Dr David Nicol

1
Re-engineering Assessment Practices in Scottish
Higher Education

• Dr David Nicol
• Project Director
• Centre for Academic Practice
• University of Strathclyde
• d.j.nicol_at_strath.ac.uk

2
Rationale for project

• Assessment key driver of student learning
• Assessment is a major cost in HE economies of
  scale limited
• Assessment influences a wide range of
  organisational, pedagogical and business
  processes in HE

3
Educational basis

• Enhanced formative assessment resulted in
  learning gains that were among the largest ever
  reported (Black Wiliam, 1998)
• Assessment does not fully prepare students for
  learning throughout life (Boud, 2000).
• Assessment predominantly teacher-centred must
  develop learner self-regulation (Nicol
  Macfarlane-Dick, 2004 2005 Yorke, 2003)
• Gibbs Simpson (2004). FAST project

4
Educational basis

• Technologies can enrich assessment (Bull
  McKenna, 2004)
• And help develop learner self-regulation (Nicol
  Milligan, 2005).
• So far, little attempt to integrate a range of
  technologies to support assessment for learning.

5
Aims of Project

• Re-engineer assessment practices in 3 HE
  institutions using supportive technologies.
• Increase range of approaches - self, peer, tutor,
  to enhance motivation self-regulation
• Integrate technologies online tests, e-voting,
  e-portfolios, VLEs, admin systems and
  online-offline interactions
• Focus is on large 1st year classes
• Improve learning quality and/or reduce costs

6
Partners roles

• Strathclyde Univ 5 departments (one per faculty)
  with large 1st year classes (MechEng, Marketing,
  School of Pharmacy, Psychology, Primary
  Education)
• Caledonian Business School (faculty reengineering
  core divisions)
• Glasgow Univ (electronic voting technologies)
• Allows synergies and comparisons
  (dept/faculty/institution)

7
Implementation models

• Curriculum re-engineering - holistic
• Departmental/faculty resources, core team in CAP
  and cross-institutional support LS, ITS, VLE
  team (Strathclyde University)
• E-learning champions in divisions (Caledonian
  Business School)
• Software engineer and educational developer
  (Glasgow University)

8
Evaluation baseline and comparison

• Impact on learning quality assessment experience
  questionnaire, documentation analysis (e.g
  balance of self, peer and tutor assessment) and
  interviews.
• Cost/workload analysis (staff time on activities)
• Cost-benefit analysis
• Institutional changes (cultural, organisational,
  pedagogical and technical)

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Project deliverables

• Case studies (exemplars) of re-engineered
  assessment based on learner self regulation
• Document lessons learned through curriculum
  re-engineering (department/faculty/institution)
• Evidence of impact cost/quality improvements
• Workload and cost-benefit models
• Develop electronic voting software/approaches
• Identify organisational and support issues

10
Dissemination/ benefits to sector

• Project website complete documentation
• Scottish network on e-assessment funded
  separately by Funding Council (50k)
• JISC HE Academy SFC
• Conferences and workshops
• Publications in refereed journals
• Guidelines for practitioners

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Questions and discussion
12
Departmental plans (examples)

• Marketing more effective feedback delivery and
  peer processes
• School of Pharmacy developing reflection and
  self-assessment skills supported by e-portfolios.
• Psychology self-testing and dynamic feedback
  through simulations and use of personal response
  system in lectures.

13
Research Evidence

• Black Wiliam (1998) significant learning gains
  from active S involvement in assessment
• Yorke (2003) Boud (2000) assessment inhibiting
  development of learning society
• Nicol Macfarlane-Dick (2004 2005) Nicol and
  Milligan (2005) how self-regulation might be
  supported through assessment
• Gibbs Simpson (2004) conditions for effective
  assessment in science