Reflections on academics' assessment literacy

Rebecca Lees,Deborah Anderson

doi:10.18546/lre.13.3.06

Abstract

This small-scale, mixed-methods study aims to investigate academics' understanding of formative and summative assessment methods and how assessment literacy impacts on their teaching methods. Six semi-structured interviews and a scrutiny of assessments provided the data and results suggest that while these academics understand summative assessment, they have a poorer awareness of the implementation of well-constructed formative assessment. While the academics were able to clearly articulate the perceived benefits to students from undertaking formative assessments, they were less able to identify potential benefits for themselves as educators, so these went largely unrealized. Opportunities therefore exist for tutors to utilize the outcomes of formative assessment to improve student performance, particularly around tutor-reflection to amend future learning and teaching approaches in line with the theory underpinning summative and formative assessment methods. The study highlights the importance of considering all stakeholders when thinking about assessment literacy.

Highlights

This paper will reflect on findings from a small-scale qualitative study on formative assessment
It can have the purpose of providing a student with a grade (Bloom et al, 1971), where learning is seen in terms of knowledge, skills, and attributes (Kibble, 2011), enabling students to be differentiated among their peers (Wininger, 2005)
The original study was intended to be a small-scale scoping study with the objective of investigating how academics responded to the institutional requirement of embedding formative assessment in their modules with the aim of supporting summative assessment performance.Three key areas were identified for exploration through qualitative interviews, which were developed around the central themes of Black and Wiliam’s (2009) definition of using formative assessment to impact upon summative assessment through the collection and feedback of evidence or data: 1. What do academics understand by the terms ‘formative’ and ‘summative’ assessment? 2

Summary

Introduction

This paper will reflect on findings from a small-scale qualitative study on formative assessment. Mindful of poor National Student Survey (NSS) scores in assessment and feedback over a number of years, the institutional review of the curriculum included a key strategic aim that required that ‘formative assessment opportunities are designed into the curriculum so that students receive feedback before they encounter high stakes summative assessment’ (Review of the Academic Framework Guiding Principles, Internal Policy Document, 2012). This encouraged academics to rethink their assessment approach, and one popular method was to implement in-class or online multiple-choice tests as part of a formative assessment strategy to enable students to monitor their progress towards a final assessment. Following a brief review of the literature on formative assessment, the findings of the study will be discussed and reviewed in light of current thinking about assessment literacy

Background and context

44 Rebecca Lees and Deborah Anderson

Conclusion

Notes on the contributors