Masters level Open assessments

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Masters levelOpen assessments

• Susan Stepney

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Masters level work

• Masters level teaching provides
• an enhanced capability for independent learning
  and work
• Masters level students must demonstrate
• The framework for higher education
  qualifications in England, Wales and Northern
  Ireland http//www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastruct
  ure/FHEQ/EWNI/default.asp
• a systematic understanding of knowledge, and a
  critical awareness of current problems and/or new
  insights, much of which is at, or informed by,
  the forefront of their academic discipline, field
  of study, or area of professional practice
• originality in the application of knowledge
• demonstrated by
• closed examination or open assessment of each
  module
• Masters level project work
• CSW module covers how to do project work

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workload (open assessment module)

• 10 credit module 100 hours, typically split
  something like
• Lectures 16 x 1 hrs
• Practicals 4 x 2 hrs
• Private study 40 hrs
• general reading around the subject, following
  up on lectures and practical material
• the lectures merely provide the context for this
  study
• some lecturers provide detailed reading lists
  others dont!
• an enhanced capability for independent learning
  and work
• Assessment 36 hrs
• typically one or a few questions, to be answered
  in a 10-20 page report

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open assessment report

• the required Masters level systematic
  understanding of knowledge, and a critical
  awareness informed by the forefront of their
  academic discipline
• cannot be demonstrated by regurgitation of
  lecture notes
• the lectures merely provide the context for your
  own study
• if your assessment report merely regurgitates
  lecture notes you will fail
• this is where Masters level open assessments and
  Batchelors level (undergraduate) closed
  examinations fundamentally differ!

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open assessment report

• the required Masters level systematic
  understanding of knowledge, and a critical
  awareness informed by the forefront of their
  academic discipline
• can be demonstrated by including (as part of
  your answer) a systematic discussion and critical
  evaluation of the state of the art scientific
  literature (read during the hours allocated for
  your private study, and for your open assessment)
• your report should typically include a list of
  5-20 relevant key papers, which you appropriately
  reference and critique as part of your written
  answer

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example

• Discuss the issues in validating nanite
  correctness, and nanite safety.
• The issues of nanite correctness and safety are
  a few sentences taken from three slides of the
  lecture notes.
• The issues of nanite correctness and safety are
  described by Smith99 to be a summary of
  Smiths position. But Bloggs02 claims
  another summary. More recent work by Jones06
  explains yet another summary, but appears to
  neglect then your critique of Joness paper.
• and so on, and so on, for as many pages as
  suggested by the number of marks allocated for
  this question

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critique reasoned evaluation

• I dont like this idea.
• This idea wont work.
• This idea doesnt work in this application
  because a justified reason. Moreover,
  Brown77 shows that some other idea is better.
  However, it might actually work somewhere
  else, and Black00 says that etc, etc
• I think this approach is excellent, and should
  always be used.
• This approach should be used in certain
  specified cases because a justified reason.
  Also, Green04 shows that it worked on their
  application, some of the time. On the other
  hand, Pink59 claims it has fundamental
  problems, etc, etc

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moral

• an open assessment is like a (mini) project, and
  needs its own (mini) literature review and
  critique
• referencing and evaluating other peoples work is
  an important part of your own analysis when
  answering the question
• do this, and become a Masters level student!