Topic 4: Changing the culture of assessment
In this topic the focus is on approaches to assessment in relation to IoC. Assessment is a powerful tool in promoting learning and is described as defining student views of what is important, directing how students use their time. Ultimately assessment can have an impact on how students see themselves as students and as graduates (Brown and Knight, 1994). Careful design of assessment environments has the potential to promote some of the aspects of internationalisation of the curriculum that we have discussed so far in the course. This week will focus on exploring some approaches to assessment that can support development of IoC.
We will begin by focusing on how assessment can be ‘unfair’ and how summative assessment in particular can promote inequalities. Secondly we will focus on ‘assessment for learning’ and through this highlight one particular model of embedding assessment into learning that may help us to view assessment differently. Alongside this, we will consider some more radical approaches to assessment that may help us to rethink ‘traditional’ assessment processes. Finally, we will aim to apply some of the approaches discussed to the ideas you have had so far for IoC activities.
Activity 1: Exploring broader assessment issues
High stakes standardised testing (or summative assessment) is used as a tool for reform of education in most industrialised nations and the assessment system contributes to the reproduction of dominant social relations in education (Au, 2008). Explore the link between inequalities in education and assessment. If you can access it through your institution read the article below which is an excellent overview:
- Au, Wayne W. (2008) ‘Devising inequality: a Bernsteinian analysis of high-stakes testing and social reproduction in education', British Journal of Sociology of Education, 29 (6), pp. 639-651.
If you were unable to access this article read the following on open access:
- O’Brien, Alyssa J. (2011) Global citizenship and the Stanford Cross-Cultural Rhetoric Project, Journal of the NUS Teaching Academy, 1 (1), pp. 32-43
Post your own response to the article(s) to the 'Activity 1: Exploring broader assessment issues' discussion board, reflecting on the implications for your own institutional and/or teaching context.
Activity 2: Exploring innovative and alternative approaches to assessment
In this task we will be exploring institutional and curriculum based innovation in assessment. In particular the approach of Assessment for Learning (AfL) will provide us with a starting point from which to think about assessment for internationalisation of the curriculum. A number of universities now include Assessment for Learning in their learning and teaching strategies or have developed initiatives and projects. Examples include:
- Northumbria University’s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for Assessment for Learning
- Sheffield Hallam University’s Assessment for learning initiative (PDF)
- a programme conducted by the Australian Universities Teaching Committee which aims to ‘enhance learning by enhancing assessment’
Explore the institution-wide examples above and consider aspects of assessment practices that you think would fit approaches to internationalisation of the curriculum. Post your thoughts to the 'Activity 2: Exploring innovative and alternative approaches to assessment' discussion board.
Activity 3: Applying and changing
Consider your own institutional and discipline context against the above examples and then post to the 'Activity 3: Applying and changing' discussion board:
- three aspects of your own institution’s assessment practices that you would like to change
- look back at the 'Ideas for IoC in action' we have collected (see topic 1 activity 3). Select two examples and suggest assessments that you think would match the ideas.
- Read the postings of two others and comment on how you might adapt the idea and assessments for use in your area
Further reading/listening
- A lecture on Assessment for Learning (AfL) recorded by Catherine Montgomery which gives a straightforward introduction to the principles of one model of AfL
- Orr, Susan (2007) Assessment moderation: constructing the marks and constructing the students, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 32 (6), 645 – 656 (you will have to access this via your institution)
- Course text – Chapter 5: Clifford, V. and Haigh, M. (2011) Graduate attributes and education for responsible global citizenship. Pages 93-117.
This chapter presents a comparative perspective on the application of the idea of graduate attributes in universities worldwide.
