Solving the maze: Helping
students to succeed at
assessment.
Angela Hammond, Andy Gillett, Keith Pinn
Interdisciplinary Studies
Who & What
• Andy Gillett
• English for Academic Purposes
• Angela Hammond
• Research and Study Skills
• Keith Pinn
• Head of Consortium Programmes
• Roger Dimond
• Consultant
Last year: Our approach
• Decided to find out:
– Initial look at assessment types at
UH
– 2005/6: Sampled 7595 Modules
– Wide range of assessment
practices
Tasks
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multiple choice
Open book
IT based
Interactive
Group element
Role play
Medium
•
•
•
Oral
Numeric
Diagram/Pictorial
Who assesses?
•
•
•
Self assess
Peer assess
Self set element
Cognitive skills
• Analytic
• Evaluative
• Skills focus
• Primary research
• Theory focus
Time-span
• Reflective
• Process/Periodic
• Portfolio
Work-related
• Practice focus
• Case Study
This year
•
•
•
•
Needed further research
Small range of UH Modules
Looked at assessment tasks
Students’ previous experience with
these tasks
• KST1 (now JH) – wide range of
subjects
100%
Proportion of cohort
80%
60%
Not discontinued
Honours
40%
Lower 2nd or higher
Upper 2nd or higher
20%
1st
0%
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
Student A-level points
HEFCE, Issues Paper, July 2003/32, p. 8
24
26
28
30
UH
F
E
D
C
B
A
Correlations
UCAS Points
Pearson Correlation
UCAS Points
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
Grade Average
Pearson Correlation
Grade Average
-.341**
212
212
-.341**
1
Sig. (2-tailed)
.000
N
212
**Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).
212
Wider context
•
•
•
•
•
•
Widening participation
Skills and employability agenda
Curriculum 2000
Tomlinson 2004
14-19 reforms (Diplomas)
Government emphasis on ‘personal, learning
and thinking skills’.
GCE/VCE Qualifications
GCE AS
GCE AS/
Double
AS VCE
Award
A
B
C
D
E
AA
AB
BB
BC
CC
CD
DD
DE
EE
GCE A
level/
AVCE
BTEC Nationals
GCE/
AVCE
Double
Award
A
AA
AB
BB
BC
CC
CD
DD
B
DE
C
EE
D
E
OCR Nationals
Points
Award
360
320
280
240
220
200
180
160
140
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
Certificate
Diploma Certificate Diploma
Extended
Diploma
DD
DDD
DDM
DMM
MMM
D
D1
D2/M1
M2
M3
DM
MMP
M1
P1
MM
MPP
M2/P1
P2
D
MP
PPP
D
P2
P3
M
PP
M
P3
P
P
UH
F
E
D
C
B
A
Tests of Between-Subjects Effects
Source
Corrected
Model
Intercept
UCASPoints
Route
Error
Total
Corrected Total
Dependent Variable: Grade Average
Type III
Sum of
Mean
Squares
df
Square
F
366.050
2
3763.661
261.308
46.439
2386.615
24978.790
2752.665
1
1
1
209
212
211
183.025
Sig.
16.028
.000
3763.661 329.590
261.308 22.883
46.439
4.067
11.419
.000
.000
.045
Tasks
•
•
•
•
•
•
Multiple choice
Open book
IT based
Interactive
Group element
Role play
Medium
•
•
•
Oral
Numeric
Diagram/Pictorial
Who assesses?
•
•
•
Self assess
Peer assess
Self set element
Cognitive skills
• Analytic
• Evaluative
• Skills focus
• Primary research
• Theory focus
Time-span
• Reflective
• Process/Periodic
• Portfolio
Work-related
• Practice focus
• Case Study
Comparison of Traditional & Vocational A Levels
100
90
80
Instances (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
A level
AVCE
Comparison of Traditional & Vocational A Levels with UH Modules
100
A level
90
80
Instances (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
AVCE
UH Modules
Questions to the audience
•
•
•
•
Lack of content knowledge?
Previous experience of learning?
Our admissions procedures?
True parity across different national
exams?
• Expectations/perceptions of lecturers?
• Our assessment procedures?
Possible solutions
• ‘Levelling up’ modules?
• Address coursework/exam balance?
• Better attuned assessment methods?
• Further research - qualitative