The UNSW experiencewith TESTA

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Professor Sean BrawleyAssociate Dean

(Education)

UNSW Assessment Project Goals

1. Improve efficiency in the conduct of assessment in order to reduce academic workloads and ensure that student’s time on tasks is not spent on unnecessary activities, which have the sole purpose of generating a grade.

2. Improve the educational effectiveness of assessment tasks to ensure that they engage and motivate students in their learning efforts.

3. Increase the alignment of assessment tasks with the disciplinary goals and the learning outcomes of individual courses such that student efforts are directed towards achieving the key learning objectives. 4. Improve the alignment of assessment activity and processes across the faculty.

5. Increase the congruence between Faculty assessment processes and practices and the University’s assessment policies, procedures and aspirations.

Assessment Tasks in H&PTut Particip/Prep

11%

Individual Present3%

Group Work3%

Tut Writing18%

Extended Writing36%

Short writing11%

Tests/Quizzes8%

Final Exam10%

Assessment Tasks in EMPA

UNSW HP assessments tasks against those of the University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Nottingham, George Mason University and UCLA combined.

Extended Writing Short Writing Exams Tut particip Indiv Present Group Work Tests/Quizzes0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

UNSWOthers

No. Assessment Tasks per Course

UNSW USYD MELB NOTT UCLA GM0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Amount of words per level

USYD MELB GM NOTT0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

Level 1Level 2Level 3

Faculty Assessment Tool

FASS Assessment Project

Efficiency /Quality

Assurance

Innovation / Quality

Improvement

Faculty Working

Party

TESTA

Asses. Tool

Prototype

StudentTime on

TaskTrial

60 Students

FocusGroups

1700Students Complete

AEQ

Reduce average student time on task from 114 to 85 hoursEstablish staff marking expectations (time/words per student)

Trial S1, 201215 courses

1000+ students53 staff diaries

170 student diaries

• Incorporates GA Tool• Operational S2, 2012

• Aids governance, • Mainstreams innovation• Self-pop course guides

Workshop Feedback

• “Interesting project that will enable innovation in both efficiency and pedagogy”

• “The work shop was much more useful than I thought it was going to be …the information about TESTA has reassured me that there will be a quality/pedagogy component to the exercise, rather than only a resources/efficiency drive. I now have a better idea how TESTA brings the student voice to the fore, and think this is a valuable undertaking”

Workshop Feedback

• “Thanks for the opportunity to do this workshop. Ive learned much and realise how I can improive my own practice and help steer colleagues in productive directions”

• “The challenge is how to service implementation with very limited resources and competing demands and performance expectations … Positive education frame of reference is a good place to start … with a proven model of change. Thanks for a good experience in collective problem solving”

Workshop Feedback

• “I fear that everyone knows that ultimately what we decide will have very little impact on decisions that are made higher up, and that [these decisions] are not based on pedagogical considerations. On that basis, its very frustrating … The 2 days were really interesting for me. I do think, however, that the major purpose for which it ran, is unlikely to be achieved. It is difficult not to be cynical about the pressures coming from above — and they are not pedagogical”

Workshop Feedback

“Learnt heaps — so good to get an opportunity to discuss assessment”

“TESTA sessions did not inspire enthusiasns when I said I would attend but I have been pleasantly surprised by how useful learning about the system and process has been. I now want to revisit the program I convene — this would be so useful for anyone who developing a course or program”

Workshop Feedback

• “I thought the TESTA methodology was very good and thorough but not realistic for the time and resource constraints that UNSW operates under”

Assessment Experience Questionnaire

• Slight changes to some of the 28 AEQ questions

“The teachers made it clear from the start what they expected from students”

Became

“My lecturers/tutors made it clear from the start what they expected from students”

“It was often hard to discover what was expected of me in this course”

Became

“It was often hard to discover what was expected of me in my major/program”

“I learnt new things while preparing for the exams”

Became

“I learnt new things while preparing for the exams/class tests”

Assessment Experience Questionnaire

• Slight changes to some of the 28 AEQ questions

• Online instrument

Assessment Experience Questionnaire

• Slight changes to some of the 28 AEQ questions

• Online instrument• Explode email to nearly five thousand

undergraduate students

Assessment Experience Questionnaire

• Slight changes to some of the 28 AEQ questions

• Online instrument• Explode email to nearly five thousand

undergraduate students• 1820 responded (37%)

AEQ responses by Program

Demographics• 85% of students domestic, 15% international – would rep the average

• Age17-21 — 55% 22-30 — 37%31 and over 6%

• Gender72% were female (higher than Faculty average)

• Level 100 level — 28% 200 level — 22% 300 level — 27% 400 level above — 21% (greater than average)

• GPApass average 16%credit average 48% a distinction average 31% 4% high distinction average 1% failing average

Feedback

The Assessment Tool