Improving Student Assessment

When: Thursday, August 4, 2016, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Where: Edmonton Clinic Health Academy (ECHA) Lower Level L1-190
Keynote: Sue Bloxham, Emeritus Professor of Academic Practice at the University of Cumbria

Our assessment, what we choose to 'measure' and how we choose to measure it, should adhere to some fundamental principles. Most importantly, it should be valid in determining whether a student has achieved the aims or learning outcomes of the course. These outcomes are increasingly complex as 21st century university programmes aim to deliver graduates with not only subject knowledge and cognitive skills but also a range of capabilities for effective participation in the workplace and as citizens.

However, validity needs to be balanced with practices which allow for fairness to students through reliability, comparability and consistency, equity, and transparency. In this keynote lecture, I plan to consider how our assessment can meet these requirements with a particular emphasis on the grading and quality assurance of assessment. What questions should we be asking about our assessment conduct? How can we assure sufficient reliability and transparency in our mechanisms for deciding students' marks? What is involved in deciding whether an assignment or exam is a valid judge of threshold standards? How do we balance the demands for both norm and criterion referenced grading? What is involved in creating equal opportunities assessment for all students? Finally, can we achieve consistent and comparable grading across sections, courses and cohorts?

The lecture will tackle these questions by drawing on both research evidence and practical examples. It will conclude by identifying key points for delegates to discuss in examining their current assessment practices, and how they might develop in the future.

Accessibility:
Sign language interpreting, real-time captioning or other services can be provided upon request. Contact ctl@ualberta.ca or 780-492-2826 by noon on July 21, 2016.

Schedule of Events

Keynote Speaker

Sue Bloxham, Ph.D.
University of Cumbria

Keynote: Improving student assessment: creating valid, fair and transparent practices in higher education
Our assessment, what we choose to 'measure' and how we choose to measure it, should adhere to some fundamental principles. Most importantly, it should be valid in determining whether a student has achieved the aims or learning outcomes of the course. These outcomes are increasingly complex as 21st century university programmes aim to deliver graduates with not only subject knowledge and cognitive skills but also a range of capabilities for effective participation in the workplace and as citizens.

However, validity needs to be balanced with practices which allow for fairness to students through reliability, comparability and consistency, equity and transparency. In this keynote lecture, Dr. Bloxham will plan to consider how our assessment can meet these requirements with a particular emphasis on the grading and quality assurance of assessment. What questions should we be asking about our assessment conduct? How can we assure sufficient reliability and transparency in our mechanisms for deciding students' marks? What is involved in deciding whether an assignment or exam is a valid judge of threshold standards? How do we balance the demands for both norm and criterion referenced grading? What is involved in creating equal opportunities assessment for all students? Finally, can we achieve consistent and comparable grading across sections, courses and cohorts?

The lecture will tackle these questions by drawing on both research evidence and practical examples. It will conclude by identifying key points for participants to discuss in examining their current assessment practices, and how they might develop in the future.

Biography
Sue Bloxham is Emeritus Professor of Academic Practice at the University of Cumbria and an educational consultant. She has taught in higher education for many years, developing a particular interest in assessment. Sue has published widely in the field including the best-selling Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education (Open University Press) with Pete Boyd and was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2007. She has been chair of the international Assessment in Higher Education Conference since 2008. Sue's interest in assessment originally focused on how we manage our higher education assignments and examinations to support the achievement of students from under-represented groups. She has also researched and published on matters such as student skills development, group assessment, feedback, course design and marking. In recent years, her interest in what students need to do to succeed in university assessment has inspired research into how instructors recognise quality in their marking and the use of standards by academics. She has also contributed to the Higher Education Academy's A Marked Improvement guide to transforming assessment in the University sector. She is regularly invited to speak on the topic of assessment at Universities and conferences in the UK and abroad.

Resources

Dr. Bloxham's Presentation:
Improving student assessment: Creating valid, fair and transparent practices in higher education (PDF)
Watch the presentation here:

University of Alberta Academic Regulations and Policies:

• UofA Evaluation Procedures and Grading System
• UAPPOL Assessment and Grading Policy
• UAPPOL Assessment and Grading Policy, Published Procedures of this Policy
• Test Scoring and Questionnaire Services (TSQS)

Assessment and Grading at the University of Alberta: Policies, Practices, and Possibilities (PDF)