor

Bucks New University

Queen Alexandra Road

High Wycombe

Bucks

HP11 2JZ

 

Room N1.03

01494 522 141 ext. 4550

bucks.ac.uk

 

 

 

Glasgow Caledonian University is a registered Scottish charity, number SC021474

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