Assessment and Feedback Essay Example for Free

Assessment and Feedback Essay Assessment drives the choices students make about their learning. It is widely recognised that assessment and feedback contain the strongest potential to change how, and what, students do to succeed in their learning (Ramsden, 2003). This Effective Teaching Guide on Assessment provides practical suggestions on assessment and feedback. Assessment of Learning and Assessment for Learning David Boud, a recognised researcher and scholar of assessment in higher education, suggests that assessment has many purposes, but particularly to help students to improve their learning and certify students’ learning. These two purposes lead to different ways of thinking about what, how, and when to assess students: According to Boud and Associate’s Seven Propositions for Assessment Reform in Higher Education (2010), assessment has most effect when: 1. Assessment is used to engage students in learning that is productive (including the need for assessment to be designed to focus students on learning); 2. Feedback is used to actively improve student learning; 3. Students and teachers become responsible partners in learning and assessment; 4. Students are inducted into the assessment practices and cultures of higher education; 5. Assessment for learning is placed at the centre of subject and project design; 6. Assessment for learning is a focus for staff and institutional development; and, 7. Assessment provides inclusive and trustworthy representation of student achievement. The power of feedback Feedback plays an important role in improving students’ learning. A useful summary is that provided by Gibbs and Simpson’s (2004). In their meta-study of the research about how assessment and feedback support student learning, 7 of their 10 identified conditions relate to feedback, and students’ understanding of feedback. These are: †¢ Sufficient feedback is provided, both often enough and in enough detail; †¢ Feedback focuses on students’ performance, on their learning and on actions under the students’ control, rather than on the students themselves and on their characteristics; †¢ Feedback is timely in that it is received by students while it still matters to them, and in time for them to pay attention to further learning or receive further assistance; †¢ Feedback is appropriate to the purpose of the assignment and to its criteria for success; †¢ Feedback is appropriate, in relation to students’ understanding of what they are supposed to be doing; †¢ Feedback is received and attended to; and, †¢ Feedback is acted on by the student. Hounsell (2004) also makes the following points about feedback: †¢ It can be extrinsic (assessment-focused) or intrinsic (activity and  practice-based); †¢ It can be immediate and verbal (in order to address the potential lack of engagement when it arrives after an assessment); †¢ It can be provided to be a whole class; †¢ It can be many to many where students are involved in identifying the strengths and weaknesses (peer feedback); and, †¢ Feedback can be a loop – it can be offered on unfinished work. Another useful idea is feed-forward. Feed-forward encourages students to use something like a marking rubric (also captured by the idea of criteria and standards) to help plan their approach to an assessment. While a marking rubric is routinely used by university teachers to mark/grade students’ work (as an expression of what a student needs to demonstrate (and the level they need to achieve) to receive a particular grade), the idea of feed-forward is about encouraging students to use that same information in the rubric to plan their work, and perhaps even, to self-assess it before submitting it for formal feedback. In summary: Feedback example: Develop a marking rubric as a cover sheet. The rubric identifies the elements of the assignment, together with a breakdown of marks for each element or a description of the standard for an A, B, C, D, P etc. Feed-forward example: Provide the marking rubric to students before the assignment is due so that they clearly understand what’s expected, the levels of achievement, and can plan their approach accordingly. In marking student work, you’ll need a suite of feedback techniques. Remember, if you’re going to be spending a lot of time providing feedback, you want to make sure that students read, use and engage with your feedback to improve their next assignment. The best way to do that is to have a range of techniques that you can draw on, when you need to. The table below describes some feedback techniques. One observation you might make about each of these techniques is that they are focused on: (i) engaging students with the criteria and standards, and (ii) with what the student does with the feedback they receive. If you’d like to read more about these two ideas (and others like them), two articles may be especially useful to you: Rust, Price O’Donovan (2003) and Price, O’Donovan Rust (2004). Consistency and fairness in marking and feedback Consistency in marking, or moderation, is aimed at ensuring fairness in marking, and requires finding or establishing agreement between markers. Making sure that assignments contain criteria and standards is a good start because the expectations involved are clear to the student and clear to the marker. Although this does not absolve the marker from interpreting students’ work, without criteria or standards, the job of marking ends up being much harder. The procedures for marking are set out in the University’s Assessment Procedures (an excerpt of the principles is below): Where there is more than one marker, selected pieces of work from each assessment task should be reviewed by the subject coordinator to verify the level and consistency of the marks allocated by the marker. This process, called moderation, increases the reliability of the assessment process and application of standards, promotes consistency, supports objectivity and establishes a shared understanding of standards and fairness in assessment. The university also has a grading schema with a range of Pass grades. Graduate capabilities Alongside the conventional grading schema, from 2012, all commencing first year students will receive a result on the achievement of the university’s six graduate capabilities at the end of the year: †¢ Writing †¢ Speaking †¢ Inquiry/Research †¢ Critical thinking †¢ Creative Problem-solving †¢ Teamwork There are some subjects which have been designated cornerstone, mid-point and capstone status. This means that their curriculum has been designed to teach, assess, provide feedback and report specifically on these graduate capabilities. For each graduate capability, students will receive one of three results: exceeded expectations, met expectations or did not meet expectations. Each faculty has carefully crafted a description of what these standards look like. It may be the case that you will be asked to provide feedback to students about their graduate capability achievement as well. Because faculties will have already done substantial work outlining those standards, it is likely you will be asked to offer students that feedback. Summary When considered together, assessment and feedback are incredibly powerful levers for influencing the direction of students’ efforts, and their learning. For many students, the assessment in the subject is the actual curriculum. It is largely students’ reading and perception of what the assessment demands of them which is a key determinant in how they spend their time in a subject. Therefore, the messages that students take away about assessment from the documents; the Subject Guide; from interaction with other students, are important considerations. In the second week, you will discover just how crucial feedback is to this process and how the  adoption of standards and criteria will help you mark and grade more efficiently and effectively. References Gibbs, G. and Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions Under Which Assessment Supports Student Learning. Learning and Teaching, Issue 1, pp: 3-31. Hattie, J. Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81-112. Hounsell, D. (2004). Reinventing Feedback in the Contemporary Scottish University. Scottish Quality Enhancement Workshop on Assessment, University of Glasgow [available online at: www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/events/20040604/Hounsellpaper.pdf]. O’Donovan, B., Price, M., Rust, C. (2004). Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Orrell, J. (2006). Assessment beyond intuition. Central Queensland University [available online at: http://www.learning.cq.edu.au/FCWViewer/view.do?page=8896, accessed Feb 2011]. Price, M., O’Donovan, B., Rust, C. (2004).Know what I mean? Enhancing student understanding of assessment standards and criteria. Teaching in Higher Education, 9(3), 325-335. Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to teach in higher education. (2nd edition). Routledge, NY London. Rust, C., Price, M., O’Donovan, B. (2003). Improving Students’ Learning by Developing their Understanding of Assessment Criteria and Processes. Assessment Evaluation in Higher Education, 28(2), 147-164. Taylor, J. (2008). Assessment in First Year University: A model to manage transition. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice, 5(1).

Epic of Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

I have just completed the reading of Beowulf, which was translated by Burton Raffel. 1) Beowulf is an extremely exciting and fascinating story about a character who lived in medieval Europe. The shocking thing for me about this work was to find out that it is the earliest poem in a modern European language. Beowulf is to the English what Homer and the Odyssey were to the Greeks. Although this is the earliest poem, it is still fun and exciting to read. I didn't believe that a poem which has been around for more than twelve centuries, could keep my interest. I was wrong. The book is filled with more blood and guts then the average summer horror flick. After the battle with Grendel, the monster which has been ravaging the Danish countryside and killing countless men, Beowulf makes sure that all people know that he had injured the great monster. It is translated that, "...no Dane doubted the victory, for the proof, hanging high from the rafters where Beowulf had hung it, was the monster's arm, claw and shoulder and all" (Raffel, 49). It was the shocking use of detail and exciting battles that was left with me when I finished the book. I guess all books, regardless of their age can still be fun and entertaining to read. 2) Good literature has a very precise definition for me. I judge a piece of literature on three different criteria, 1) does it have memorable characters, 2) does the work take me to a place and let me experience things that I have never experienced before, and 3) will the work stay with me long after I have completed reading it. This is the criteria on which I judge a book and according to this, I believe that Beowulf should be considered "good" literature. I always ask myself, when I am done reading a book, did the book have memorable characters. In Beowulf, the characters were memorable. A minor character in the book, the king of the Danes, named Hrothgar, is a character who sticks out greatly in my mind. Hrothgar was a king of the Danes and built for them a huge mead hall in which men were able to eat drink and be merry. It was then that the great monster, Grendel, came and destroyed the utopia which was Herot by eating and feasting on the Danish warriors. Hrothgar sticks out in my mind because I could envision him, in the time before Beowulf came to the Danes, in anger and despair over this monster that wouldn't stop killing his soldiers and friends.

Interview of Friar Lawrence and Nurse Essay

Judge: John Henry Lawrence enter the dock. Put your hand on the Bible and say after me, I swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The Jury are now open to ask you questions, you are bound by the book to keep to the truth. Jury: What was you relationship with Romeo? I have been a great friend of Romeo ever since he was a little boy. He has always trusted me and he told me things he would not have told to anyone else. Romeo respected me and took my advice. I blame myself for his death and I am very sorry. Jury: What part did you play in this tragedy? I tried my best to unite two people who were very much in love. Yes, I did perform the marriage ceremony but I did it in good faith, I never knew what atrocities it would bring about. I also tried to help Romeo and Juliet when they were in trouble. After Romeo was exiled I helped arrange his escape to Mantua, for, you understand it might be possible for them to meet there. When I gave Juliet the drug I thought that I was doing the right thing. She was in a mess, she couldn’t tell her parents so with my knowledge of herbal remedies I supplied her with the draught. She would have taken her own life there and then if I had not. When Romeo was dead and Juliet would not leave him I deserted her. I could have saved her life I know but I was too cowardly to face up to my actions. Jury: What were your motives in this tragedy? I wanted to help a very good friend to be happy and preserve the marriage. I suppose I also hoped that performing this marriage ceremony would help unite the two sides from their conflict. Jury: Whose fault do you think the deaths are? I blame myself more than anyone else. I played the largest part, however, I suppose it would not have happened if there had not been many smaller things contributing. For example, if there had never been a conflict. Nobody was to know that it would end in death. Jury: What part do you think you were to blame for particularly? I was responsible for setting in motion a series of actions that lead to the marriage, the arrangements for the meetings and the drugs for Juliet. I didn’t save Juliet from herself. Judge:John Henry Lawrence please leave the dock. Anne Falton please mount to the dock. Put your hand on the Bible and say after me, I swear to tell the truth, whole truth and nothing but the truth. I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The Jury are now open to ask you questions, you are bound by the book to keep to the truth. Jury: What was your relationship with Juliet? Well, I was almost like a second mother to her, I was her wet nurse you know, she born at the same time as my daughter Susan who passed away God rest her soul. I have looked after ever since. Juliet was always a very nice young lady never doing anything naughty. I was her closest friend she used to tell me all her secrets but she didn’t tell me her plan before she died. Jury: What part did you play in this tragedy? I knew all the time that Juliet had gone off and married that Romeo, I never knew it would come to this. Romeo was a nice young chap as well. He wasn’t as good-looking or as clever as Paris though, not at all, no! The only other matter I was involved in was organising Romeo’s night with Juliet, that took a lot of organising that did. Jury: What were your motives in this tragedy? All I wanted was to see Juliet happily married with a nice young man. I wouldn’t have been persuaded to take part in this conspiracy but Juliet begged and begged me not to tell his Lordship. Jury: Whose fault do you think the deaths are? Not mine and that’s for sure, I always said that, that Romeo would lead her up to no good, he looked nice and all that but he had a look about him. I think Romeo lead her into it, he always was the bad sort, coming from a Montague family and all that†¦ Jury: What part do you think you were to blame for particularly? It wasn’t anything to do with me, if I had gone to his Lordship about the marriage she’d have killed herself sure as sure, like the good Friar said she was going to†¦ Judge: Anne Falton, leave the dock. The Jury will now leave to come to a decision. 1 hour later: Verdict: Death by Misadventure.

Hamlet Quiz Check Your Knowledge