Sue Drew Learning and Teaching Institute Sheffield Hallam University [email protected].

Sue DrewLearning and Teaching InstituteSheffield Hallam University

[email protected]

What will I cover?

What is constructive alignment?

What students say help them learn

Supporting staff in developing aligned courses

What is constructive alignment?

Constructivism"They (forms of constructivism) have in common the idea that what the learner has to do to create knowledge is the important thing"(Biggs 2003 P12)

"....education is about conceptual change, not just the acquisition of information"(Biggs 2003 P13)

Therefore:

what you ask students to do

must align with what you want them

to learn

Biggs: a system where components need to be in balance

curriculum teaching methods assessment procedures climate of interactions with students institutional climate (Biggs 2003 P26)

What students say help them learn

My research. Method:

structured group sessions

up to 25 students

worked in small groups on a question, review in large group, repeat.

3 Questions

What are the main LOs from your course?

What has helped you achieve them?

What has hindered you in achieving them?

FindingsMix of student and contextual factors

Student Context Self management Course organisation/

resources/facilities

Motivational needsAssessment

Understanding

Support Learning activities and teaching

Context impacts on student factors

Student Context Self management Course organisation/

resources/facilities

Motivational needsAssessment

Understanding

Support Learning activities and teaching

Supporting staff in developing aligned courses

In the LTI, I work:

with course planning teams

with Registry on course planning/validation templates, guidance etc.

Strategy

Module description to encourage good design

Examples and guidance

Support for course planning teams

Review by validation panels

Joined up approach

Module description, examples and guidance reflect

eg Key Skills policyLearning from Work policyAssessment policyLTA strategyQAA Codes of Practice

Aims

Learning OutcomesWhat should the students be able to know, understand, do?

Standards

Learning and TeachingStrategy

What methods will help students achieve the learning outcomes?

Assessment CriteriaOn what basis will youjudge if students have

met the learningoutcomes and how well?

Assessment StrategyHow will you assess ifstudents have met the

learning outcomes? Rosie Bingham 2001

3 Key Shifts

Shift 1 - Learning Outcomes

Verbs

Biggs (2003) - very important

- delineate levels

- can suggest surface or deep approach

Example

Student will be able to understand how a

car works

????

What does it mean?

Students will be able to:

- describe how a car works- explain how a car works- discuss the critical aspects of how a car works

- drive a car

???

Other Problem Verbs

Be aware of Know Develop an ability to Demonstrate the ability to

Issues

Staff I think I don't care about understanding!

Implicit LO's – you can spot them in:

learning and teaching methods assessment methods

Support for LO Development

Booklet for writing LO's – lists of verbs

SHU generic LO's by level

Workshops with course teams

Feedback on module descriptions & programme specs

SHU Generic LOs

Based on: Framework for HE qualifications

QCA Key Skill specifications

Common items in benchmark statements

+ a bit of Bloom's taxonomy(Bloom 1956)

SHU Generic LOs. Example

Describe the essential

facts

principles

concepts

theories

values/beliefs/ethics/

aesthetics

Identify and explain the essential

facts

principles

concepts

theories

values/beliefs/

ethics/aesthetics

Identify and explain, in sufficient detail for the purpose, essential and other important

facts

principles

concepts

theories

values/beliefs/

ethics/aesthetics

Select and explain those appropriate from the range of

facts

principles

concepts

theories

values/beliefs/ethics/aesthetics

current problems/issues

current research and advanced scholarship

new insights

Shift 2 – Assessment criteria

Require pass descriptors in module descriptions

Staff find this very hard

Pass descriptors linked to the LOs

Start with the verb eg describe

Criteria might be - range of features covered; level of detail;

accuracy

Pass level - what range will be covered?

in how much detail?

how accurate?

Problems

Instead of pass descriptors:

- repeat LOs

- write tasks

Writing pass descriptors means:

You clarify what the LO means

Need to write them together

Leads to rethinking assessment

Support

Booklet on writing criteria

Exemplars of criteria against SHU LOs

Workshops with course planning teams

Feedback on planning documents

Exemplar

LO Pass descriptor

describe the essential descriptions cover principles the main, essential concepts aspects and are theories mostly accurate values/beliefs/ethics/

aesthetics facts

Shift 3 - Format of the module description

Wording it for students

Old Headings

Rationale Aims Anticipated Learning Outcomes Indicative content Teaching and Learning Strategy and

Methods Assessment Strategy Criteria for Assessment Indicative Reading

New Headings

These are the aims of this module...

The reason for having this module and for having it at this level or point in the course is...

By the end of the module you will be able to...

These are the main ways of learning and teaching which will help you to achieve the learning outcomes...

This is how the learning outcomes will be assessed...

This is how and at what points you will be given feedback on your performance...

To achieve a pass..

These are examples of the content of the module...

These are examples of the main learning resources you will use...

Support

Guidelines are within the template

Workshops with course planning teams

Feedback on draft module descriptions

Summary:

Module description to encourage good design

Examples and guidance

Support for course planning teams

Review by validation panels

Aims

Learning OutcomesWhat should the students be able to know, understand, do?

Standards

Learning and TeachingStrategy

What methods will help students achieve the learning outcomes?

Assessment CriteriaOn what basis will youjudge if students have

met the learningoutcomes and how well?

Assessment StrategyHow will you assess ifstudents have met the

learning outcomes? Rosie Bingham 2001

ReferencesBiggs J (2003, 2nd ed.) Teaching for Quality Learning at

University. Buckingham, SRHE and OU Press  

Bloom B S (1956) Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. New York, David McKay Co, Inc.  

Drew S (2001) 'Student perceptions of what helps them learn and develop in Higher Education' IN Teaching in Higher Education 6, No 3, 2001 pp309-331