Frances Chetwynd EATING 2011 16 th June 2011 Marking Guides and Effective Feedback
Dec 26, 2015
Frances Chetwynd
EATING 2011 16th June 2011
Marking Guides and Effective Feedback
Talk outline
My COLMSCT Project
Proposal for TU100 new Assessment and Tutor Guides
A TU100 example
04/19/23EATING 2011
COLMSCT Project
Assessment feedback – a new taxonomy
The survey: tutor attitudes to feedback and marking guides
The current T175 assignments, marking guides and feedback – a brief analysis:
04/19/23EATING 2011
04/19/23EATING 2011
The Taxonomy
A possible taxonomy of feedback
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
Retrospective-on-content
Retrospective-on-skills Future-altering-on-skills
Future-altering-on-content
Con
ten
tS
kil
ls
ConceptsTheoriesetc.
VerbalNumericalPlanningStudyetc.
(Brown & Glover 2006)
Refer to assignment just completedPoints out omissions, misconceptions, etc.Explain how answer could have been improved
Retrospective
Future-altering
How concepts and skills can be applied in futureClarify concepts and avoid future errors
(Walker 2009)
04/19/23EATING 2011
The surveyT175 tutors – 140 distributed, 70
respondents
The survey
Background91% OU tutor for 5+ years, 29% 10+ years
experience
Tutors’ methodsPrimary aim of PT3 comments to improve grade
on next TMA (60%)On-script comments most effective future-
altering device (71%)Additional home-made templates (54%)Duplication and triplication of comments (35%)
04/19/23EATING 2011
The survey
Relative importance of feedback categories
04/19/23EATING 2011
04/19/23EATING 2011
Marking guides – a brief analysis
Feedback – Retrospective on Content
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
Mainly checklistsIdeal minus approachExcludes other
possible, or arguable answers
Generally no help for tutors in closing the gap, correcting misapprehensions, clarifying concepts
Used principally for mark allocation
Students are simply asked to list these components so bullets are acceptable here. Award 1 mark per ICT component listed below:
The touch screen RFID readerRFID tagComputer terminalLibrary computer network Library databaseSensor gates Alarm
Feedback – Retrospective on Skills
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
Tend to fall back on model answers
Underlying concepts may be implied only
No specific help on corrections and typical errors
Award up to 4 marks. 1 mark for correct use of scientific notation, 2 for correct conversions of KB and Mbps and 1 for answer.
File size = 42KB = 42 x 1024 x 8bits = 344 064 bitsDownload speed = 0.9Mbps = 0.9 x 106 bpsTime to download = file size/ speed
= 344 064/(0.9 x 106) = 382 293 x 10-6 s
= 3.82 x 10-1 s
Feedback – Future altering on Skills
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
Again, tutors are left very much on their own
Language skills??To what extent
should we expect tutors to be tutors in basic skills?
Award high marks for clear and well structured notes suitable for intended audience. Give fewer marks if students use jargon, acronyms or unexplained technical concepts, but also use this as a teaching point about writing for specific audiences. Also do not award full marks to students that use full sentences rather than notes, as required.
Do not deduct any marks if students go over the suggested 200 word limit but explain the importance of word limits in TMAs and generally.
Analysis of feedback opportunities
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
T175 – 1 Marking Guide
04/19/23EATING 2011
TU100 – the proposal
TU100 TMAs – general principles
Assessment for learning not assessment of learning
Support tutors in giving highest quality feedback
TMAs have a clear thread of progression and achievement
Promote re-use by CTCan grow to match developments in the
digital world.
04/19/23EATING 2011
TU100 Tutor Guides - general principles
Skills criteria properly flaggedOverall mark and comment on skillsGeneric advice and documentationShould look forward and back
04/19/23EATING 2011
Detailed TMA principles
TMAs need to explicitly develop skills, with skills requirements clearly stated
Should offer an opportunity to showcase achievement
Questions on SENSE should be, initially, a set of independent tasks
TMAs should focus on tutor feedback for learning;
All retrospective-on-skills marks should be gathered together into single mark
04/19/23EATING 2011
Detailed Tutor Guide principles
Advice on future-altering feedback presented separately from the retrospective-on-content and marks
Information on how each question links to other TMAs and module skills development
Granularity of marks reduced and simplifiedClear notes included on language skills
04/19/23EATING 2011
TMA01 & TMA02
Now an opportunity to discuss the first two TMAs and Tutor Guides.
Have we achieved our aims?Has it worked??How can we make the skills strands
more explicit?
EATING 2011
Future plans
eSTEeM project led by Chris Dobbyn:
Transforming retention and progression in a new Level 1 course
Staged interviews with group of 15 tutorsFeedback on assessment and tutor guidesEstablish leakage points and threshold concepts
http://www.open.ac.uk/about/teaching-and-learning/esteem/p3.shtml
EATING 2011
References
April 19, 2023EATING 2011
Brown, E. and Glover, C. (2006) ‘Evaluating written feedback’, in Bryan, C. & Clegg, K. (Eds) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education Abingdon, Routledge, pp 81 – 91
Gibbs, G & Simpson, C. (2004) ‘Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning’. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education 1 pp3 – 31
Hounsell, D. (2007)‘Towards more sustainable feedback’, in Boud, D. & Falchikov, N. (Eds) Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education. Abingdon, Routledge, pp 101 - 113
Huxham, M. (2007) ‘Fast and effective feedback: are model answers the answer?’ Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 32:6 pp 601 – 611
Nicol, R. & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2006) ‘Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice.’ Studies in Higher Education. 31:2 pp 199 – 218
Nicol, R. (2008) ‘Transforming assessment and feedback: Enhancing integration and empowerment in the first year.’ Quality Assurance Agency, Scotland.
Sadler, D. R. (1989) ‘Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems’. Instructional Science 18 pp 119 - 144
Walker, M. (2009) ‘An investigation into written comments on assignments: do students find them usable?’ Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. 34:1 pp 67 - 78