Pathways to strengthening the nexus between leadership and assessment

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Pathways to strengthening the nexus between
leadership and assessment
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Action Research supporting the integration of
leadership and assessmentMarina Harvey
Sharon Fraser Institute for Higher Education
Research and DevelopmentAustralian Centre for
Educational StudiesMacquarie University
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Leadership
Assessment
Participatory Action Research
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The project (Phase 1)
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Project focus is therefore

• multi-focal
• integrated into everyday practice
• One that emphasises the scholarship of teaching
  and learning

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Current project members

• Action Research Enablers, and their
• Influencers (from 3 departments)
• Who form the LEAP team (Leaders in Effective
  Assessment practice)
• And are members of the Steering Committee
• All of whom form the Community of Practice (CoP)
  in conjunction with the Project Team, the Project
  Experts and the External Evaluator.

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A Challenge

• The Action Research Enablers have joined the
  project due to their passion for assessment.
• The challenge is how to support them in building
  their capacity to lead and manage the project in
  their departments?

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An Insight

• Structured reflection sessions for each of the
  Action Research Enablers provides a regular and
  systematic opportunity to
• consider the praxis of theory and action and
• journal the pathway of capacity building in
  leaders of assessment.

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• What makes a leader (in assessment)?
• Role of integrative approach/team and its role in
  enriching the SOTL
• How do you support the pathway to leadership?

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A roadmap for the pathway

• Need to incorporate
• A Participatory Action Research methodology (that
  encourages critically reflective practice and
  provides the flexibility that allows the project
  to cater to each departments contextual needs)
• Self-selected project participants (AREs) with a
  passion for learning and teaching and
  particularly assessment
• Funding to allow teaching release time for AREs
  (who can then participate in leading assessment
  within their departments)
• Participation of influencers who provide
  higher-level support and strategic dissemination
  of project details at a divisional level

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A roadmap for the pathway

• Need to incorporate
• Ongoing support for project participants
  (including regular forums for the LEAP group,
  workshops and reflection sessions)
• The strategically considered selection of a
  steering committee
• An external evaluator acting as a participant
  observer in accord with the action research
  framework, and
• A dedicated research manager to co-ordinate the
  project, particularly supporting the AREs.