Assessment Challenges in the Development of an Undergraduate Nursing Framework

Approaches to assessment in higher Education in the UK have developed and diversified considerably in recent years. Our new Pre-Qualifying Nursing curriculum aims to introduce a new assessment culture wherby the processes of learning, teaching and assessing are seen to be complimenatry and which will enhance employability. The emphasis in practice is not on assessment in practice but on learning in practice and aims to employ a multimethod approach to assessment. The focus of discussion surrounds theory and practice assessments that promote employability and new ways of promoting learning in professional practice through assessment.

On-Site Assessment - The Requirements of an Assessor

This paper looks at the issues that have arisen when setting up a managed apprenticeship programme with regards to assessing apprentices on site in their own work environment. The key area for this paper is: "The Requirements of the Assessor" which looks at the way in which assessments are structured by the assessor to meet the particular learning styles of the apprentices but still meet the prescriptive requirements of the qualification.

Who's Doing What? Students, Farmers and Lecturers Teaching, Learning and Assessing On and Off Farm

The innovative co-learning approach to teaching, learning and assessing adopted for the Advanced Diploma of Agriculture Dairy (ADAD) course, delivered by McMillan Campus, University of Melbourne, is the only post secondary program in Australia to deliver a dairy focused Advanced Diploma level VET course in 50/50 mode. Practicing farmers from a range of dairy farming systems have been recruited to support the program's 6 industry placements and are involved as trainers and co-assessors with dairy industry lecturers. The program differs from DPI extension, mainstream TAFE and traditional science based university delivery and has attracted significant sponsorship from various sectors of the dairy industry.

Teaching Enterprise through Work-Related Assessment

The teaching of enterprise in academia provides a significant challenge as enterprise skills need to be developed further in the 'real world' of business and society. In addition, current trends in student goals and preferences are to complete courses in minimum time without traditional work placements. At Thames Valley University, we address these challenges for our students in London and Hong Kong through work related assessment. This enables students to gain experience and insight into the entrepreneurial personality and enterprise through utilising their personal networks to exploit a rich resource for personal learning and development within an academically rigorous framework.

How Does Assessment Affect Students' Learning Process - A Hong Kong Study

The highest taxonomical level of learning outcome is extended abstract. It gears to a series of teaching and learning activities such as learning approaches and assessment. It is believed that assessment plays an important role in promoting deep learning. However, students with different backgrounds or abilities may respond differently to different assessment schemes. To investigate the learning process of sub-degree and degree students with regard to their different backgrounds and distinctive modes of assessment, a study was commissioned by a group of building services engineering teachers. Using a shortened version of Study Process Questionnaire (SPQ), students were asked about their experiences of preparing for, and taking assessments. Subsequent face-to-face interviews were conducted to verify the quality of data and acquire in-depth understanding of their learning process. The analysis examined the tactics the students adopted in relation to assessments, and in particular the way they searched, interacted and applied the study materials. Consolidating the results with other relevant studies in this area should enable a more complete understanding on what may underlie the notion of 'good assessment scheme'.

Using Assessment to Develop Personal Meaning

Much is talked about the 'theory-practice divide' and students sometimes tell us that what is taught in the classroom is different to what happens in the clinical practice areas. The challenge for us as academics was how we could bridge this gap. This paper will discuss the journey we faced, together with our students, in developing an assessment tool that enabled them to comprehend links between the often perplexing theory and clinical practice. We will look at how the process of critical reflection / self evaluation enabled them to attach personal meaning to events experienced in practice.

The Notion of Task and Its Application as a Means for Assessing Language Proficiency in the Workplace

This paper explains how the notion of task can be used as an instrument for assessing different levels of performance in a workplace. To realize such intention, the paper (1) identifies from the point of view of ethnography of communication, each task in the procedural operations of a profession such as trading, finance, service etc., (2) describes the task in terms social setting, linguistic variation, and psycholinguistic features, whereby a comperhensive understanding of the notion can be achieved; and (3) illustrates the usefulness of the description through a pilot survey of professional judgement on the validity of the instrument. The paper concludes that although the notion of task is a multi-facet concept, it can yeild systematic scale for workplace assessment.

The Assessment of Operational Policing Skills and Knowledge Demonstrated by Probationary Constables in New Member Police Training in the New South Wales Police

This paper will discuss workplace learning and assessment in the probationary year and show how probationers learn operational policing on the job. This discussion will be developed to show how operational police using an assessment tool called a 'Duty Book' assess this teaching/ learning process. In addition the paper will identify barriers to the introduction and administration of this assessment tool and examine ways these barriers have and continue to be addressed.

Nurses Have Assessment Mastered - Or Do They?

Nursing is unique in that many of the skills expected of the Nursing Student, may cause immediate discomfort, or even death. Errors in procedure are simply not acceptable resulting in the perception that assesment in the workplace is stressfull for students, teachers and ward staff. Despite the difficulties, various assessment tools have been developed & this paper aims to share the experiences of the nursing network at Swinburne & detail the different approaches used.

From University to Workplace: Assessing Experiential Learning

This paper reports on a process of assessment used for public policy internships in an Australian University and argues that before students embark upon a policy internship they need to understand how to critically analyse their work. The paper outlines the processes involved in this critical analysis and how they apply to specific tasks in the workplace. The paper then discusses how the students negotiate their tasks in the workplace and how they produce the criteria by which they will be assessed. The outcomes for both academic supervisors and students are that there is then a clear set of criteria for assessment of their work.

Assessing Students' Experiential Learning during Work Placements

Assessment, as is often argued, helps to give the placement, and the experiential learning, which occurs, in the placement, due academic weight, and hence the integration of theory and practice would be given a higher priority. Furthermore, assessment of placement performance is occasionally implicitly used as a proxy for the evaluation of the idea of sandwich placements per se. It can be argued therefore, that the use of assessment is to facilitate genuine, meaningful experiential learning; part of a 'conversation' between student and teacher (whether placement tutor or on-placement supervisor), which is aimed at an ongoing negotiation of significant personal objectives and an appraisal of the student's success in fulfilling them.

Assessing Undergraduate Nursing Students' Performance: Implications for Practice

Evaluation of nursing students in clinical areas requires clinical supervisors (CS) and nurse preceptors (NP) to evaluate student progress. An important part of the evaluative process is the assessor's understanding of the clinical evaluation (CE) tools. There is anecdotal evidence that the current CE tools are not being used uniformly by the student group, CS and/or NP. Review of the CE tool has provided the need for a more concise objective tool to support students to achieve the required clinical outcomes and support CS/NP to gain a clearer and more objective measurement of students.

Combining Novel Pedagogic and IT Approaches to Align the Assessment of Workplace Learning with Criteria for Academic Credit

Assessment of workplace learning is highly problematic due to the diversity of work experience and the fact that the learning takes place outside the formal structures of the education institution. The assessment of work-based learning becomes an important issue when work experience is offered within a formal educational programme and when it attracts academic credit. The paper describes how we have managed to align the assessment of workplace learning with criteria used for awarding academic credit for taught elements within a degree programme and we will illustrate how we track and assess work-based learning remotely using an electronic-portfolio system.

Ecology, Identity and Assessment: The Implications of a Case Study of Police Students' Learning in Community Placements for Assessment

The notion of reflective practice often underpins work placements. In this paper, I consider the results of a study of New South Wales policing students' learning in community placements which had, as its' stimulus, academics' comments that students were clearly learning, but not through reflection. The results indicate that using Burkitt's ecological perspective on identity (relational, embodied and active) as the framework shifts the focus to intentions, actions and interactions as central to learning. An action learning approach to work placements and their assessment is suggested as a way forward.

Implementation and Feedback on the Use of Reflective Writing as a Component of a Clinical Assessment

RW is seen as an "authentic" method of assessment, and this exercise can provide a safe, non-threatening environment for students to think back carefully about the chronicle of events as they happened during clinical sessions, challenge assumptions and confront existing suppositions, seek clarifications and self evaluate. Reflective writing is a powerful medium for learning and a means of facilitating reflection-on-action, encouraging the development of analytical/problem solving skills and responsibility for independent learning.This presentation reports the implementation of reflective writing (RW) as a component of a clinical assessment to encourage reflective learning, and the feedback from the students on its effectiveness.

Making Assessment Real

Late in 2004, the Nurse Lecturers at Swinburne University - tafe agreed that their students were over assessed and it was necessary to modify and reduce the number of assessments required. One area this could be achieved was in the modules of Health Education and Community Nursing. It was planned for the students to carry out a basic needs analysis and then conduct a Health Promotion day on campus for the University Community in general.This presentation demonstrates the input and evaluation of the task by the nursing students and all other parties involved.

Authentic Assessments for Measuring Pre-service Teachers' Readiness for Working in Inclusive Classrooms

This research reports the assessments used during a compulsory unit of work on inclusive education for pre-service teachers and how these were mapped against outcomes achieved regarding their changes in attitudes, beliefs and expectations about inclusive educational practices. The emphasis was on the identification and integration of graduate attributes into assessment and the development of authentic approaches that would be directly linked to them. Information regarding the course structure and the various options embedded within the unit of work designed to prepare teachers for inclusivity will be discussed.

Improving Students' Learning through Authentic Assessment

This paper focuses on the design and implementation of a new subject and its assessment aimed at first year undergraduate students. The subject was devised to impart the basic skills required for academic success in university. The primary aim was to encourage authentic learning through authentic assessment. A series of skills-based assessments which mimicked real-life situations were designed focusing on the process of undertaking academic work.

Authentic Assessment - Mission Possible or Mission Impossible?

The authors will describe their approach to authentic assessment in two undergraduate units in chemistry and environmental management. Within the environmental planning unit, the authentic assessments reflect current planning practice, including the production of a research report and environmental plan. In the chemistry unit, students are introduced to the theory of ammonia production which is authenticated by a visit to a chemical plant. Following the visit students are then assessed on ammonia production. Students have benefited from the authentic assessments on multiple levels; including enjoyment, appropriate skills and knowledge for the employment market and direct integration of assessment and workplace skills.

From the Classroom to Kajulu and Beyond: Authentic Assessment within an Industry-Professional Context

Teaching and learning strategies are changing as the contemporary view of effective education is to prepare students for assimilation into professional practice. Within the School of Communication at Charles Sturt University the distance between the classroom and professional community is closing. At Kajulu Communications, the on-campus student advertising agency students apply best industry practice to a range of authentic situations. This paper examines a 360 degree or 'orbital' view of assessment tasks within Kajulu; peer, lecturer and client assessment, and draws on actual Kajulu case studies to support the notion of authentic assessment within an industry-professional teaching and learning environment.

Effective Verbal Feedback for Project-Based Assessment: A Case Study of the Graphic Design Critique

This paper reports an action-oriented process in which final year graphic design students, a design lecturer and her colleagues collaborated to develop, trial and revise a checklist for giving constructive verbal feedback both online and face-to-face in a project based assessment context. Authentic assessment, which emphasises the acquisition of relevant professional attitudes and competencies, is needed to prepare graphic design students for the workplace. Project-based assessment, which reflects real-life applications, is an established practice in design schools. The giving and receiving of feedback on projects is a critical learning moment in the assessment context that is immediately transferable to the professional design studio context.

Perceptions of Authentic Assessment and the Impact on Student Learning

This study examines (1) the differences between student and teacher perceptions of an authentic assessment rated on 5 assessment characteristics that determine its authenticity, and (2) the direct and indirect relations between student perceptions of an authentic assessment, their study approach and their learning outcomes. Students and teachers seem to differ in their perceptions. Moreover, an assessment with a more authentic task and physical context result in more deep learning and an increased learning outcome, while more authentic assessment criteria seem to result in less deep learning.

The Practicality of Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment has a potential to greatly increase student motivation and promote performance equity across gender, race, ethnicity and socioeconomic levels, but the practical application of authentic assessment is another matter. Gosal & Yambo's research addresses these concerns by evaluating current authentic assessment research and conducting qualitative research using methodologies such as classroom observations, teacher surveys, and finally through the implementation of authentic assessment into their own secondary level classrooms. The objective is to determine the feasibility of successfully applying authentic assessment as a tool to adequately measure student understanding. Yet without proper and efficient implementation, authentic assessment may not be as practical to successfully apply.

Assessing Employability: A Comparison between Two Approaches to Practice-Based Assignments

Students often find it difficult to excel in practice-based assessment. They report that they are unclear about what they have to do, that they find the tasks too complex and that they are unsure of how to produce the final documentation for the project. This paper contrasts two approaches used in two different subjects to assess practice-based work. It explores the primary role of practice-based assignments to assess professional processes and whether students are able to respond to their circumstances to arrive at the best possible solution.

Implementing Authentic Assessment: Student Perceptions of Job Relevance

This paper reports the results of a study conducted over three years with students in a Bachelor of Business program at an Australian university. The subject of the study is an advanced practice elective unit in training and development. Authentic assessment was identified as essential to the alignment between the required learning outcomes, the subject matter and students' future careers. This paper will present the findings of the study, exploring student satisfaction with the unit's design, delivery and assessment practices, in regard to job relatedness and preparation for entry into the profession.

Aligning Enacted Practices with Advocated Principles: Authentic and Peer Assessment in Teacher Education

Through interrogating my own assessment practices in pre-service teacher education in terms of their educative function, their alignment with my advocated principles and with the assessment for learning paradigm, I identify both inconsistencies in what I teach about assessment and how I design and implement assessment, as well as identifying the assessment principles that I implicitly value through the enacted assessment. These include valuing: . modelling as a pedagogical tactic in teacher education; . transparency and explicit criteria; . self and peer assessment; . collaborative learning; and . authenticity in assessment.

Assessing the Assessors: Authentic Online Assessment of Students of School Counselling

This paper addresses an educational intervention in a core unit in the Queensland University of Technology's Education Masters degree, in which teachers training to become school counsellors are required to learn to assess children with learning and/or behavioural problems. Because the students are distance learners, there are pedagogical and delivery challenges to be overcome. An authentic assessment task, in the form of a set of filmed problem-based scenarios, was designed to enhance the students's learning and provide opportunities for collaboration. Each scenario was made available weekly with students required to research, reflect, hypothesise and collaborate online before submitting a short professionally presented report explaining the assessment of the troubled child.

Assessing Students' Competences and Skills

This paper discusses the assessment strategy of a newly developed series of undergraduate modules delivering transferable skills and competences in a large business school, focusing on the level one module. This module includes a variety of assessment techniques including an initial self analysis and personal action plan (10% of total mark), a reflective learning log which is submitted in two parts - one in semester one (25%) and the second at the end of semester 2 (50%). The final element, peer assessment (15%) encourages students to rate each others' contribution to their learning set over the year, according to pre-negotiated criteria.

An Outcome Based Assessment in Higher Education

This presentation is based on a comprehensive assessment of graduate student outcomes in a multicultural counseling course. Using an educational evaluation model, the author incorporated qualitative and survey research as methods of inquiry. Students' developmental themes centered on increased awareness, appreciation, internal conflict, and growth. Students were surveyed regarding their perceptions of what contributed to and what impeded their multicultural competency development.

Measuring Qualitative Attributes: Using a Multidimensional Approach to Measure University Learning Goals

One way of documenting student learning outcomes across academic disciplines is by focusing on university learning goals that transcend individual program requirements. An approach in capturing direct learning outcomes on these qualitative constructs is to establish common standards through the use of rubrics. We will share rubrics developed for measuring critical thinking, logical reasoning, oral communication, written communication, leadership, service potential, and using values in decision-making and the process for implementing these measurement tools. These direct measures of student learning outcomes can be triangulated with indirect measures of student perceptions to provide a robust analysis of student performance.

Learning Outcomes Oriented Assignments and Assessment Methods in an Active Learning Environment

Singapore Management University uses interactive seminar style teaching in class rooms. Most of its students hail from Singapore and are generally new to active learning and constructive participation in the seminar style classes. This paper reports findings from a freshmen first term course titled IS 101: Seminar for ISM Majors.

Learning Outcomes and Their Assessment: Putting Open University Pedagogical Practices Under the Microscope

The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest university with over 200,000 students studying part-time at a distance. The shift to learning outcomes has involved major pedagogical and institutional change and has led the OU to re-examine the ways its courses are planned, designed, delivered and assessed. The Learning Outcomes and Their Assessment (LOTA) project has been working since 1999 to realign learning, teaching and assessment and, crucially, in connecting those changes with staff developmment. This paper will report on the methodology of the LOTA project and the main learning points that have emerged.

Institutionalizing a General Education Program Review Process: Outcomes Assessment

The General Education (GE) Program, designed to ensure foundational skills and knowledge of a well-educated person, has undertaken a systematic five-year program review process. Faculty teams review courses to determine whether or not 1) course objectives are student centered, measurable, and reflect the GE objectives; and 2) there is evidence that students are mastering the GE objectives. Feedback to departments and the GE Program is based on examination of syllabi, student work samples and tests, and grading patterns across sections; rubrics promote assessment consistency. This paper focuses on the review process, assessment techniques, and changes made to improve the program review process.

Enhancing Assessment Processes in Large Classes

The project described in the poster is an e-Assessment Tool which uses a six-stage or task development process to support effective marking, moderation and management of assessment in large classes. The process provides quality control and assurance for all aspects of assessment within a unit. It ensures there is: . a good match between unit objectives, tasks and marking criteria . consistency of standards across tutors and students . high quality individualized feedback to students

But Did They Learn? Assessment Driving the Learning, Technology Supporting the Process

But did they learn? That was the purpose of the assessment tasks designed and developed to focus on student learning and not just the teaching of a module with students completing the Master of Information in Technology Education at the University of Hong Kong. A series of rich assessment tasks were used where students complete elements of group and individual tasks to construct their own knowledge in a social context to produce quality learning outcomes. This paper illustrates how such assessment tasks can drive the learning and prevent students from just regurgitating plagiarised facts.

Assessment by Electronic Portfolio

Portfolio for educational purpose is a collection of work that a learner has selected and collected to show growth and change over time. It also contains the learner's reflection on the individual piece of work. An electronic portfolio by using electronic technologies allows the portfolio developer to collect and organize portfolio artifacts in many media types (audio, video, graphics, text). Many electronic portfolios are now database driven, web-based and the artifacts can be hyperlinked. This allows the portfolio to be more durable and accessible. An electronic portfolio can be used as an alternative form of assessment in addition to its other functions like enhancing student learning or being a record of student achievement. Electronic portfolio allows the student to include multiple examples of work done within a range of time which could be a better representation of the student's work. It also provides opportunities for the student to reflect on his/her learning in the process of building the portfolio. These characteristics of electronic portfolio enable assessment to be focused not only on the product but also the process of learning. This paper will examine the experiences of using an electronic portfolio system (OpenW) developed by the author and in the assessment in various courses including general education courses, core courses in a discipline and inter-disciplinary courses. Different assessment objectives, strategies, grading principles and relationship with other assessment methods are developed to suit the needs of different courses. Students' comments on their experiences will also be analyzed.

Delivering and Assessing Dynamic Tutorials over the Web

The paper describes a generic framework for delivering and assessing technical tutorials over the Web. A sample implementation is also demonstrated. The system presents each student with a number of unique sets of problems, guides him/her through the solutions and grades the work. A strict deadline is enforced for each set to promote systematic approach to learning. The unique feature of this system is that the tutorial problems are not randomly picked from a fixed pool but are generated by the software 'on the fly'. The system could be also used as a very effective examination tool.

Ethical Case Studies: Using Blogs as an Assessment Tool for an Undergraduate Business Management Class

Blog websites were used to teach and evaluate learning of ethics. Students had to choose and then post an analysis of an ethical case study. They then had to critique the postings of two other students. A feature of this assessment was the knowledge sharing between students as all participants could read their fellow classmates' work. Analysis of student feedback showed two groups of students; one group very enthusiastic, the other group was less enthusiastic feeling they needed more technical and background information. Of the students, 89% felt the assessment should be repeated for next year's class.

Conceptualising Assessment for Online Delivery: Academic and Educational Developers' Perspectives

Within many universities the assessment practices of academics are influenced by Teaching and Learning Higher Education (TLHE) development practices commonly housed within central units and associated with academic staff developers, instructional designers and educational developers. The influence of educational developers is often more pronounced when information technology is being introduced in assessment practice and when online learning is being increasingly adopted to complement, supplement or replace components of traditional on-campus teaching. This paper outlines critical elements in the thinking that underpins the design and delivery of educational development in the area of e-assessment.

Enrichment of Interaction in Online Assessments

The study looks at the interaction natures of the online assessments used in the websites built and evaluated by the a government-funded project which created over 100 websites and learning objects for teachers in 3 universities in Hong Kong. The present study has identified the following ways in which teachers have successfully promoted enriched interactions in their online assessments. 1. Interaction-with-content 2. Interaction-with-classmates 3. Interactions-with-instructors The study has also spotted that there is room for improvement especially in the assessments that are of the reactions with content and the reactions with instructor types. Enrich interactions can be fostered in the future designs and implementations of online assessments.

The eSPEF - An Electronic Student Fieldwork Assessment Form

Fieldwork placements are an integral part of many professional tertiary programmes. Students' fieldwork performance has traditionally been assessed using paper format which is posted on completion to a central (university) supervisor. This project aimed to develop an electronic version of an existing fieldwork assessment used for Occupational Therapy students to allow the full assessment to be completed and returned in an online format. It is envisaged that this electronic fieldwork assessment tool (e-SPEF) will yield positive gains in terms of efficiency and utility, and also has potential to be of value to other disciplines in their assessment processes.

Augmentation of the Assessment Process by the Use of an Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) and Rubric Marking Keys where Professional Judgment is Involved

This paper highlights the features, benefits and uses of a new EPSS assessment tool, incorporating an instructional rubric-designed marking key. The tool aids in the moderation process, reduces multi-handling of marks, and manages comments and scores, specifically where professional judgment is involved. Whereas previous EPSS applications in most fields of education have focused on student learning, this tool focuses on the assessment process. The tool moves the marking/recording sheet off the desk and onto the desktop (computer screen). The current version of the tool runs on both PC's and Mac's, and allows anytime anyplace recording and comparison of marks. The tool can be used by a single marker or multi-markers and in all stages of the assessment process.

Utilising an IT Tool for Moderating, Marking and Managing Assessment in Large Tertiary Classes

Teaching and learning in Australian undergraduate university courses often involves working with large classes and many sectional tutors. Incorporating valid, reliable, and transparent assessment processes, in this context, is challenging. A recently developed IT tool has been used to assist tutors in the moderation, marking and management of students' assignment work. This paper describes how a teaching team worked alongside an IT researcher as he developed technology to support our work and address the assessment issues we encountered. The development and implementation of the assessment processes facilitated collaborative, practical and educative outcomes for students, tutors and the unit coordinator.

Hallmarks of Excellence in Online Assessment

This paper is based on qualitative research undertaken at four regional Universities in Australia during 2004-2005 and will present a series of signposts concerning standards of excellence in assessment when it is carried out in the online context. Use will be made of case studies to describe exemplary practices, and a framework will be provided to showcase the hallmarks of excellence such as authentic engagement by students in assessment processes which blend formative learning with summative attainment.

Assessment of Online Teaching Effectiveness: What Do Students and Performance Indicators Tell Us?

While it is likely that the majority of university courses in the near future will continue to be taught in a "traditional" in-class format, an increasing number of courses are being "redesigned" to take advantage of online instructional possibilities. One such "redesigned" course is a popular, introduction to psychology class taught at California State Polytechnic University. To assess its effectiveness, students complete pre- and post-tests designed to assess (a) knowledge of psychological theories and principles, and (b) comfort and experience with common technology used in online classes. This presentation will review the instructional mechanics and assessment results for this course.

Evaluation of a Student Assessment Technology Implementation

Providing high quality, timely and effective feedback on student assessment is a significant challenge for academics. To address this challenge, a team at The University of Sydney has been developing and implementing an infrastructure that will, among other things: . Monitor students' exposure to a digital library; . Afford the course administrator the capability of reviewing assessors' marking schedules; . Integrate with an e-portfolio program to facilitate student assessment. The major advantages of the infrastructure are the ability to integrate learning objectives of a unit of study explicitly into the assessment regime and to integrate Biggs' SOLO taxonomy into assessment feedback.

Assessment of Student Learning: Orchestrating the Balance between Online and Offline Methods

Written examinations are still the most common form of assessment and typically allow learners to demonstrate their understanding of theoretical concepts. However, learning psychology supports the case for online assessment as it can allow individual learners to test their knowledge and receive personal feedback. The positive impact on student learning and behavior, and the long-term reduction of staff workloads resulting from early online assessment initiatives suggests the area is worthy of further investment. This paper will discuss how online methods can be integrated with more traditional forms of assessment to achieve practical, sustainable and educationally sound solutions.

Experiential Learning of Occupational Therapy Students through an Expert System in Memory Rehabilitation

This project aimed to provide Occupational Therapy students self-assessment and feedback in clinical reasoning of patients' memory rehabilitation, using an expert system augmented computerized system; and compare it with the typical self-study mode. Students found that self-assessment through the aids of an expert system provides a better framework and self-efficacy to learn and obtain immediate feedback as compared to self-study and teachers' feedback.

Using Online Environments to Promote Assessment as a Learning Enhancement Process

Traditional assessment approaches are being reconsidered in the light of the possibilities offered by online technologies. This paper focuses on case studies that illustrate the use of online formative assessment approaches to enhance students' learning. By elaborating on techniques such as simulated role-play, authentic project-based assessment, online submission and feedback, the paper will discuss how the online environment can facilitate learning. It then outlines specific challenges faced in each case, discusses issues that arose during development and delivery of the units, and identifies some of the factors that helped to facilitate changes in assessment practices in these cases.

Effects of Online Peer-Assessment and Criteria Construction on Enhancing Elementary Students' Competency: An Experimental Study

The effects of peer assessment and criteria construction on the enhancement of elementary scholars' competency were investigated by a posttest-only control group experimental design combined with in-depth interview. Three participating fifth-grade classes were randomly assigned to three different treatment conditions (i.e., no peer assessment group, peer assessment with teacher-provided criteria group, peer assessment with student-constructed criteria group) for seven consecutive weeks to interact with an online learning system that allows rapid and anonymous multiple-choice question-construction, that can be peer-assessed, viewed and used for drill-and-practice learning activities. Based on the collected data, suggestions for classroom implementation and future research are proposed.

Effectiveness of Students' Participation in Assessment Process

This paper presents an investigation of the constructivist assumption that participation in the assessment process is a crucial factor in influencing students' performance and attitudes. To ascertain the value of participation through peer marking, a survey was conducted of two Engineering Mathematics tutorial groups, one of which assessed fortnightly tests using peer marking, and one which used tutor marking. Difference in test results between the two groups was not large, but questionnaire findings the suggest that students in the peer-marking group found experience beneficial because they learned about assessment criteria and they were also able to experience other students' approaches to concepts being tested.

Web Based Self- and Peer- Assessment of Essays: A Case Study

Student involvement in their own learning and that of their peers has many benefits, for example, nurturing independence, developing critical awareness, and encouraging the skills to enable lifelong learning. This paper reports the results of an experiment using an experimental Web facility for self and peer assessment of essays. Student perceptions were obtained by means of questionnaires and in-depth discussions with focus groups over several iterations of the exercise. The perceived benefits of this type of assessment as reported in the literature are compared with benefits reported by students.

The Introduction of Peer-Assessment in Problem Based Learning

Peer assessment is being increasingly utilised within the Faculty of Nursing because of the reported benefits in terms of enhancing student learning. As peer review plays an important role in the everyday work of a nurse, the ability of nursing students to assess one another's contribution to a process or product should be developed. Evidence suggests that students are capable of assessing each other when compared to lecturer derived marks and this modest study adds weight to that body of evidence.

Group Project and Group Assessment in Pre-University Programming Unit

Introducing group project into a programming unit made students work together to create the best program that they could come up with by mustering their collective efforts. It was found that students benefited by being exposed to each other's way of thinking and approach to solve problems. The introduction of viva, self and peer assessment measured the collective work as well as individual contribution of students to the project and suggested a more concrete assessment of the students. Thus this research showed that group project supported by group assessment enhances the collaborative learning of students.

Multi-Ethnic Language Learners and Self-Assessment

In the autonomous learning programmes, the learners are encouraged to be not only the test takers but also active participants in the learning process. There is now an increasing need for a more flexible evaluation procedures that involves learners taking more responsibility in assessing their own language ability.The issue here is whether the learners of various ethnic groups would be able to make meaningful and also accurate contributions to their own self evaluations.The focus of this paper is on self assessment-how accurately Malaysians learners evaluate their language ability.

Introducing Computer-Aided Peer-Assessment in Engineering

Peer assessment can be used to help students learn about standards and the benefit of feedback. When introduced in a constructive way it can work to the benefit of the students doing the assessment, the students being assessed and the academic staff involved. Nevertheless, there is considerable concern from both staff and students about the use of peer assessment. In this paper we describe a strategy for the introduction of peer assessment, discuss the role that computers can play in facilitating the process, and describe case studies in engineering management and engineering design.

Peer- and Self-Assessment - Drawing the Parallels between Student and Staff Practices

This paper will promote the argument that academic staff need to reflect more on the strategies of peer and self assessment if they wish to engage their students in these processes; that they must consider modelling good practice themselves and recognise the parallels between students reflecting on their learning and staff reflecting on their teaching and classroom practice. Peer observation of teaching will be put forward as an example of staff reflecting on their classroom practice.

Using Peer Review to Improve Teaching and Learning

Peer review is an important method for those who teach in any context as it enables greater understanding of practice, through investigation, analysis, and critique. This means that teaching can be subjected to scrutiny and that a strong knowledge base can be developed for one's teaching. This paper will describe and examine the outcomes of the implementation of peer review within a Graduate Certificate program for academics. The Graduate Certificate of University Learning and Teaching at the University of Tasmania aims to develop highly reflective practitioners and encourages academics from across the University to take a scholarly approach to their teaching; including reviewing and reflecting on their practice as teachers, engaging in peer review of their teaching and professional practice, and updating course materials through knowledge of current research in the field.

Student Self-Assessment and its Impact on Learning - A Pilot Study

In January 2004, Standardised Student self Assessment forms were implemented across a School of Health Studies within a UK University. Process guidelines were provided for students and teaching staff. An evaluative Study is currently being undertaken, specifically within the Department of Midwifery and Womens Health, as a preliminary exploration of student self assessment related to specific assessment criteria, its impact on learning to learn and how students and staff percieve it. It is anticipated that the outcomes, which will be discussed, will inform policy makers in addition to highlighting areas for wider enquiry.

Promoting Peer Learning and Assessment with Technology

The concept of peer learning has been around for many years and has been used successfully with face to face teaching using a variety of methods. The use of peer assessment is also well-established, measuring the outcomes of peer learning. However, the application of peer learning and assessment in an online environment is relatively new and this paper discusses the development of a model designed to foster electronic peer work. The results show that there are benefits for students in terms of promoting learning but also benefits for the lecturer.

An Experiential Approach to Entrepreneurship Education - Innovative Use of Reflective Learning

Over the past two years the Department of Commerce, at Mount Allison University in Canada, has offered a conceptually new 13-week entrepreneurship course. The objective of this paper is to share the experience of the use of experiential learning pedagogy combined with multiple reflective learning assessment tools used in this course. The dynamics of these approaches have proven to be successful as students build on skills such as teamwork, leadership and problem solving. However, their use in an entrepreneurship course is innovative and as such needs to be shared with the learning community.

Online Learning, Collaboration and Learning-Oriented Assessment: Four Cases Focusing on Teacher-Education

Online learning technology has significantly changed the landscape of teaching, learning and assessment and allows new possibilities. Learning Management Systems like Blackboard have unique affordances in allowing collaboration between students. The use of group activities and project-based learning allow students to collaborate, debate, negotiate and crystallize their ideas whilst working within a socio-constructivist framework. The use of online learning spaces allows peer assessment. This presentation examines the use of peer assessment within two modules which use online learning, project-based learning and problem-based learning.

Mentorship Skills: Illuminating Inter-Assessor Reliability through Self- and Peer-Assessment

This paper presents the findings of a qualitative, illuminative evaluation study of skills rehearsal that incorporated self and peer assessment in a health professional mentor preparation programme. Focus groups interviews with fifteen students and four practice educators were conducted and transcibed verbatim, and the curriculum documentation was analysed. The findings indicated the challenges of self and peer assessment, and giving and receiving feedback in context thus leading to insights into workplace mentorship and interassessor reliabilty.

The Value of Self- and Peer- Assessment within Fashion Design Education in Taiwan

As Taiwan is trying to keep a competitive edge within the fashion industry, we are observing an evolution within Taiwanese fashion design education. The shift from an emphasis on technical skills to creativity resulted in design educators facing the complex problem of teaching independent interpretative skills to students who had been conditioned to 'learn' the model answer. This paper investigates the different approaches to fashion design education, examines whether self and peer assessment will enhance students' creativity and explore the possibility of developing new teaching methods via assessments which will enhance the design students' learning process.

Student Responses to Peer- and Self-Assessment in a Group-Work Unit in a Transnational Computing Program

Victoria University offers a transnational computer science degree in Hong Kong. The degree program involves a final year Project unit aimed at integrating the computing knowledge gained throughout the degree program. The Project involves the development of real-life software systems by groups of four students. The unit is conducted by University lecturers in distance education mode. This paper reports on a recently introduced method for Project assessment. The method encourages students to optimise their individual Project contributions; it promotes collaborative learning; and, focuses on the Project process as well as the outcome. The method is based on peer- and self-assessment.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Group Projects through Poster Assessment

The usual method for assessing project work is Project Report, but this mode of assessment alone may not provide a fair and consistent assessment between different students (or groups of students) because of variations in projects and supervisor. To minimize this limitation of project assessment, different elements of assessment may be considered. This presentation is a report of the implementation of poster assessment as one of the elements of project assessment to include peer- and self-assessment, and the effectiveness of peer- and self-assessment of posters from the teacher and students' perspectives.

An Exploration into the Assessment of Group Work of University Students

Although students have often been assigned group projects, how group work can be assessed fairly and appropriately is still a matter of great concern. The study investigated students' perception of the fairness and appropriateness of the assessment of group work, their behaviour in doing the group project and their gain from group work. The participants were a group of Year One university students in Hong Kong. Their research projects were assessed both individually and as a group in addition to peer assessment. An on-line questionnaire based on student reflections was the main instrument for data collection. Findings of the study will be relevant to those who are interested in the assessment of the group work of university students.

Peer-Assessment among Students in a Problem-Based Learning Format

This paper presents the findings of an interactive case study that uses a problem-based learning (PBL) approach to examine a typical layout planning case study whereby, students assess the work of other students. These are then used as a part of their continuous assessment grade for the subject. After a brief introduction to the topic, students are formed into small groups are given the case to analyse. The introduction contains just enough information for the students to tackle the case. They then submit and present their solutions. The case is then used to demonstrate further particular layout planning techniques used to find solutions to such situations. Students are then given an introduction to typical evaluation methods used for such cases, and each group evaluates the results of other groups. These are then amalgamated and used as part of the continuous assessment for the subject. The case study has been used on postgraduate students five times and the results consistently demonstrate its value both as a teaching learning activity and as an excellent example peer assessment.

Student Generated Questions as a Form of Formative Evaluation

This study explored the potential of student-generated question as a form of formative evaluation as well as its effects on motivation, satisfaction and anxiety as compared to question-answering. Preliminary qualitative data indicated that student-generated questions learning activity opened up a window for students' self-probing into their own reasoning and comprehension, which helped them to be more conscious and active learners. Moreover, students exposed to the question-posing learning activity tended to perceive learning as a more enjoyable, interesting and satisfying experience as compared to students assigned to the question-answering activity, which was viewed more frequently as a stressful and less pleasant encounter.

Using Concept Map as a Formative Assessment Tool in Senior High School Ecology Course

This research is to study the effect of Concept Mapping in senior high school Ecology course. Based on the content of Fundamental Biology materials for senior high school, a study was conducted for three months adopting Concept Map teaching methods and traditional teaching methods separately. Analysis of variance using scores in a adiagnostic test as dependent variables and instructional modes and interest orientation as independent variables reveals that no matter natural science interest-oriented group or social science interest-oriented group, there is a significant difference in the scores between students with different instructional strategies.

An Examination of the Learning Value of Formative Feedback to Students in Undergraduate Art and Design Courses - Through the Process of the Studio Critique?

This paper examines the learning value of formative feedback for undergraduate design students, through the practices and mechanisms employed by the 'studio critique'. The paper asks what is, for students, the learning value of the critique sessions and how does this impacts on the students' future learning? The data for this study is supported and triangulated through a series of student and tutor interviews, student focus groups and critique observations, carried out in three separate faculties of design in UK universities.The findings of this project contribute to the current debate around teaching methodology and the value of formative assessment in the context of studio-based learning.

In Search for an English Language Exit Test

In 2002, the University Grants Committee (UGC) decided to adopt the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) as the English language exit test for all university graduates in Hong Kong. During the process leading to this decision, the English Component of the Graduating Students' Language Proficiency Assessment (GSLPA), a performance test developed at the Department of English, Hong Kong Polytechnic University with UGC funds and input from international language testing specialists, was also considered a viable test for the purpose. This empirical study aims to determine their suitability as exit tests through comparing their test results from operational administrations.

An Alternative to the Essay

Adult learning should be experiential and interactive. Altman (2000) states students learn best when they are actively engaged in thought-provoking work. The author of this paper, suggests that without these elements, students produce what they think the lecturer wants, and lecturers, continue to find themselves in a relentless round of marking conventional pieces of work, namely the essay. This paper considers an alternative; a carefully structured series of small units of assessment that culminate in a summative piece of work. This breaks the student's workload up, immediately reflects topics they are exposed to and provides formative feedback. Other benefits are many, but, the variety of assessment tools used ensures assessment is not limited to one modality and can be fun.

Students' Perceptions of the Formative Potential of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement: A Pilot Study

New Zealand has recently undergone a change in its senior secondary school high stakes assessment system. The implementation of a standards-based system has provided teachers with assessment tools with considerable formative potential. Research has indicated, however, that the provision of a formative aspect to assessment is a necessary, but not sufficient criteria for assessment to have a significant impact on students' learning. The feedback must be used by the students. This research investigated the nature of the assessment feedback given to students, students' interpretations of any feedback given, and the manner by which students use feedback to influence their learning.

Formative Assessment for Progress Tests of Medical Knowledge

Progress testing of medical knowledge is a method of assessment in which all students regularly sit a test set at the standard expected of a newly qualified doctor. It is difficult to provide useful feedback to students during the early years, because they have minimal knowledge at the assessed level, so we decided to develop a formative question bank. We adopted an innovative approach of employing students to write feedback on test items. We report on feedback from the student body, information on how often students revisit the assessments and any association between formative assessment scores and progress test scores.

Enhancing Learning and Assessment through Confidence-Based Marking

Confidence-Based Marking (CBM) is easily applied to any objectively marked (right/wrong) answers in any discipline. It encourages rigorous and critical thinking and it improves the quality of assessment data in exams. There is no evidence for gender or ethnic differences among our students once they are familiar with CBM. It rewards students who can justify either high confidence or reasons for reservation about an answer.

Formative and Summative Assessment and the Notion of Constructive Alignment

This paper discusses different perceptions of first year accounting students about tutorial activities and their engagements in formative assessment. As the literature suggests, unless participation in tutorial activities forms part of graded assessment, it is often difficult to engage students in these activities. Using an action research model, this paper reports the study of first year accounting students' responses to action-oriented learning tasks in small group settings. The paper discusses the importance of aligning classroom assessment with the final examination which forms part of summative assessment. The impact of centralised-decision making on curriculum issues are also discussed, focusing on the notion of constructive alignment.

Using Formative Assessment to Improve Students' Learning

In this two-year action research questionnaires were administrated to over 200 students and interviews were conducted with over 50 students and 14 teachers to understand the implementation of formative assessment of five courses at the Division of Building Science & Technology, City University of Hong Kong. Findings show that the formative assessment has been an effective means to drive student learning. The assessment objectives and course objectives are well aligned. Students and teachers identified the same major learning objectives in the course and assignments. More than 80% of the students find teachers' feedback useful. Issues raised in this study have been evaluated and incorporated in plans for continuous improvement.

"When a Thought Takes One's Breath Away, a Lesson in Grammar Seems an Impertinence": How Appropriate or Useful is Our Feedback?

The paper presents an analysis specifically of the perceptions of the levels and relative effectiveness of written feedback. The paper argues that much written feedback is inappropriate to the needs of individual students, and consequently is often misunderstood, and usually ignored. Some key qualities of this feedback, and its sometimes inappropriate use are identified, providing insights into possible changes in the nature of provision of, and approach to written feedback to students.

Juxtaposing Formative and Summative Assessment in Ways that Make Sense to Learning: A New Zealand Experience

This paper reports on a practitioner focused research project, which used an action research approach with the stages of planning, action, observation and reflection. A detailed description is provided of the assessment design and practices of three courses of an in-service teacher education programme for teachers of English to speakers of other languages. A key feature of the proposed approach to course design is that formative and summative assessments are viewed, not as separate components, but as connected parts of the whole. This ensures that the teaching, learning and assessment processes are strongly integrated, working together to promote professional competence.

Learning Log: A Tool to Understand Challenges and Improve Learning Outcomes - Implementing Formative Assessment among Asian Students Accustomed to Summative Assessment

Successful implementation of alternative assessment strategies demands that both students and teachers modify their existing approaches to learning and teaching. Within this mode of assessment, students and teachers need to adapt to changes. This study attempts to document some of the challenges that students and teachers encounter in implementing formative assessment in Mathematics and Science classrooms. Following along the path of traditional action research, we wish to improve our professional practice and to map some of the challenges that our students and us have encountered in utilizing formative evaluations to improve learning outcomes.

A Critical Review of the Assessment Reform in Guangdong Province of China

This paper aims to present a preliminary report of a large scale research project titled "On research of assessment tools for and of Basic English learning in Guangdong province of China". The preliminary findings of the study suggest that most of the stakeholders are in favour of the change in assessment. However, when changes are made in summative assessment, it appears that teachers and teacher researchers experience difficulty at both the design and implementation level. Changes in attitude towards assessment and assessment practices are evident in some of the schools which are involved in the research project. We will present some examples of good assessment practices collected by the project team and conclude the experience gained in the past two years. Implications will then be drawn for the next stage of development.

Action Research on a New Form of Formative Assessment for a Pre-University Mathematics Unit

The objective of this research was to create a new form of formative assessment, which would improve teaching and learning of mathematics. The concept of Tutorial Progress Sheet was introduced. Successful completion of the topic exercises ensured that students got a signature in their Progress Sheet. Every signature secured a mark for students, where the student submits the topic exercises and explains the proposed solutions. This enabled the lecturer to monitor students' active participation in class and keep track of the individual progress of students, encouraging a transition from surface learning towards deeper learning and motivating students to excel.

Perspectives of Teachers and Students towards Assessment

This paper presents some of the findings of a teaching and learning development project titled "Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Assessment". Through analysing both quantitative and qualitative data, the results have shown that students are almost totally driven by assessment and are concerned with how they will be assessed rather on what they can learn. This is often referred to as what Biggs calls the "backwash effect" and demonstrates that if assessment is not used in the correct context, it exclusively promotes surface, rather than deep learning. For a university education, the latter is essential, whilst the former in most cases, is to be avoided. The results also highlight that there is a conflict between formative and summative assessment; and address issues of criteria- and norm-referencing assessment and the impact the latter has on how students are assessed.

Criterion-Referenced Assessment and Group Presentations: An Innovative Approach

This paper reports on the use of criterion-referenced assessment for oral, group presentations within the context of an Australian, undergraduate mental health nursing subject. The assessment matrix is used by teaching staff to assess students' oral presentation and group work skills. Students, in groups of three, use the matrix to guide the level of attainment they desire and to assess their peers. Peer assessment is used to promote students' understanding of the required standards, it does not contribute to students' marks. The matrix has proved to be an efficient and effective marking system for a large cohort of students.

Views on the Adoption and Implementation of the SOLO Taxonomy

This paper reports on the findings of teachers' views on the SOLO taxonomy after its adoption and implementation for a year in an academic department in a university in Hong Kong. Individual interviews were conducted. Results show a number of teachers found the SOLO taxonomy helpful because it has provided a framework for every staff member to follow. It has provided a common platform for assessment of different subjects to take place. However, most teachers pointed out that the taxonomy needs fine-tuning. Some teachers had to provide more specific descriptions when they applied the SOLO taxonomy to specific tasks.

Classroom Assessment in a Subject Classroom, General Studies

In response to the education reform in Hong Kong and convinced by the ideas of formative assessment in classrooms, the researcher invited fifteen student teachers of the PGDE Programme to be co-researchers of the present study. They implemented formative assessment in General Studies lessons during their teaching practice, and collected data on their teaching and reflected on the implementation in their classroom teaching. It is hoped that the present study will provide some insight for the practising teachers when they conduct formative assessment in General Studies lessons in order to enhance pupils' learning and promote the effectiveness of their teaching.

Assessing the Writing Skills of Entry-Level Undergraduate Business Students to Enhance Their Writing Development during Tertiary Studies

Curtin Business School (CBS) in Western Australia has an extremely diverse first year intake, including local and international students from a variety of national, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Staff providing academic support have developed a writing assessment task to diagnose the support needs of first year students. Students are placed on six developmental 'bands', with those students in the lower bands strongly advised to take advantage of extra assistance provided. This paper describes the development of the assessment instrument and scale, the implementation of trial assessments and refinements, and support seminars that help students to continue to develop academic writing skills.

Grading Scheme Format Effects in Standards-Referenced Assessment Contexts

This session describes the impact of differing marking scheme formats on student score. Undergraduate papers were repeat graded by expert markers, from both the university and school sectors, according to 'impression', 'analytical' and 'standards-based' marking conventions. Unacceptable variation between individual markers under a single convention casts doubt on assessment reliability while unacceptable variation between student grades under differing conventions casts doubt on evaluation validity. These are not trivial outcomes in high-stakes examination contexts. This session sets out the results of the study, elucidates consequent issues of reliability and validity and explores the notion of 'unacceptable variation' in high-stakes examination contexts.

Involving Students in the Formulation of Assessment Criteria for Small Group Computing Projects

This research addresses the complex and sometimes competing issues that drive assessment practices relating to group projects. The presentation will report on three aspects of a group assessment project, namely the quality issues underpinning the assessment, implementation issues relating to a democratic approach and students reflections about their learning experiences. This action research project raises teaching and learning issues that foregrounds ongoing collaboration between the faculty learning adviser and the lecturer to enhance quality assessment practices that are student and learning centred.

Standards for Academic Writing: Are They Common Within and Across Disciplines?

This paper is based on research conducted at the University of Auckland, the aim of which was to examine the rating practices of a selection of academic staff and explore their views regarding academic literacy and writing in particular. Findings revealed a high level of variation both within and across discipline-related sub-groups in terms of standards. In addition, a gap was found between the Faculty teachers' rating practices and their espoused values regarding the role of language in academic study. Implications are drawn for both EAP assessment and academic literacy policies and practices.

Multi-Dimensional Assessment of the Value of e-Learning in a Large Institution: Challenges and Outcomes

A study was carried at a large technological institute in Singapore to evaluate the value of eLearning. eLearning was first introduced as a supplemental learning tool at the insitute in 2001 and according to its master plans, all its training institutes will be IT-enabled and connected with online learning capability by 2004. When fully implemented, this will affect approximately 1200 teaching staff and 16000 students. The study was designed as an observational study using data collected through the institute's own databases, student and teacher surveys, to provide an up-to-date evaluation of the effectiveness of the eLearning system. The results of the study will serve as a barometer of the ultimate impact of the system. It will also help to identify areas of changes and refinement of the system.

Enhancing Learning through Assessment: A Study Comparing Contemporary Vs Traditional Assessment Methods

Different assessment methods have been trialled to establish if nursing students learn from one method better than another. In general nursing students were find bioscience topics albeit interesting, difficult to learn, understand and have problems with assessment. A longitudinal study was commenced to see if one method of assessment was better over others in allowing nursing students to learn bioscience, in particular pathophysiology. Several assessment methods were trialled from traditional to contemporary and results show that traditional assessment methods provided students with better opportunity to learn pathophysiology than the more contemporary assessment methods including Web based quizzes.

Innovative Assessment and Learning in a Problem Based Environment

An enhanced problem based Pathophysiology course examined the hypothesis that increased interaction with content would increase the ability to solve problems and retain information. Group interaction was both in and outside the classroom and online. Student ownership of the course developed camaraderie, group problem solving skills and the basis to assess professional behaviors. Assessment strategies included individual and group problem solving, retention, reasoning, and professional skills compared to practicing health care professionals. Evaluation included self, peer and professional evaluation of the ability to solve problems involving written cases, pathologic specimens and medical images.

Learning in the Laboratory - Assessment in Both Directions

This poster reviews ways that students may assess, and be assessed in a second and a third year laboratory course at a Canadian university. The evaluations of student performance include peer reviews, one-on-one orals, formal presentations, in-lab and pre-lab assignments. We deliberately have a variety of methods to widen the experience for the student. The team of instructors can assess more effectively by observing the same students perform in different circumstances and can learn more about teaching when discussing the results within the team. Focus groups and the usual end-of-term surveys complete the monitoring of student progress and satisfaction, providing the coordinator with the rationale for future changes.

Decoding Students' Writing Process: An Alternative Means to Assess Learning and Facilitate Teaching

The paper focuses on the implementation of a modified version of ipsative assessment as an alternative means to assess learning and facilitate teaching. By incorporating the process of creating a text into the assessment of a text, teachers can provide feedback on students' choices in the creation of the text and evaluate students' growth as writers. This paper explores issues relating to assessment within a process writing approach for teaching writing. The paper discusses how drafts could be utilized for assessing students' writing. Special attention is placed on empowering students with the ability to better assess their written work.

The Psychodynamics of Oral Assessment

Two empirical studies illustrate how, for some students, oral assessment, in form of student presentations to fellow students, can be a particularly engaging and fruitful form of assessment. Such students report a strong awareness of their audience and of themselves, seek to develop a deeper understanding of their topics, and describe the oral format as significantly more engaging than written formats. This paper explores the 'psychodynamics of oral assessment' as a means of understanding the effects of oral assessment on students and their learning.

Blending Process with Product: Using Assessment to Drive Learning through the Creation of an Online Journal

This paper reviews and evaluates the introduction of an integrated approach to assessment as the key driver for learning in a postgraduate library and information studies program at Queensland University of Technology. Students were required to create an online journal which became the vehicle to combine the process of learning and the product of learning. The unit was also used as a pilot project to introduce and evaluate criterion referenced assessment as part of a QUT Teaching Fellowship project.The students' responses to the leaning and assessment activities and their views on criterion referenced assessment are discussed in the paper.

Assessing Actuality in Group Design

The context of working collaboratively in a team is very difficult for students experiencing this for the first time. When combining the new teamwork activity with the further dimension of reflective practice which also is a desirable graduate attribute which develops the skill in looking at their decision making and considering the implications of these decisions on the outcomes of their projects. If such a new learning environment is introduced there is a need to support students in confronting what are very difficult skills for new students.

Creating a Teaching and Learning Culture to Embed Graduate Attributes into Assessment Practices

This paper outlines the initial phase in the process of transforming the teaching and learning culture to effect change towards adopting multiple asssessment practices within a particular context. It reflects on the underlying issues that drives dominant assessment practices and considers the educational effectiveness of the current assessment practices in embedding identified graduate attributes.

Multiple Assessment Methods in an Undergraduate Nursing Program for Distance Students

"Blended" or "hybrid" learning has been used in the development of the Bachelor of Nursing. The program is offered in problem-based-learning mode with modern technology allowing the use of multimedia materials in problem scenarios being introduced as well as the many learning resources now readily available. The paper describes the design and process of assessments used in the program. These include: traditional examination, essay, open-book examination, practice quizzes, synchronous and asynchronous online discussion, online debate, online role-play, multimedia problem-based learning exercises, assessment of competencies in clinical laboratories and in clinical practice, e-portfolios and reflective narratives.

Challenges in Assessments in a Case-Based Science Course

Three challenges of case-based assessment are explored. Firstly, as case-based teaching and assessment are very different from traditional classroom teaching and examinations, students may not appreciate the purposes and benefits of the case-based approach. Secondly, the group-based nature inherent in many case-based assessment methods makes it difficult to distinguish the performance of individual students. This may affect some students' motivation. Finally, the emphasis in case-based activities on the learning process, rather than on learning products, requires students to demonstrate learning processes and skills, such as information seeking, group-working and presentation, which are challenging to measure.

Students' Preferences for Assessment and Approaches to Studying

The University of Westminster Psychology Department promotes a strategy for teaching, learning and assessment that makes use of a wide range of assessment methods.Our study indicates that students have expressed preferences for particular modes of assessment. These preferences are related to approaches to studying and student learning outcomes. Students who adopt a surface approach to learning tend not have strong preferences for particular modes of assessment, whilst deep learners show more marked preferences. The results are explained through an Ecological model of student development that places the student at the centre of concentric rings of learning environments (Bronfennbrenner, 1993).

Multiple Assessment of Practicum Experience

The current study focuses on the assessment of the elementary education teacher candidates' performance in their third and fourth year of teacher preparation. INTASC (Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium) provides the guiding principles for the assessment of their practicum experiences. The formative and summative instruments that have been developed are INTASC standards-based. Results from these assessment instruments are used to initiate substantive changes in the elementary education program.

Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of Two Traditional Engineering Courses through Project-Based and Online Formative Assessment

A large pool of on-line formative assessment has significantly increased students passing rate of technical subjects with little or no adjustment to the overall final results. Students able to cope well with subjects that were project based as well as subjects with a number of formative assessments compared to subjects with traditional assessment. Students are not stressed over the number of assessment tasks, but found that assessment tasks have assisted them in their learning.

Multiple Assessment Methods in Education of Chinese Medicine

The University of Hong Kong, School of Chinese Medicine was established in the campus of the University since 2002 for enrollment of JUPAS students for Bachelor Degree in Chinese Medicine. In the past two years, we have formatted a unique educational system including teaching, clinic and research in which multiple assessment methods are used to enhance the teaching and learning. The assessment used in education of Chinese Medicine should cover theoretical and practical studies. In order to ensure the evaluations are fair and objective, multiple assessment methods should be applied.

Assessing Legal Ethics: What Are We Really Assessing and How Do We Know We Have Done It?

This paper traces the development of a new curriculum and delivery mechanisms for the teaching of Legal Ethics at the Queensland University of Technology. The author was the project leader for the stream, "Ethical Knowledge and Values". The question, ultimately, is whether mere familiarity with a set of rules will alter the way in which students navigate, once in practice, the dilemmas of ethical practice? Something more than the mere accumulation of knowledge - deep learning and understanding - is the aim. But if more is needed, how do we deliver it? - and how do we design appropriate assessment instruments?

Good Practice Assessment Guide

A Good Practice Assessment Guide has been developed at the University of Wollongong for use across the full range of academic disciplines. The Guide was developed by a multidisciplinary team from within the university. It includes a range of assessment issues, including feedback, criteria for assessment, group work, in-session testing, online assessment, minimising plagiarism, class participation, marking and disabilities support. An online version was developed. It is a user-friendly guide to the development of assessment tasks that complement curriculum objectives, are appropriate to the level of students and minimise technical, language and cultural barriers to their execution.

Enhancing Students' Performance by Using Follow-Up Questions in Written Assignments

This paper presents a new assignment structure for courses involving written assignments and discusses its impact on student's performance. In the new structure, each assignment, after the first, will contain a follow-up question that is derived from a part of the preceding assignment. The new structure aims to reinforce the teaching and learning process. It allows students to be rewarded immediately for their improvement and provides feedback for tutors to follow up individual's weaknesses.

Stakeholder Views Regarding the Merits of Open and Closed Book Examinations

This poster presentation identifies the relative advantages and disadvantages of both closed and open book examinations from the perspective of those involved in the assessment process. It is based on the feedback received from Masters degree level students who have experienced both forms of examination during their studies. In addition, the views of staff who use each type of examination are presented. The poster is designed to provide additional insights into the relative merits of the two forms of examination.

The Role of Language Proficiency in Academic Success: Perspectives from a New Zealand University

This paper explores the issue of students' performance in the early stages of academic study in the context of a New Zealand university with a large immigrant and international student intake. Results of a correlation study exploring the relationship between scores on a post-entry test of English proficiency and students' subsequent academic performance are linked to the results of two more qualitatively-oriented investigations. Overall, findings are used to support different positions regarding the role of language in academic performance, depending on how academic success is construed.

Malaysian University Students' Perceptions on the Use of Portfolio as an Assessment Tool in an ESL Writing Classroom

This paper investigates Malaysian university students' perceptions on the use of portfolio as an assessment tool in an ESL writing classroom. The results showed that overall students believed the portfolio assessment allowed them to look at their own growth and identify their strengths and weaknesses. The teacher was aware of the students' preferences and styles in writing and was able to diagnose students' skills and competencies which allowed the adaptation of a more learner-centred practice in the teaching of writing.

Enhancing Students' Appreciation of Written Feedback on Essay Assignments

In order to encourage final year bioscience students to consider written assessment feedback, an essay assignment was set, marked with written feedback and returned. The students were then required to write a reflective response to the feedback remarks. Overall, students intensely disliked this exercise and considered it a waste of time. However, their written responses provided evidence of learning to a much higher standard than the original essay work.

Student Vs Faculty Perceptions of Class Participation

This study extends the literature on university classroom interaction by addressing how faculty members and students perceive class participation. If faculty and students have different definitions of student classroom participation, these differing definitions of student participation may affect behavior in the classroom. As predicted, professors and students defined and perceived class participation differently, especially on items of class attendance and making comments in class, arguably the two most important class participation items. Because there is much disagreement among professors and students about what constitutes acceptable class participation, reasons behind this disparity are discussed.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning by Using an Interactive Assessment File for Professional Development

This poster investigates further steps of implementation of a portfolio for the assessment of teaching provided by the Special Education section of a Swiss University of Education. This portfolio has developed into an "interactive assessment file" that shows important effects on the professional development of trainees working in the field of special needs. Further research investigates whether teaching is qualitatively enhanced by increased interactivity between trainers and trainees. Analysing the advantages and disadvantages of using formative assessment to evaluate professional development in the field of special needs, this poster considers qualitative improvement of teaching "didactic and disciplinary skills" (French & Mathematics).

Is It Your Fault? Influences on Student Evaluation of Teaching in Tertiary Institutions

The paper provides a meta-analysis of the key biases and other systemic influences on student evaluation survey instruments. It investigates factors that influence the response on student evaluation surveys for the primary question posed 'This subject is well taught'. A nine year panel data set was constructed from data including: the average evaluation scores as reported for all subjects taught in the Economics Department; student records for all students who have taken an economics subject and additional subject specific information as to the nature of the subject, its enrolment and time taught.

Aligning Teaching and Assessment: The Key to Greatly Improved Graduate Quality and Sustainable Teaching Efficiency

This paper considers the relationship between assessment method and teaching method and shows that alignment of assessment and teaching methods provides opportunities for significant increase in graduate quality and simultaneous decrease in teaching load and resource costs. The paper also shows that, if the assessment and teaching methods are not aligned to precisely the same expected outcomes, then the very best teaching methods are rendered ineffective, expensive and wasteful of teachers' skills and efforts.

Correlation between Test and Examination for Different Types of Tests: A Hong Kong Study

In a first year technical subject at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, multiple choice type of questions were used to assess the students in a mid semester test over a four years period. Conventional type of questions were used to assess the students in semester end examinations. The association between test and examination results were analyzed using contingency tables. The result showed that a significant correlation exists. Further evaluation was carried out using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients and Kendall's rank correlation coefficient. It was found that test and examination results were significantly correlated.

The Impact of Innovative Assessment Practices on Students' Learning

The aim of this paper is to ascertain the impact of innovative assessment practices on students' learning. The evidence is drawn from the author's experience of teaching Spanish as a foreign language to university students. The first part of the paper deals with the different assessment practices that were incorporated in the course. The remainder provides an analysis on the students' perceptions of those practices. In the conclusions, we consider some of the pedagogical implications that this innovative way of assessing university students' learning entails.

Rich Assessment through Teacher Engagement: The Key to Quality Teaching and Learning

The potential of assessment for improving the quality of teaching and learning rests more on processes of teacher engagement than on packaged solutions. Rich assessment is characterised by meaningful teacher engagement in curriculum refernced task development, the administration of tasks, and the analysis of student performance. New Zealand's National Education Monitoring Project (NEMP) provides a powerful cross curricular model for school-based assessment that can serve both formative and summative purposes. This paper illustrates how principles and practices of rich assessment used in NEMP can be applied within the school and classroom.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Assessment of Student Attitudes

Assessment practices in combination with particular teaching methods contribute to positive attitudinal changes in students. These attitudinal changes in turn positively enhance student learning and reinforce chosen teaching methodology. The focus of this discussion is the examination of the factors contributing to a transformation of negative student attitude. This qualitative pilot study of attitudinal changes amongst undergraduate Occupational Therapy students reveals the role of student attitudes, types of assessment; and teaching methodology in enhancing learning, in this case specifically in a particular content area within the third year of their undergraduate study.

2+2=? Can Formative Diagnostic Assessment Help to Develop Mathematical Skills for Nursing Practice?

Ability in mathematics is an embedded principle in nursing guidance, through requirements for safe use of medicines, (ICN 2002; Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) 2002). Lack of confidence in mathematical skill is, however, of international concern within nursing. In order to address these concerns, a scheme was designed to encourage nursing students to review their maths skills. This paper will outline the experience of a UK School of Nursing in using adult learning diagnostic assessment to assess the mathematical skills of first year student nurses. The work demonstrates utility in employing diagnostic assessment of mathematic skills early in nursing programmes in enabling students to develop their learning.

Journey of the Student: An Integrated Assessment Effort to Support Institutional Change

Assessment is a natural outgrowth of the compelling need to validate student learning as a university's core mission. In order to capture this vision, the metaphor of "Journey of the Student" is used to integrate the assessment of student learning outcomes and experiences both in and out of the classroom across the undergraduate years. This evolving model has transformed the way we look at liberal learning, the academic major, and the role of university-wide services in support of student learning. This compelling academic agenda provides the momentum for faculty and staff development essential to effecting institutional change.

The Impact of Assessment Modes on Collaborative Group Design Projects

As student-to-staff ratios escalate, increasing numbers of undergraduate architects are finding the reduction of 'one-on-one' supervision an impediment to learning. Group projects are a widespread solution to this problem. However, there has been little analysis in to the effectiveness of group projects for individual assessment. This paper describes three stages of a four-stage testing and refinement of an andragogical framework focused on the successful assessment of team design projects. There are after nearly three years of studies at Deakin University already clear indications of which modes of assessment encourage effective team learning, and which modes are preferred by students.

Equity in Practical, Skill-Based, Assessments for On- and Off-Campus Students in Engineering Degree Programmes

This paper presents a straight-forward solution to the problems of equity in assessment methods between distance-education students and their on-campus cohort. It is targeted at the laboratory components of an engineering degree program. The intention of the scheme was to allow distance-education students exposure to the required laboratory content of the course ensuring equity in assessment methods. A pilot-system, that provides all students with identical methods for performance and assessment in the practical components of a number of units, has been implemented in an Australian University. It has provided an equitable form of assessment and has provided some unexpected benefits.

Assessing Understanding in Statistics

This paper will present a series of assessment tasks developed to address both procedural and conceptual understanding of statistical inference, together with the results of students' performance on the tasks. It will be shown that, while some of the tasks developed did assess the dimension of knowledge which they were developed to address, and some did not, overall it was possible to develop tasks which assess both procedural and conceptual knowledge in statistical inference.

Changes in Assessment Practices? The Impact of a Modular Structure

The Dublin Institute of Tehnology, Ireland will roll out a complete modular structure for all its programmes in Sept. 2005. This paper looks at the rationale for moving to a modular structure and how this development has been led, supported and resourced. In particular it focuses on the impact this has had on the changing practices with particular reference to the changes and adjustments in assessment methodologies.Three programmes from three of the Institute's 6 faculties were chosen as case studies to explore to explore the changing practice. The paper suggests that the efforts in moving to a more 'constructively aligned' system should be considered a strength to the Institute, with the difficulties seen as ongoing challenges to be faced by a learning institution.It concludes with some reflections on the significance of achievements to date and proposes how the Institute might move forward now and into the future.

Does Good Mandarin Lead to Good Chinese? - A Pilot Study Based on Assessment of Hong Kong Tertiary Students' Language Proficiency

This paper attempts to tackle two problems concerning language teaching and learning from the perspective of language assessment. They are two related problems that aroused heated debate in the field of Chinese language education in Hong Kong, namely: (i) whether the learning of Mandarin (or Putonghua) can promote the learning of the Chinese language (i.e. modern written Chinese), and (ii) whether Chinese language lessons should adopt Mandarin, instead of Cantonese in the present case, as the medium of instruction.

Statistics Anxiety Management

Cognitive and emotionality components of state and trait test anxiety, statistics course anxiety, perceived statistics course difficulty, and perceived test difficulty were measured in first year University students. For Cohort 1 state anxiety was correlated with marks on various types of assessment, whereas trait anxiety was correlated with very few assessments. This suggests that interventions can assist students. With Cohort 2 we are testing additional support structures, and repeating the survey. We will report on relationships between assessment results and survey measures, and whether the interventions for Cohort 2 influence their anxiety levels.

An Integrated Approach to Learning, Teaching and Assessment in a Healthcare Ethics Module

This paper will take a case-study approach towards considering how assessment influences teaching and learning and vice versa. The integral relationship between learning, teaching and assessment will be explored by describing the assessment approach used in a nursing module, which focuses on ethical and legal issues in health care. Assessment is considered a multi-dimensional part of the learning process and this was taken into account when developing the assessment strategy for the module. A group seminar presentation is the main assessment method and satisfies issues related to meeting the module learning outcomes. In addition, student seminar presentations also have a significant impact on the learning of other students in the group. This results in an integrated approach to learning, teaching and assessment.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Assessing Graduate Attributes

Graduate attributes is a worldwide phenomena in higher education and their adoption implies that graduates will have these attributes when they complete their program of study. This raises a number of issues including how to measure acquisition and the role assessment can play in assisting students to develop these attributes. This paper reviews the nature of authentic and traditional assessment in the context of assessing specific graduate attributes. Using the results of a centralised mapping process, a range of assessment activities used by teaching staff at Murdoch University is analysed to examine the link between type of assessment and graduate attributes. Some examples will be used to demonstrate the benefits of linking assessment and graduate attributes in enhancing teaching and learning.

Measuring Assessment: A Methodology for Investigating Undergraduate Assessment

Assessment issues, such as over-assessment, 'repetitive' assessment and bunching of submission deadlines, are common in higher education. We therefore recognised that a systematic methodology to quantitatively track & record assessment experiences of students could help identify strengths and weaknesses in undergraduate assessment practices. We will present data from two studies based at the University of Reading, which show the development of an undergraduate assessment tracking tool. In particular, we will discuss the importance of actively involving students in the tracking process, and the impacts our approach has had upon supporting review and changes to assessment practices at Reading.

Assessment and Complex Learning

The argument is that a radical change of assessment thinking is needed if higher education is to take seriously the job of promoting complex learning. It is in four parts. The first refers to philosophy and psychology to establish the claim that the assessment of learning has to take more than one form. The second considers the complex learning that distinguishes higher education and is valued by society. It is argued that complex learning resists measurement. The third part describes some of the educational conditions that favour complex learning, while the fourth explores the assessment arrangements that are conducive to it.

Doing Justice in Law - Designing Clear Assessment Criteria and Guidelines to Direct Student Learning, Enhance Self Reflection, Ensure Fair Marking and Encourage Life Long Learning in Legal Education

This paper will consider the use of practical exercises and assessments within large, compulsory, substantive law subjects to train students in communication skills for their profession and life. In particular it will explore design and application of clearly articulated marking criteria, assessment guidelines and instructions, together with appropriate feedback, guided self reflection and supervised peer evaluation to enhance the teaching and learning, ensure transparent, consistent and fair assessment, and develop students' capacities for life-long learning through reflection on, and de-briefing of, experience.

Affective Assessment: Non-Cognitive Considerations in the Evaluation of Teaching and Learning

The goal of this paper is to consider non-cognitive aspects in the evaluation of teaching and learning. The education community should work to minimize the negative affect often associated with assessment, such as fear and frustration, that students and school personnel may experience. By considering aspects such as preparation, timing, and variety, there is a potential to increase students' self-efficacy and self-confidence as they prepare for, and are evaluated on, academic learning. Further, by adequately training teachers and school leaders, classroom instruction and assessments can be more properly aligned with end-of-the term, high stakes, standardized tests. This presentation will be framed in terms of data from an empirical study regarding reform efforts in one large urban school district.

Are Intrinsic Student Qualities Assessable? Learning From the Mapping of Trans-National Assessment Practices in IT Degree Programs

This paper discusses a recent professional development study from the School of Computer Information Science at the University of South Australia. The study aim was to understand assessment practices within three interrelated IT degree programs offered in Australia, Hong Kong and Malaysia. The objective being to enable future assignment and assessment design to engage more effectively with the diverse cultural environments of the students, while still enhancing their overall IT knowledge and abilities as well as other intrinsic student qualities. The project enabled the team to developing a data-based mapping tool that can be usefully adopted across their own, as well as other disciplines. At the same time, the project presented each team member with a valuable learning and development opportunity where they gained a deeper understanding of assessment and the issues around its facilitation.

Online Collaborative Assessment to Enhance Teaching and Learning: Comparison of Year One and Year Three Students

The study investigates the impact of online collaborative learning and assessment (OCLA) on the learning and teaching of two subjects taken by first-year and third-year university students. Specifically, it examines students' approaches to and attitudes towards OCLA and evaluates the effectiveness of OCLA in addressing subject objectives from both teacher and student perspectives. Students found the learning experience positive and useful, contributing not only to better understanding of subject knowledge, but also improvement in such generic skills as critical and analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, team work and language and communication skills.

Learning-Oriented Assessment Project: Findings, Outcomes and Processes

Permanent Change: Localized Assessment and the Improvement of Students' Writing and Speaking in All Disciplines

Recent work in higher education has focused on the importance of knowing how well our educational initiatives are working. Yet systematic assessment practices at many institutions remain underdeveloped, leaving faculty, administrators, and program developers without evidence of their own programmatic successes or areas for improvement. Institution-wide solutions often fail to promote continuous program improvement because they may have little intrinsic value to each academic unit and are imposed without regard to crucial differences in disciplinary and curricular structures, resources, and departmental cultures. This session describes approaches designed to promote localized, formative assessment of students' abilities and development within particular curricula and programs.

Peer Review of Teaching in Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: Theoretical Principles and Implementation Issues

Peer review of teaching in high education serves various important functions (McKeachie, 2001; Smith, 1998; & Smyth, 1984). In 2003, the researcher undertook a study with an undergraduate class enrolled in the social work and gerontology course. The procedure and instruments recommended by Dart and Boulton-Lewis (1998), Mathias and Rutherford (1982) & Ramsden and Dodds (1989) were adopted to guide the systematic exercise. A "Critical Friend - the Peer" was invited to review the teaching portfolio of the subject, make a lecture observation and during the debriefing session, provided feedback and suggestion. The findings were further examined using evidences collected through student's feedback questionnaire results. The triangulation approach revealed some significant data in facilitating the teacher in completing the course quality enhancement cycle.

Digging Beneath the Surface: Towards Deeper Dimensions of Student Self-Assessment

This paper reports on pedagogical processes involved in the introduction and implementation of the self-assessment framework into 'Fair Go' project classrooms with primary age students (5-12 yrs). It brings forward data (observations, student and teacher interviews, student artifacts) showing how, in low socio-economic contexts, student self-assessment was able to move from being a useful classroom tool to a vital pedagogical activity. Futhermore, the data highlights how it was instrumental in improving learning and teaching and changing the whole context of the classroom.

Faculty and the Use of Rubrics for Quality Assessment

Rubrics, a scoring tool that describes levels of task performance, save grading time, convey effective feedback and promote student learning.Yet, rubrics are not widely used in university classrooms. The purpose of this study was to describe and explain how faculties and departments responded to a university program designed to foster the use of rubrics.

The Senior Seminar/Capstone Course as a Tool for Program Assessment in a Mathematics Curriculum

This presentation will discuss the evolution of a Senior Seminar Capstone course and how it is used to collect data that are interpreted in the annual assessment program of the Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The presentation will include the relevant student learning objectives and a discussion of metrics used in measuring how well those objectives have been used.

Assessment Central - An Online Web-Based Tool for Use in Program Assessment of Degree Programs at the University Level

What we assess defines what we value and what we value is what we assess. Our university is committed to an ongoing and cyclic assessment process. Program assessment of degree programs has been an ongoing process and campus-wide project for several years. In an effort to improve the flow of information about assessment, the campus instituted an online web-based Assessment Central project. The goal is to provide an ongoing mechanism for accessing and sharing information. Our session will feature an online exhibit of the various aspects of the Assessment Central project.

Competence to Assess Competency: An Action Research Approach to Assessor Development

Broadly speaking, the validity of any assessment method refers to the extent to which it measures what it is supposed to measure. The literature suggests that those who worry that competency-based assessment is inherently invalid thinks either that the competency standards are invalid or, if not, that attempts to measure them are invalid. In the process of competency assessment, the judgement of the assessor is a key component - how competent are the assessors to assess? A competency assessor preparation workshop was developed using an action research methodology and the concept attainment model as a theoretical structure. The workshop has demonstrated great potential for the postgraduate programmes.

We Keep Half-Learning New Songs. Can We Really Expect to Enhance Teaching and Learning through Assessment When We Hardly Even Know the Words?

Due diligence in assessment in higher education appears to be an international failing. In higher education we rarely get beyond the most cursory introduction to assessment practices before moving to 'newer' approaches that seem to offer more promise, or settling for ritualistic practices. Improving the understanding, and execution, of much of our assessment practice would vastly improve the quality of learning, much more so than devising new techniques to be poorly understood, incompetently implemented, and soon discarded. No one seriously evaluates the relative effectiveness of assessment methods, taking into account the relative skill levels available to execute each approach.

Assessing the Results of Group Work: Dilemmas and Options

Dilemmas are never solved. At best we can achieve working solutions for classroom challenges. Assessing student work in groups presents significant dilemmas, especially with the use of performance-based assessments. Given the practical and pedagogical support for grouping students within classrooms, resolving arising dilemmas is a key to successful implementation. This paper identifies dilemmas teachers face in assessing work done in groups and presents options for resolving these dilemmas. A sample performance task serves as a focus for the dillemmas and options presented when grading student work is required.

Students' Learning Outcomes Assessment: Evolvement of a Campus-Based Essential Elements Document

This roundtable discussion focuses on the process and documentation used campus wide to assess student learning outcomes at the program level. An ever present, vital assessment question is, what evidence is there to support that learning occurred as stated in the program-level and/or course-level outcomes?

Assessing the Assessors: The Effectiveness of Teaching Evaluation on Improving Teaching

Institutions need to adopt a new approach to improving teaching and learning quality. The use of student evaluations as the primary performance indicator has limitations. Current strategies encourage faculty to adopt a surface learning approach. As with students, the form of assessment and the reward system drive the strategies used to meet institutional goals. A model is proposed that would encourage teaching scholarship and form the basis for real improvements in teaching and learning quality.

Professional Assessment for Professionalism and Ethics - A Proposal

Professionalism and professional ethics are not taught subjects and cannot be indoctrinated by lectures. They are the recognition of the value of integrity and honesty; the exercise of due diligence and care; and the observation of professional rules/codes of conduct in practical projects. These are abstract principles and values, which cannot be learned merely by reading, listening to talks or discussions. The learning process requires putting students in a decision dilemma, such as a conflict of interests between a client and the general public. A real life project requiring expert knowledge and judgment is therefore appropriate for professional training. Unlike normal assessments in other traditional subjects, professional assessment of the students' performance in this context is not to identify how well they understand the contents, but to make the decision dilemma real. This study proposes a novel model on the professional assessment of professionalism and ethics and presents a proposal on implementing this model in the current curriculum.

Evolution of Assessment Practice in an Unconventional Dual Mode Institution: The Open University of Hong Kong

Dual mode institutions, offering instruction to both classroom learners and distance learners, face questions of how similar assessment practices need to be between the two modes. Unlike most dual mode institutions, The Open University of Hong Kong began as a distance learning institution and has added full-time, classroom-based courses over the past four years. Initially the design of assessment methods in these courses was strongly influenced by the University's heritage in distance teaching and open access. The paper documents how OUHK staff have gradually liberalized assessment arrangements for classroom learners, and notes possible further evolution of assessment practice as the full-time programmes mature.

First Year Undergraduate Assessment Experience: A Qualitative Perspective

This study presents the findings from a qualitative study looking at student experience, with particular focus on assessment, during the first year of their degree progamme in psychology. The three main themes that emerged from the focus group data were the issue of perceived over assessment, the usefulness of academic feedback, and the lack of relevant study skills. The implications, and initiatives that have been developed in the Department of Psychology as a result of these findings are discussed.

"But You're Paid to Mark Me .": Improving Learning through Student Involvement in Designing and Implementing Departmental Assessment Change Strategies

Many educational change initiatives fail. Changes to assessment are particularly susceptible to failure or derailment. An under-researched factor contributing to initiative failure is the role of students in driving, or thwarting, change. This paper analyses a number of national and local initiatives to develop assessment to improve student learning in the UK, and identifies seven necessary domains of alliance with students which impact on the likelihood of an initiative's success. Findings will be presented and explored in an interactive workshop format.

Meeting the Challenge of Greater Expectations: Designing a Successful Institutional Effectiveness Assessment Plan

The United States regional accrediting agencies have increased their expectations for documentation of overall institutional effectiveness. To achieve them, colleges and universities must improve collaboration across the "silos" that often lead to fragmentmentation and constrain efforts to achieve mission, student learning outcomes, priority strategic goals, and effectiveness objectives throughout an organization. After addressing systemic barriers to engaging multiple stakeholders in partnership, my paper focuses on the key institutional principles that should inform an integrated, comprehensive Institutional Effectiveness Assessment Plan (IEAP), the essential components of it, and recommended strategies for achieving it.

Enhancing Teaching and Learning through Assessment: The Implementation Perspective of an Assistant Dean, Teaching and Learning, who is Responsible for the Quality Assurance of Assessment

Many disciplines have embraced large scale curriculum reform in response to demands that modern graduates be equipped with the knowledge, skills and values required to practise in dynamic, diverse and globalised workplaces. In many resource-poor faculties, the responsibility for operationalising constructive re-alignment as between these new learning objectives and traditional assessment practices falls onto (variously titled) Sub/Assistant/Associate Deans and, Teaching & Learning Academics. This paper will discuss the challenges and possibilities of this sensitive academic role which is charged with change managing the gap between institutional policies and classroom implementation to assure adoption of embedded authentic assessment practices.

Using the Assessment Experience Questionnaire to Enhance Student Experience

This study reports on the use of the Assessment Experience Questionnaire (AEQ) to evaluate students' experience of assessment at module level. The AEQ has been used for two years in an action research project to evaluate the assessment regime for a second year cardio-respiratory module for BSc(Hons) physiotherapists at Queen Margaret University College. The student response to the questionnaire has been positive and enthusiastic and preliminary findings suggest that the AEQ provides a simple and effective tool for evaluating the impact of assessment and making improvements that enhance student learning.

Can Changing the Assessment in a Masters Module Enhance Learning?

This case study describes the issues involved in changing a summative assessment from an essay to a presentation, whilst maintaining its vital formative and reflective elements. The paper will discuss the marking guidelines evolved to satisfy both academic rigour and the expectations of different health professionals. The results of evaluations from students and tutors are discussed, with regard to effects on learning.

"Asian Learners" Reassessed

The concept of Asian learner, with the embodiment of Confucian heritage culture, has been existent in the literature of both language education and educational psychology. This paper presents findings that suggest that social environment and institutional/individual factors, rather than cultural values, play a determining role in students' self-directed or autonomous learning.

Using a Professional Assessment File for Enhancing the Integration of Academic Knowledge in School Projects

This poster investigates the extent to which an assessment tool such as the professional assessment file can help catalyzing the transfer of academic knowledge into a project within a course organised by the University of Education of Vaud / Switzerland. The training curriculum combines an academic curriculum with the completion of a professional education project within a whole school. Teachers who presently practice a strictly individualised support for slow learners and learners with learning disabilities will be trained to become "resource counsellor" ; as reflexive teachers they will have to organise with peers, the prevention, counselling, coaching, assessment and pedagogical remediation for pupils with learning disabilities.

Making Connections between HE and the Workplace: Recognising, Articulating and Assessing Skills Development

Higher-level skills are those process or 'meta' skills that are used to make learning an active process of development and improvement. The emphasis is on the learner being able to identify, develop, articulate and review the skills they need to improve their performance, and to view assessment as part of the developmental process. This discussion will explore useful and supportive ways of assessing the complex high-level skills of independent learning and self-development. Case studies based on the authors' research will be presented.

Preparing for the Workplace: Group Assessment, Peer-Assessment or a Combination for a Health Promotion Project

Working in teams is an important part of preparing students for the workplace in that in encourages the development of life-long skills such as project management, time management, conflict resolution and prepares nurses for working in a multidisciplinary health team. To facilitate this, third year Deakin nursing students are required to undertake a collaborative group health promotion project. One of the challenges for academics has been how to fairly assess this work as assigning marks for group work is contentious. We have grapplied with different approaches and our paper will present some of the challenges we have experienced and how they have been resolved.

Demonstrating How 'Solution-Focused Learning' is a Useful Framework for Assessing Nurses' Competence through e-Learning

When developing e-materials we may forget to evaluate the pedagogical underpinnings of these developements, and the purpose for which they were developed. This is particularly pertinent in nursing education where understanding how adults learn, and the context of how that learning will be applied, must influence how these attributes are incorporated in the delivery and assessment of the education. the incorporation of any assessment strategy must acknowledge the skills, attributes and behaviours required of the nurse post programme, rather than simply achieving the learning outcomes. this paper will discuss the results of research exploring the students' and staffs' expereinces of undertaking this programme.

Mapping Self-Assessment to Achievement

Personal Development Planning (PDP) activities at the University of Portsmouth commence with the Individual Learning Profile (ILP): a paper-based, self-assessment questionnaire that is completed by students during induction week. The questionnaire is returned to tutors to initiate discussion, reflection and action planning in order to maximise learning potential. This paper focuses on the development of evidence-based research to support the introduction self-assessment within PDP activities. The outcomes of this research will have resonance among HE institutions, facing similar issues. Results from Stage 1 will be presented which explore the reliability, stability and validity of the ILP questionnaire. Plans for the subsequent stages of this project, along with any further, preliminary findings will also be discussed.

Standards for Excellence, Sustainable Assessment and the Development of Teacher Identity

This paper outlines how an innovative approach to an assessment task, built around the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Standards for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, both contributed to pre-service teachers' development of a strong sense of teacher identity and shed light on their journeys as pre-service teachers. The assessment task embodied principles of sustainable assessment by contributing to the pre-service teachers' capacity to undertake life-long learning and to the development of a cohesive learning community.

Profundity of Intellectual Enquiry Provides an Assessment Criterion

The profundity of student enquiry can be used as a measure of their learning and can provide a criterion for assessment. To improve quality of teaching and learning in a higher education system, new and more detailed methods of assessment are constantly being sought. Moreover, increasingly sophisticated workforce requirements and technologies require university teachers to use different approaches to meet students' needs; it has become most important for students to become life-long learners. The introduction of research assignments into undergraduate learning provides an opportunity for in depth student learning that can be assessed by novel authentic assessment practices.

"Carried Over": Nurturing Student Retention and Success through Flexibility and Trust

This presentation offers insight into the significant findings of a discourse analysis of data relating to the use of flexibility and trust as tools for student retention and success. It is contended that students and assessors are both subject to, and draw upon dominant discourses, and the view is offered that students are 'carried over' by the 'nurturing and caring' discourse and its impact at a relationship level. The presentation concludes by offering the view that the discourse of 'professionalism' is required to be drawn upon to legitimise the process of 'carry overs'.

Implicit Learning: Active Assessment

This paper is a reflection of two rural based lecturers teaching human bioscience to undergraduate nursing students. An innovative tutoring programme was developed to assist students by enhancing implicit aspects of learning alongside traditional methods. In order to progress the model the authors have begun the process of determining ways in which assessment might be used as an active, rather than passive, tool as part of the tutoring programme. The paper considers how student created assessment tools, might further self-directed life-long learning with reflective practice.

Assessing Creativity through Common Consensus

The present paper will report on a study which developed and evaluated an assessment rubric for creativity based on Besemer and Treffinger's research (1981), which suggests "stating definitions" and "gaining consensus" is a useful method in achieving a common criteria for assessing creative products. The study first employed the Delphi Method to build consensus on definitions of creativity at a given context, then applied the performance grid developed in the Delphi to assess students' work, and finally evaluated the effectiveness of the performance grid for assessing creative ability.