Perspectives and questions about self-assessment

Tony Gardner-MedwinPhysiology (NPP), UCL

www.ucl.ac.uk/~ucgbarg

OU Workshop : 11th June 2012

Self-assessment: strategies and software to stimulate learning

• We all want to cultivate student learning• We all dislike setting & marking exams

So what are we doing talking about (self-)assessment as a means to stimulate learning?

1. Need for effective tools to supplement staff-student contact time

2. It’s good to get students to control and drive their own learning

3. There’s increasing scope for self-assessment with IT

The Why ?

Idealised Learning

The elements:

ThinkingChallengingPractisingCorrectingFlounderingSelectingDiscussingEnjoying

Assess = ad + sedere = to sit beside

La Leçon de musique Jean-Marc Nattier (1710) Musée de la Musique de ParisImage licensed under Creative Commons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jean-Marc_Nattier,_La_Le%C3%A7on_de_musique_(1710).jpg

Can learning resources be mentors ?

Can self-assessment stimulate thinking and learning?

NB the tools may end up quite different from those for summative (or formative) assessments.

Learning without thought is labour lost. Thought without learning is perilous.

Confucius’ Analects (ca. 500BC)

Sports Practice – a model for self-assessment

challenging, systematic, cooperative, fun. You learn from mistakes. You mark your boundaries and push them.

How should they differ from summative tests?• What is needed to motivate and enthuse?• How do you draw out uncertainties and misconceptions?• Can you discourage simply rote learning of Qs & As?

Who decides what each student does?• Individual or collaborative working / student choice?• Prescribed tests & Q selections / student choice?• Before/after teaching or study (/ student choice)?• Should marks be ignored by teachers (or be anonymous)?

How should feedback to students work best?• Should feedback be instant / delayed?• Adaptive tests? Or student exploration of resources?• Encourage open (anonymous?) student comments on Qs, issues?

How best can we deploy staff & student time?• How constructive is student writing/editing of questions?• When to use teachers, and when computers?

The focus - Practicalities of Self-Tests