Developing Conceptual Understanding Through Alternative Assessment
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Transcript of Developing Conceptual Understanding Through Alternative Assessment
Developing conceptual understanding through alternative assessment
[email protected]@kjhaxton
January 2016
• 65% exam (paper split between two topics)• 35% coursework– 20% assessed problems (with formative
opportunity)– 15% infographic & annotated bibliography• 10% infographic, 5% effort based grades around peer
assessment
New 3rd Year (Level 6) Module
‘Common’ Assessment
Alternatives
Assessed Problems (direct link to final exam)
Writing exam style questions and model answersPeerWise (authoring MCQs and answering/improving MCQs from peers)
EssayLab Report
wiki, compiled journal edition, ‘news and views’ article, textbook entry
Presentation Video presentation, screencast, interview
Poster Infographic
Assessment takes place: - tutor assessment
Students can reflect on own work and grades, consider areas for
future improvement or for immediate action
issue task to students,
assessment guidelines,
marking criteria, sample work
students read assessment
guidelines/marking criteria
Students prepare
coursework
Students review their work against
the assessment
guidelines and edit if required
Submit Work
Self and Peer AssessmentStudents reflect on own work
and that of others, consider areas for future improvement or for
immediate action
issue task to students,
assessment guidelines,
marking criteria,
sample work
students read
assessment guidelines/m
arking criteria
Carry out peer
assessment of sample
work (incentive)
Students prepare
coursework
Students review their work against the assessment
guidelines and edit if required
Submit Work
Tutor AssessmentIn isolation from Self and Peer
Assessment
need/want to go beyond algorithmic ability and memorisation of ‘stuff’
Concept: Carl Wieman (paraphrased)An idea that can be applied in multiple contexts to explain and/or predict outcomes
Conceptual Understanding
Infographics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly. They can improve cognition by utilizing graphics to enhance the human visual system’s ability to see patterns and trends.
Infographics“A means of condensing large amounts of information into a form more easily absorbed by the reader” (roughly adapted from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infographic)
- excellent revision tools But what is the benefit of a student creating an infographic?
Infographic Considerations
Advantages Disadvantages
What are they? becoming more popular so better ‘understood’
often confused with posters
Quantity/quality of information presented
focus on single concept or limited data set
requires substantial skill at sifting information
some students struggle to clearly define concept
Referencing and Sources (annotated biblography)
check what information came from each source
some topics ‘harder’ to research than others
Communication skills required
develops graphic design skills
requires reasonable graphic design skills
Online infographic generators
Allow focus on content not style
Fewer communication skills developed
Student Feedback“I feel the infographic style of assessment should be added earlier into the course! They are becoming a more popular way of conveying information and it is a good skill to have. They make things easier to understand and are a bit more fun. I would consider using them as a revision tool. Personally, I love Compound Interest and follow them on all social media so I can look at the infographics they produce regularly.”
Infographics: ConsiderationsNeed a series of concepts/ideas equal in complexity• if students pick their own, they will be strategicNeed to clearly articulate what is required
Graphics• require the students to draw their own wherever possible
Annotated Bibliography is superior to a simple reference list• requires justification for each source used• minimum number of journal articles• limit website use
1 2 3 440
50
60
70
80
90
100
Box Plot – average tutor marks in 15/16 for 4 different concepts
Series1 Box Mean line
Assessment CriteriaEasy Bits: ‘presentational quality’ & following the rules
Hard Bits: addressing the concept, dealing with extraneous information
Peer Assessment
Peer Assessment Type Advantages Drawbacks
Assigning mark using mark scheme/assessment criteria
Engagement with mark scheme required
Difficult to differentiateOften leads to very high marks
Feedback only More constructive for recipients/encourages reflection
very difficult for students to be critical of peers
Adaptive Comparative Judgment – ranking a subset of the work
Engagement with assessment guidelines and criteria
Broadly accurate but difficult to differentiate
(Adaptive) Comparative Judgment
1 2 3 4 5
Adapted from https://nomoremarking.com/
6
Which number was this?
Which is darker?
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 50
0.51
1.52
2.53
3.54
4.55
Tutor Rank (based on number grade)
Stud
ent R
ank
(bae
d on
av-
erag
e of
indi
vidu
al ra
nks)
Sample Infographic CJ
CJ of Concept 1
Complete Infographic on
Concept 2
CJ of Concept 2 (Peer
Assessment)
Assign Grade to own work
Intervention: Define
Concepts
Ranking the infographics before making my own helped me understand the assessment criteria better.
I do not understand the difference between a poster and an infographic
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
agree neutral disagree
I found it hard to find scientific journal articles on my concept.
I found several references to illustrate points but did not read the referenced source (e.g. journal article, textbook section) fully.
I understand how to apply the Vancouver reference format consistently.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
agree neutral disagree
Marking (assigning a grade) the infographics would have been easier than ranking them.
Ranking the infographics before making my own helped me understand the assessment criteria better.
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
agree neutral disagree
6.16.1
30.3
9.1
39.4
9.1 Write an exam style question with full model answer
Screencast or Video presen-tation
Poster
Oral Presentation (in person)
Infographic
Essay
No More Marking: https://nomoremarking.com/Piktochart: http://piktochart.com/Compound Interest: https://twitter.com/compoundchemAcknowledgements: 3rd Year CHE-30038 students, Dr James Gaynor
Useful Links, Acknowledgements, Questions