Case Study: Progressive Formative Assessment

Sara Denize, Business (School of Marketing)

Continuous assessment of the whole process .

"Effectively it is formative assessment to the very end, but they always know what they are heading towards."

"The basic principle is that nothing is irredeemable, a HD is always possible." Process does not marginalise students from NESB "

"Typically, they are very marginalised ... with this assessment process there is an opportunity, if you have a mixed class, for everybody to make contributions." Process rather than product. "I'm looking at the process and not only physical pieces of output."

Students set their own goals.

"The students told me what they wanted to be assessed on, I assessed them on that and they performed brilliantly."

"Typically most of these students would struggle to get a 'C', whereas most of them got a 'D' and some 'HD' - not because of something I constructed but something they constructed."

Students provided with booklets written by previous students, students each semester contribute towards this.Generational learning.

 "It's taking the learning from each semesters subject and passing it forward to the next generation - so you get generational learning."

"It's their tips for doing well in the subject."

"The booklet provides feedback from previous semesters students as to what works and what doesn't, even how to handle the lecturer or client for their project."

"they learn what it takes to get a Pass, what it takes to get a Credit."

Develop discussion sessions, moderated by lecturer, that supplement the subject outline.

"although the outline is very clear, this discussion says the kind of things that the outline often can't. I moderate this part"

 "You asses the process at the point where you give them feedback - you don't add up the bits."

"If you give them encouragement and feed back - 'I think you're wonderful' and 'gosh, you're doing well' - they perform to a standard far higher than you could ever possibly imagine."

Emphasis has changed from Adversarial to Cooperative

"The Lecturers act as consultants rather than adversaries."

Reduced workload Opportunity to excel in group work.

"Students achieve mastery through cooperation"

Rewarded for collaboration. Does not marginalise NESB students.