Case 3 Project based assessment

This case is a good example of the way assessment can be used both for formative learning purposes and to inform teaching throughout the semester. The case is based on a politics unit offered at 2nd and 3rd year levels by the Faculty of Arts for undergraduate students studying on or off-campus. In 2004, 67 students were enrolled in the unit. The first unit assignment was a minor essay presented in the traditional way. The major assignment required students to undertake a case study project in the area of global risk. They had considerable choice in regard to the focus of their case, so there was scope for them to research something of real interest.

The lecturer responsible for this unit was concerned that, in previous semesters, too many students submitted work that was hastily put together and reflected superficial learning. Even though they had had to submit a proposal half way through semester, he found that many lacked the skills to manage the work required for the project throughout the semester and tended to leave too much until the last minute. This had a detrimental effect on the quality of their learning as well as their grades. To overcome this problem and to encourage deeper learning, he adopted a formative approach by breaking the work up into manageable tasks, requiring students to complete them online and undertaking to provide immediate feedback. Each task was designed to build the case and be incorporated into the final submission that was submitted in paper-based form in the traditional way.

In 2004, the formative components of the assignment delivered online were as follows

1.Post project proposal in the DSO assignment submission box.

2. Post an outline of the elements of the project in a format similar to a table of contents.

3. Post analysis, as an 'interim executive summary'.

To help students develop their case study and to avoid information overload, resources associated with the tasks were selectively released online throughout semester. Broader use was made of videos, because in the lecturer's experience, they enhanced students' recall and understanding of the content.

Following the submission of each of the three online tasks, the lecturer worked intensively to provide constructive feedback within a week of the due date. Collaborative group work and group submission was strongly encouraged but not mandated for a number of reasons. The lecturer did not want to force students to work this way if they felt uncomfortable about it. His previous experience and the experience of colleagues indicated that students tended to underestimate the workload and commitment that was involved. He was also mindful of the fact that students were often working quite long hours in paid employment and hence found it difficult to sustain group work over a number of weeks in the semester. His approach was to point out that in previous years, students who had opted to do group work had consistently outperformed those who chose to submit individual projects.

This formative approach to assessment worked well on a number of levels. The break down of the tasks and provision of formative feedback enabled students to better manage their projects and relieved some of the usual last minute stress. The lecturer believed this had a noticeable effect on students' learning as reflected in the quality of much of the project work and subsequent grades. He believed some were the best he had seen. Off-campus students in particular appreciated feedback on their 'work in progress' because this was something they had not experienced before. The lecturer noted they were better able to extend the analysis of their case study after early feedback. He also noted that students who chose group work generally produced superior projects compared with those who worked individually. For example, those who achieved a 'Credit' on their individual essay often achieved a 'Distinction' when they undertook collaborative group work. This is consistent with research findings on the benefits of collaboration (See for example, Collis, 1998; Harasim, 1993b; Hiltz et al., 1990).

The commitment to provide formative feedback online brought into sharper focus the students who were really engaged with the unit and those who were not, so the lecturer had a better sense of the diversity of his cohort, 'where students were at', and what further encouragement and assistance they might require. Student feedback indicated that they appreciated the commitment of the lecturer and the time he took to provide useful individual feedback throughout this initial period. Positive comments were also made about the timely release of resources and the integration between video and online discussions.

The main issue in this case was that the provision of formative feedback was demanding for the unit chair, and while most students responded well, or at least adequately to their feedback, a few did not. This, of course, occurs with any assessment, but in this case, there were a variety of projects. The lecturer found that the process of reading the various proposals and thinking about the 'best advice' to give to individual students about the projects they had chosen was very time-consuming. A further issue was that it was difficult to implement change in assessment more broadly because some colleagues preferred to focus more strongly on other academic priorities such as research. The use of sessional staff who had limited if any background in teaching and assessing online, was a problem at times, as was the timing of available professional development in the use of Deakin Studies Online. Although this was seen to be critical for the success of the online assessment, it was not always available at the optimum time. These issues were offset to some extent by the fact that the end results were more rewarding than usual. The lecturer was delighted with the quality of the students' work and their relatively high levels of engagement throughout the semester commensurate with prior experiences.

اخر الاخبار

اخبار العتبة العباسية المقدسة

قسم العلاقات العامة يناقش مع منتدى شباب الإسكان إقامة مهرجان تكريم طالبات المدارس المرتديات العباءة في القادسية

سماحة السيد الصافي يدعو إلى توحيد الجهود في تحقيق التراث لضمان الرصانة والدقة وخدمة الساحة العلمية

المجمع العلمي ينظم محاضرة إرشادية ضمن المشروع القرآني في مدارس بابل

بذكرى شهادته.. العتبة العباسية المقدسة تشرع في تقديم خدماتها لزائري مرقد الإمام الكاظم (عليه السلام)

المزيد

الآخبار الصحية

6 فواكة تساعدك على الشعور بتحسّن عند المرض

حفاظا على صحة العين.. هذا أفضل وقت لتناول فيتامين أ

الاستخدام اليومي لسماعات الأذن.. أخطر مما تتصور !

هل توقيت نشاطك اليومي يؤثر على صحة دماغك؟.. العلماء يجيبون

المزيد

الآخبار التكنلوجية

ابتكار ألماني قد يغيّر مستقبل صناعة البلاستيك

تحديثات وأرباح عبر المشاهدات.. ما الذي تخطط له "لينكد إن"؟

"الكوكايين الوردي".. مخدر جديد يثير قلق السلطات الأميركية

دراسة: تغيّرات في أسلوب القيادة قد تكشف مبكرا عن الخرف !

المزيد

مواضيع ذات صلة

Parents with Learning Disabilities CONCLUSION

PROVISION OF SUPPORT

CARING FOR CHILDREN

EUGENICS AND ETHICAL ISSUES

PARENTING

DISCRIMINATION AND DIVERSITY

THE HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE

Parents with Learning Disabilities

Legislation and Learning Disabilities CONCLUSION

LEGAL SAFEGUARDS

MENTAL CAPACITY ACT 2005

THE HUMAN RIGHTS ACT 1998