Assessment and Feedback

 Competence Goals

 4.  You understand the meaning and goals of assessment and feedback in higher education pedagogy. 

4a) You consider the roles and objectives of assessment and feedback in the learning process. 

4b) You use examples to examine different evaluation methods and ways to assess. 

4c) You use your own experience, scientific literature or other reliable sources of information in your reflection. 

11. You know which documents guide teaching, guidance, and assessment. 

11b) You examine the documents and principles that guide assessment. 

Image source: Purpose of Assessment Clip Art - Search Images (bing.com)

According to Hyppönen & Linden (2009):

        "Assessment aims at developing the students’ skills, correcting erroneous impressions and challenging them to a deep approach to learning. Assessment is essential when the aim is to help the students achieve the set outcomes."

Why exactly do we need assessment? the answer to this question can be provided by focusing on three crucial roles of assessment pointed out by Räisänen & Frisk, 1996.

1. Control: 

Assessment, mostly quantitative, helps in making assumptions about future progress and thus gives a teacher control over how the students progress in future.

2. Motivation:

Assessment influences the students’ motivation, because assessment and its

consequences have an effect on how students feel about studying (Trotter 2006,

508; Kauppila 2003, 43.)

3. Guidance:

    It guides the students towards the choices that are right and fall in accordance with the

set learning outcomes.

    After establishing the reasons and uses of assessment, the next question that emerges in mind is "How do we know which assessment method to choose?" A very crucial element to take into account while focusing on choosing the right type of assessment to have the desired effects is to consider that it has to be aligned with the learning outcomes and teaching methods. We have to think carefully about the assessment method which is consistent and aligned with the teaching methods, goals and guiding processes; so that it promotes deep learning. Also other factors that are to taken into account are:

Who is assessing:  

• Self assessment: An individual student or a student group assesses its own work or actions. It can be supported by providing assessment criteria.​
• Peer assessment: It refers to an action, where students assess the outputs or actions of other students.
• Teacher assessment: Assessment has traditionally been carried out by the teacher. The teacher is seen as an expert in his/her field, and should, therefore, be competent to evaluate the level of the students’ learning in relation to the set outcomes Hyppönen & Lindén (2009). 

When:

• Diagnostic​ assessment takes place at the start of/before a course and refers to a mapping of the students’ entry knowledge, skill and learning levels (Karjalainen 2002, 208).​ It helps the teacher in making adjustments to the content, focus and methods of the course​. 
• Formative​ assessment takes place during studying. It promotes a deep approach of learning as students are evaluated individually against a set criterion. 
• Summative​ assessment takes place after studying (achieved learning is evaluated with a final examination, for example).

Type of Assessment: 

• Grade
• Written 
• Verbal

Penny Ur (1996, p.42) suggests several aspects to consider when designing tests: 

• Validity. Check that your items really do test what they are meant to! 
• Clarity. Make sure the instructions for each item are clear. They should usually include a sample item and solution.
• “Do-ability”. The test should be quite do-able: not too difficult, with no trick questions. Ask a colleague to read through it and answer the questions before finalizing. 
• Marking. Decide exactly how you will assess each section of the test, and how much weighting (percentage of the total grade) you will give it. Make the marking system as simple as you can, and inform the testees what it is: write in the number of points allotted after the instructions for each question. 
• Interest. Try to go for interesting content and tasks, in order to make the test more motivating for the learners. 
• Heterogeneity. The test should be such that lower-level students can feel that they are able to do a substantial part of the test, while the higher-level ones have a chance to show what they know. So include both easy and difficult items, and make one or more of the difficult ones optional.

Feedback:
                 "Feedback plays an important part in the developing aspect of assessment. Based on the feedback received through assessment, the students learn about the shortcomings of their learning, and understand the importance of developing their actions."

Jaques (2006) underlines that feedback must be carried out with sensitivity and he claims that it is more effective when it is: 

•  descriptive rather than evaluative 
• specific rather that general 
• considering the needs of both the receiver and the giver of the feedback 
• directed toward behaviour that the receiver can control 
• solicited rather than imposed 
• well timed 
• checked to ensure clear communication 

Image source: feedback clip art - Search Images (bing.com)

Head & Taylor (1997, p.190) suggest that instead of saying:

 "You should have...You shouldn´t have... Why didn´t you...You could have... I wouldn´t have... I would´ve... Where you went wrong was... Everything was okay until you... It wasn´t terrible but you..", 

try saying

 "I noticed that you... Another option available in that situation is... The advantage there might be... The disadvantage there another time could be... Another time you could choose to... What do you feel was the advantage of taking that option? 

• What was on point or impressive?
• Which areas need improvement, in what aspects and how things could have been better than they are now?
• What could have been done differently?
• Providing constructive feedback that would motivate the students to do better.
• Creating a safe space where they can share their ideas and reflections freely without the fear of being judged or looked down upon.
• The feedback should help them in improving their current situation and move in the right direction to achieve the desired learning goals and outcomes.

    For example if we consider the example of peer feedback that each one of us provided to each other regarding the blog posts, the criteria provided by Kimmo & Riikka helped in making the feedback somewhat equal. This pre-designed criteria ensured that all of us focused on similar elements. If the criteria would not have pre-designed or decided on, everybody would have looked at the blogs from their own perspective regarding what should or should not have been done.

Sources:

Head, K., Taylor, P. (1997). Readings in Teacher Development. Heinemann English Language Teaching. ISBN 0-435-24055-2

Hyppönen, O. & Linden S. (2009). HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS – COURSE STRUCTURES,

TEACHING METHODS AND ASSESSMENT. Helsinki University of Technology Teaching and Learning Development Unit. 

Jaques, D. (2006). Learning in Groups: A Handbook for Improving Group Work. London, Routledge.

Karjalainen, A. 2002. Tentin Teoria. 2nd edition. Oulu: Oulun Yliopistopaino.

Räisänen, A. & Frisk, T.1996. Oppilas- ja opiskelija-arvioinnin taustaa. Teoksessa A. Räisänen & T. Frisk (toim.) Silta uuteen opiskelija-arviointiin. Helsinki, Opetushallitus arviointi 6/1999.

Strakova2.pdf (pulib.sk)

Ur, P. (1996). A Course in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press, pp. 33-45, ISBN 0-521-44994-4