Liz McDowell

The Construction of the Hidden Curriculum: messages and meanings in the assessment of student learning

ABSTRACT A wide range of diverse responses by individual students to innovative or alternative assessment are described and discussed, drawing on research data. Student perspectives are significant since assessment is a powerful factor in determining the hidden curriculum and assessment reform has frequently been proposed as a means of better aligning actual experience with the official curriculum. At a general level, students appeared to understand and adapt to new assessment requirements but case studies illustrate that students do not respond in a fixed nor simple way. Individuals are active in the reconstruction of the messages and meanings of assessment. Ostensibly the same assessment is interpreted differently not just by ‘staff and ‘students’ but by individuals. Students import a range of experiences, motivations and perspectives which influence their response. However, although the process is complex, insights gained can be helpful in better aligning the hidden and the formal curriculum.

The Impact of Innovative Assessment on Student Learning

SUMMARY Assessment methods such as non‐conventional exams, oral presentations, group projects and peer assessment are increasingly being used in HE in an attempt to introduce more realistic and meaningful tasks and provide broader and more reliable indicators of students’ achievements. The impact of such assessment on student learning is being investigated via a series of case studies at the University of Northumbria. A number of positive effects on learning have been identified and students strongly support new methods of assessment. Problems do arise, particularly since the often unchallenged ‘level playing field’ of exam room must be replaced by new means of establishing fairness, reliability and validity. Innovative assessment is limited in its developments within the HE context; eg the weightings given to the process and products of learning can be of issue. It is also difficult to accotnodate individual learner needs and acknowledge individual progress.

Social Networks and the International Student Experience: An International Community of Practice?

An implicit perception of international students is that they have difficulty in becoming involved in social exchange with other students who do not share their “culture” and language. This picture of a group of students isolated and disadvantaged by their lack of contact with “UK culture” is questioned in this article. Data from a recent research project suggests that international students form a strong international community that supports their learning and provides them with a supportive learning environment. Thus, contrary to perceptions, the strength of this international community challenges the view that international students need to develop social and academic exchange with UK students to get the most from their university experience. The international community of practice described here presents a picture of a more positive and active international student experience, with international students as the providers of support and knowledge within a supportive and purposeful student community.

Does assessment for learning make a difference? The development of a questionnaire to explore the student response

Assessment for learning is a widely used term and the concept forms the basis of many teaching innovations in higher education. However, the definitions and scope of assessment for learning vary considerably. We describe a conceptualisation of assessment for learning that encompasses current thinking in a holistic way and which has been trialled and extensively refined in practice. A student questionnaire is presented which has enabled us to explore the student experience. Results indicate that the overall student experience is more positive in modules where assessment for learning approaches are used and students are more likely to take a deep approach to learning. It also demonstrates that the student experience is centred on staff support and module design, feedback, active engagement and peer learning. The full questionnaire is made available and its wider use in evaluation, enhancement and research is encouraged.

Fitness for Purpose in the Assessment of Learning: students as stakeholders

Abstract A fitness‐for‐purpose approach to determining the quality of assessment practices in higher education requires the consideration of the perspectives of a range of stakeholders including students. Empirical data from case studies of assessment in practice are used to illuminate the student stakeholder viewpoint. Students judge assessment in terms of its effects on learning and motivation; the extent of openness and clarity; the feedback and guidance provided; and the content, form and accuracy of the assessment and its feasibility. It is suggested that students readily identify a range of purposes for assessment, which would be widely regarded as educationally sound, and that they do make judgements about how well purposes are met. Students should, therefore, be considered as valid stakeholders in the process of determining and maintaining quality in assessment.

Assessment talk in design: the multiple purposes of assessment in HE.

This paper is based on an empirical study of assessment practices currently being undertaken in a post-1992 university in the UK. Our broad interest is in examining assessment practices in context in order to explore why lecturers assess in the ways that they do. The Assessment Environments and Cultures project aims to illuminate some of the complex interrelationships between assessment practices, academic identities, institutional discourses and disciplinary cultures, and how assessment practices are both sustained and changed. The focus in this paper is on a group of academics working in the subject area of Design. More specifically, we examine the effects of the circulation of multiple discourses in a School of Design. By ‘discourse’ we mean the combined social and language practices that contribute to the construction of knowledges, identities and experience. We are interested in the discursive resources drawn on by the Design lecturers when talking about their assessment experience, the subject positions these discourses make available and the implications in terms of how assessment might be understood and organised in this School and relations of power. We focus on interview data collected from 11 Design lecturers in order to undertake the analysis. We propose that there are multiple discourses in circulation in this school, which position academics and students in quite different ways, and that managing these different positionings may at times create tension.

Perceptions and their influences on approaches to learning

Abstract This paper aims to highlight the importance of considering students’ perceptions of and approaches to undergraduate engineering education. Whilst considering techniques to maximise the retention of engineering students, it is also posited that understanding how students perceive their learning contexts at university is vital. It is also essential that we understand how these perceptions influence students’ approaches to their studies. This paper builds on existing research which takes a discipline focus to a discussion of the relationships linking quality of learning with generic research into approaches and perceptions of teaching and learning. It discusses an ongoing research project which is making use of a mixed methods research platform to investigate the complex nature of students’ perceptions and approaches. It is presented as a valuable methodology for adoption by engineering education researchers. The research is based on an exploratory sequential mixed methods design where the qualitative data is dominant. Initial analysis of the data collected during the pilot phase, supported by relevant literature, has been used to identify areas of the learning context which appear to influence students’ approaches to the engineering modules involved in the study. Some of the emerging themes are discussed in this paper with consideration for the impact on the teaching of engineering.

Evaluating Assessment Strategies through Collaborative Evidence-Based Practice: Can One Tool Fit All?.

This paper reports on a collaborative project to improve assessment undertaken by a cross‐discipline group of university lecturers (Business, Engineering and Psychology) using action research methodology. First‐stage analysis was based on results from an Assessment Experience Questionnaire developed by the FAST FDTL4 (Formative Assessment in Science Teaching – Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning Phase 4) project and complementary qualitative data. Collaborative discussion of outcomes led to formulation of improvement plans within each discipline. Further conclusions were made surrounding the selected standardised tool and the process of undertaking collaborative action research across disciplines.

Effective Teaching and Learning on Foundation and Access Courses in Engineering, Science and Technology

Summary Increasing numbers of students are entering courses in engineering, science and technology without the qualifications which have conventionally been required. A review of educational practices on access and foundation courses designed to facilitate the learning of such students has revealed a consistency in the teaching and learning approaches being adopted. Courses must be flexible and offer a variety of learning pathways to accommodate student diversity. The students require: clear goals and structure; feedback on their progress; opportunities for active and collaborative learning; and help in developing learning skills. The syllabus must not be overloaded and the assessment system must be appropriate. The approaches developed within foundation courses would benefit many other students in engineering, science and technology. They encourage deep approaches to learning and the development of many of the skills which employers frequently demand from graduates.

Negotiating assignment pathways: students and academic assignments

Existing research identifies that students’ approaches to assignments are related to their general approaches to study. It is suggested that students need to better understand the requirements of assignments and acquire new concepts such as ‘argument’. This fine-grained study proposes four qualitatively distinct assignment pathways: gathering, connecting, minimalist and performing. Students negotiate assignment pathways to sustain a sense of control, confidence and connection. Making changes to their approaches to assignments is not straightforward. Suggestions are made for using insights from the research to more effectively support assignments as vehicles for learning.