Group Assessment for Computer Science Projects

1
Group Assessment for Computer Science Projects

• Zabin Visram and Mike Joy
• Department of Computer Science
• University of Warwick

2
Introduction

• Results of a study on group work assessment
  techniques within the context of a computer
  science project
• In this talk, we discuss some of the main issues
• There is no magic bullet
• We want to stimulate your thoughts and ideas

3
Diversification

• Our argument -
• Diversification of group work assessment methods
  supports more - open and fair assessment criteria
• Diversification tackles issues of plagiarism and
  collusion

4
Assessment

• There are a number of ways in which group work
  assessment can be diversified, e.g.
• self-assessment
• peer-assessment
• presentations
• posters
• exhibitions
• portfolios
• reflective logs
• computer programs
• conferencing

5
Focus

• We focus on four of the techniques
• Self assessment
• Peer assessment
• Poster presentation
• Portfolios

6
Motivation for Diversification

• Promotes the development of a range of skills,
  such as organisation, teamwork and interpersonal
  skills, and peer feedback
• these are transferable skills desired by
  employers
• Conventional forms of assessment test only a
  restricted range of knowledge and abilities
• by using the same few assessment formats some
  students may be repeatedly disadvantaged
• Conventional assessment does not always include
  good formative evaluation

7
Involving students in their own assessment

• Students become more objective and better at
  evaluating their own or their peers work
• Engages the student in applying assessment
  criteria to evidence
• Students learn a great deal about their own
  attempt at a task by appraising other students
  attempts at the same task
• Encourages students to become self-directed
  learners and to reflect on their understanding

8
1 Self Assessment

• Students reflect on their progress
• become critical about their own work
• take responsibility of their learning
• Students who know how they are progressing
• better prepared for exams and coursework
• Self-assessment skills invaluable for life-long
  learning

9
Approaches

• a series of short questions
• target specific issues the student is required to
  reflect upon
• an essay type question
• encourage the student to reflect wider on their
  progress than would be possible

10
Advantages

• Evaluative skills and critical judgment
• Foster reflection
• Extend the learning process
• Students to take responsibility for their own
  learning
• Develops decision-making skills
• Monitoring students progress
• Allowing the student to present relevant
  information that may not be covered by other
  assessment methods

11
Disadvantages

• The mechanism relies on students acting
  professionally, and individual differences can be
  perceived as discrepancies in self-assessment
• Students need guidance how to critically evaluate
  their contribution to a group project

12
2 Peer assessment

• Students assess each others contribution to the
  project and their participation in the team
• Peer assessment may be used as a reflective tool,
  so that students are asked to consider
  performance in terms of set criteria or outcomes
• It is usually only a contributory part of
  assessment strategy and in combination with other
  mechanisms

13
Advantages

• Active participation
• Responsibility for the assessment process
• Critically analysis of work done by others
• Clarification of assessment criteria
• Enhanced feedback
• Accountability (to the team)

14
Freeloaders

• The issue of freeloaders has always tainted group
  work assessment
• Tutor has difficulty in addressing the degree to
  which each individual team member contributed
• Only the students will be able to identify this
  correctly, and a principal advantage of peer
  assessment is that students who fail to
  contribute can be identified

15
Disadvantages

• Requires students to be honest
• otherwise it may be seen as unfair
• Students may lack the ability to evaluate each
  other
• training required
• Friendship may influence their evaluations

16
3 Poster presentations

• Popular assessment technique for group projects

17
Advantages

• Tutor can assess qualities that cannot easily be
  tested by written documents, e.g.
• the verbal fluency
• the communication skills
• the creativity of the group
• self-confidence
• Tutor can establish the actual level of
  understanding both of the team and individuals

18
Disadvantages

• Needs time and space to be set aside for the
  presentations
• Equitable process for creating each presentation
• Access to high-quality printing, for example

19
Non-contributors

• Possible to verify the individual contributions
  to the work of the group
• Careful questioning by experienced and specialist
  tutors with secondary questions make it possible
  to identify passengers and other non-contributors
  and to assess accurately the level of
  understanding
•  

20
4 Portfolios

• A portfolio contains evidence, which can be
  program listings, test data reports, user manual,
  and other items
• Most importantly evidence is produced throughout
  the duration of the project, but it is
  fundamental that it must be appropriate for the
  given assessment criteria

21
Advantages (1)

• Some forms of assessment target only a narrow
  range of knowledge and abilities
• portfolios can assist in addressing this issue
• can take the form of a variety of evidence
• Support the integration of learning from
  different parts of the course and beyond
• Support the development, demonstration and valid
  assessment of a wide range of personal
  professional and academic capabilities

22
Advantages (2)

• Adds value to the assessment process
• collection of a variety of the students work
• created at different stages
• not a single summative process
• During its compilation the student can
  assimilate, articulate and criticise their work
  which a program listing doesnt easily allow
• Collusion and plagiarism are difficult
• collections of individual work with substantial
  variation

23
Advantages (3)

• Allow students to conceptualise and formulate
  their ideas and thoughts
• better understanding of the subject area
• deeper learning
• Argue what the evidence shows, and explain
• what they have learned
• what capabilities they have developed
• how far they have achieved the learning outcomes
• Seen to be a fairer means of assessment
• Suitable for formative assessment

24
Disadvantages

• Portfolios not often used in computing courses,
  therefore there is no standard format
• A portfolio may take a long time to mark
• majority of the time is consumed in
  cross-referencing the critical reflection and
  evidence processes

25
Summary (1)

• A preferred outcome in education should be the
  increased ability in the learner to make
  critical, analytical and independent rulings of
  their own and their peers work
• Peer assessment and self-assessment are seen as a
  means by which these general skills can be
  developed and practiced.
• Awareness of the drawbacks is important
• since mechanism relies on students acting with
  integrity, and students must be given training

26
Summary (2)

• Poster presentations provide a means to test
  those group work abilities that other forms of
  assessment cannot easily address
• An effective way of establishing the teams
  communication, discussion and their ability to
  argue a point in a discussion
• Portfolios allow for creativity and freedom
• but computer science students are often unused to
  portfolio creation, thus guidance criteria needs
  to be established

27
Conclusion

• We have compared and contrasted four different
  methods of assessment, which address a range of
  diverse evaluation issue
• We have argued that the diversification of group
  work assessment promotes a fairer means of
  evaluation, tests an extensive range of knowledge
  and abilities

28
The End

• Discussion. Please.
• www.ics.ltsn.ac.uk/resources/groupwork