PAPERS (25 minutes each)
14.45 – 15.10
15.20 – 15.45
Together in electric dreams: Inventing an online asynchronous Community of Practice for Learning Developers working with health students
Anne-Marie Langford and Karen Hudson
University of Northampton and University of Essex
Abstract:
The creation of a virtual community of practice (vCOP) is a way to bring Learning Developers in different institutions together creating opportunities for collaboration and a sense of community which may help educators to overcome a sense of isolation as well as limited time and resources (Yarris et al., 2019).
The development of LDHealthCOP unintentionally aligned with Wenger’s (2000) social definition of learning and 3 modes of belonging: engagement, imagination, and alignment. The group formed to explore how to improve LD practice for Health students. Students on health programmes are often from ‘under-represented’ and ‘non-traditional’ groups which pose particular challenges. It has a crowd sourced programme of monthly talks and activities where practitioners pose each other topic questions to enable discussion and share ideas or resources. Using technology to gather together and ‘connect over their craft’ (Yarris et al., 2019) enables members to transcend the boundaries of space and time allowing members to ‘meet’ when and where they are, creating a unique sense of flexibility. (Knapp, 1998 cited in Valenti and Sutton, 2020)
The mini key note shares how the vCOP has been developing, linking theory with practice to address the specific challenges faced by Health Care students. The following themes will be covered:
Areas of exploration or challenge for a Health and Social Care vCOP
Methods of engagement with the vCOP, including demonstration of collaborative Padlet resources
Reflection on the benefits and pitfalls of sharing knowledge and experience asynchronously.
Participants will gain insight into the workings of a vCOP which may inspire them to: join us, join another ALDinHE community of practice or create their own.
References
Wenger E. Communities of practice: learning as a social system. Syst Thinker. 1998;9(5):2–3.
Valenti, S., Sutton, S., (2020) Strengthening Virtual Communities of Practice vCOPs: An Evidence-Based Approach Journal of Education for Library and Information Science 61(1) Available from DOI: https://doi.org/10.3138/jelis.61.1.2018-0045
Yarris, L., Chan, T., Gottlieb, M., Miller Juve, A., (2019) Finding Your People in the Digital Age: Virtual Communities of Practice to Promote Education Scholarship Journal of Graduate Medical Education
Location: Portland Building 1.44
Academic skills for everyone? Interactive vs accessible and open access vs personalisation
Chris O’Reilly and Adam Bradley
University of Sussex
Abstract:
In this presentation, we outline the vision, goals and the three stages of development of a new online Skills Hub: an essential academic skills support site at the University of Sussex. We will also outline the collaboration between Academic Skills Consultants, learning developers/technologists, librarians, the University’s web development team, and students. We highlight key learning development issues that a modern and intuitive digital solution can bring and how we are overcoming various obstacles in order to meet usability and accessibility guidelines.
Our initial research highlighted the need to modernise our current Skills Hub, and established the plan for creation of an innovative, rich, fun, appealing, and thought-provoking educative site in order to support students with their learning development. The objective was to develop a site that contains new and engaging video and interactive content as well as being open access, enabling content to be publicly accessible to both pre-arrival students and widening participation colleagues working with schools and colleges.
This presentation will be of value to participants looking to (re)develop an outward-facing academic skills site, and those interested in balancing interactivity with accessibility.
The redevelopment of Skills Hub is a key component of the University’s 2025 Academic Skills Strategy.
Phase 1: Redesign and develop a comprehensive skills hub website that meets usability and accessibility requirements.
Phase 2: Add interactive components such as videos, interactive activities, diagrams/images, etc.
Phase 3: Collaborate directly with schools across the university to embed key skills related to each area and to help disseminate these skills into classes directly.
Our evaluation objective is to review analytics and usage of the site on a regular basis, gain feedback from teachers with semi-structured questionnaires, and more fundamentally acquire direct feedback from students attending our academic skills workshops, with student questionnaires for quantitative evaluation, and one-to-one (semi-structured) interviews for qualitative analysis.
Location: Portland Building 1.44
Mattering vs Belonging and the impact of Academic Advisors: Online Professional part-time students – a case study
Jacqui Thijm
University College of Estate Management
Abstract:
Belonging is not a new concept, it has been around for some time in Higher Education. The “What works? Student retention and success” report concluded that “belonging is critical to student retention and success” (Thomas,2012). However, this can be difficult to achieve for some students such as those who study online. The research around a sense of belonging amongst online students is limited (Peacock et al,2020), who have limited time and opportunities to participate in activities used to promote belonging at universities. With an increase in online and blended courses within higher education (Dunford and Miller,2018), mattering maybe a more important factor for such students.
Mattering as defined by Dixon and Tucker (2008), is an individual’s perception that they are important and are valued in their interpersonal relationships (2008). Academic advisors have a key role in mattering, by building individual relations with students they can have a positive impact on feelings of mattering. McIntosh et al (2020[online]) found that students who feel supported by their academic advisors go on to have successful tutoring relationships.
In a case study conducted within a Higher Education institute that provides fully online courses for part-time professional students examined feelings of mattering and belong amongst level 5 and 6 undergraduate students. The case study found that the individual mattering relationships were more important than belonging to students who participated in the study. Students valued members of staff who went “above and beyond” and showed care and mattering. Academic Advisors were key members of staff for these mattering relationships.
If students feel that they matter, this may well lead to an increased feeling of belongings and this is something that should be explored further.
References
Dixon, A. and Tucker, C. (2008). Every student matters: Enhancing strengths-based school counseling through the application of mattering. Professional School Counseling, 12(2), p.2156759X0801200205
Dumford, A. Miller, A. (2018) Online learning in higher education: exploring advantages and disadvantages for engagement. J Comput High Educ 30, 452–465.
McIntosh, E., Troxel, W., Grey, D., Van Den Wijngaard, O. and Thomas, L.,(2020). Academic Advising And Tutoring For Student Success In Higher Education: International Perspectives.Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Emily-Mcintosh-7/publication/349368541_Academic_Advising_and_Tutoring_for_Student_Success_in_Higher_Education_International_Perspectives/links/602cfe18a6fdcc37a8306a03/Academic-Advising-and-Tutoring-for-Student-Success-in-Higher-Education-58
[Accessed 1 September 2022]
Peacock, S., Cowan, J., Irvine, L., and Williams, J., (2020). An exploration into the importance of a sense of belonging for online learners. International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 21(2), pp.18-35.
Thomas, L. (2012). Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change, Final Report, What Works? Student Retention & Success programme, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Higher Education Funding Council for England, The Higher Education Academy and Action on Access.
Location: Portland Building 1.51
Manual notetaking and its effect on increasing student engagement and knowledge retention
Ellen Spender, Sue Evans, Lesley Davies, and Tracey Williams
Swansea University
Abstract:
In this presentation we outline our research into whether traditional methods of notetaking i.e., pen and paper, are still relevant in the digital learning landscape. This research was driven by the passive nature of learning during online delivery in the recent pandemic, where listening to live and recorded content overtook the need to take notes.
The hypothesis for the research was that students preferred to take digital notes. The methodology applied during our research was to test our hypothesis by engaging 2 groups of students in two different methods of notetaking and compare their level of knowledge retention following two teaching activities. Both groups experienced manual and digital notetaking during the teaching activities which included a short quiz. Students used notetaking methods they had previously used during their studies.
Prior to the study, all students completed a pre-study qualitative questionnaire to detail their current note-taking preferences and their expectations of the study.
A post-study questionnaire completed by the students clearly showed that the students scored higher, on average, using the traditional method of notetaking compared to using an electronic device.
Our research concluded a positive outcome in favour of handwritten notetaking. Prior to the study, the students had indicated that they believed that technology was the better method for notetaking. Following their participation in the study the overwhelming majority of students expressed their belief that a handwritten method of notetaking was a more effective learning strategy for knowledge retention.
The results of the study will encourage educators to promote manual notetaking in their teaching to benefit their students’ learning and knowledge retention, student engagement, and student satisfaction.
Location: Portland Building 1.51
Ways of rethinking inclusion for disabled students in Higher Education
Julian Ingle
University of Portsmouth
Abstract:
As Koutsouris et al. (2022) show, the term ‘inclusion’ now frequently appears in the marketing strategies of many UK universities, despite the equivocal ways the term is used across the sector. For some of us in the field of disability studies, these ambiguities in the meaning of the binary concept of inclusion are also one of the reasons why it has become emptied of meaning. In addition to the invisible work entailed in being disabled (Wertans & Burch, 2022), inclusion also implies a form of privileging: those on the inside determine who is to be included and on what grounds. This assimilationist discourse reproduces the socio-political structures and practices that categorise those who are outsiders (Biesta 2010; Biesta, 2019). Moreover, the technocratic nature of the current political context in which performance and its measurement are the main drivers (Peters, 2020; Supiot, 2021) of how higher education (HE) is required to address underrepresented groups and their performance, for example, through access and participation plans, not only homogenises disability but inevitably excludes others (Evans & Zhu, 2022). For example, this may happen to postgraduate students, international students or those who, because of the discrimination and stigma they experience, choose not to disclose a disability. This presentation explores the problematic nature of inclusion in relation to disabled students in HE and how it might impact on the work of learning developers. The paper explores Biesta’s concept of ‘transclusion’ as a way of transforming and rethinking how we conceptualise and enact equality of access, participation and social justice and what this could mean for practitioners. It will highlight the extent to which we, as practitioners, could contest and respond to the complex demands of inclusion in ways that might help change institutional cultures around disability so that they remain less invisible.
References
Biesta, G.J.J. (2010). Good education in an age of measurement: Ethics, politics, democracy. Paradigm Publishers.
Biesta, G.J.J (2019). Obstinate Education: Reconnecting school and society. Brill
Evans, C., & Zhu, X with Easte, C. (2022). The Disability Inclusion Institutional Framework (International). University of Lincoln, UK, University of Southampton, UK. https://inclusiveheorg.files.wordpress.com/2022/08/disability_inclusion_institutional_framework_international_2022-2.pdf
Koutsouris, G., Stentiford, L., & Norwich, B. (2022). A critical exploration of inclusion policies of elite UK universities. British Educational Research Journal, 48, 878–895. https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.3799
Peters, M. (2020). An educational theory of innovation: What constitutes the educational good? Educational Philosophy and Theory, 52(10), 1016-1022. https://doi.org: 10.1080/00131857.2019.1699992
Supiot, A. (2021). Foucault’s Mistake: Biopolitics, Scientism and the Rule of Law. New Left Review, 132, 125-139.
Wertans, E. and Burch, L. (2022). ‘It’s Backdoor Accessibility’: Disabled Students’
Navigation of University Campus. Journal of Disability Research in Education. Advance online publication, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1163/25888803-bja10013
Location: Portland Building 1.66
Transforming transitions: Learning and Researcher Developers and a whole-institution approach to successful transition
Andrew Struan, Scott Ramsay and Jennifer Boyle
University of Glasgow
Abstract:
The impact of Covid-19 on incoming students and researchers is plain: students and researchers were denied access to their usual educational experiences, to their usual networking and social interaction, and to their usual assessment types. This resulted in an incoming cohort of students and researchers with higher levels of anxiety and, often, less awareness of the requirements of higher education/research. Recognising the need to engage with new students and researchers in innovative ways, the Student Learning Development (SLD) team and the Researcher Development (RD) team undertook two institution-wide projects to provide students with a “world-changing” start to their studies. In particular, we sought to engage with the competencies of online study and research skills, academic integrity in an online world, academic community building, and student/researcher confidence.
As we move out of the emergency response to the pandemic (Bartolic et al., 2021; Yowler et al., 2021), both teams have adopted these projects as core elements of work and as particular highlights of the value of LD and RD to the institution. The relationship between LD and RD varies greatly within institutions. Some universities do not differentiate between the roles, some work within the same team, and others work entirely separately. While the two teams are situated separately at the University of Glasgow, the teams work closely together to provide an integrated response that provides continuity of experience for our students and our researchers.
For our undergraduates, a new course – T2G: Transition to Glasgow – was created by SLD. Designed around developing competences, instilling academic identity, and easing the transition to formal education, the course provided students with the skills required to succeed. For our postgraduate researchers, a new course – PGR@Home – was created by RD. Designed around integration and developing competencies, the course offered asynchronous and synchronous opportunities for research students to begin the process of joining the University community in their new role. In each case, students were contacted directly with information and promotion material on the available initiatives and participated on a voluntary basis. They were able to select from a range of topics that interested them, and also completed a core academic literacies module. For students who completed T2G by completing the required coursework, we granted an exemption for a first-year compulsory writing course. As the courses were pilots, PGT students were not included in either piece of work, but reflecting on each project has enabled us to develop plans to expand and tailor our provision to meet the demands of our PGT students.
This joint case study will present and reflect on the ways in which we adopted a whole-institution response to transition to new stages of learning and research. The case study highlights the ways in which Learning and Researcher Development teams can offer a transformational transition experience for our students and researchers (Cage et al., 2021; Thompson, Pawson and Evans, 2021), and will provide evidence of impact through evaluation and analysis.
References
Bartolic, S.K. et al. (2021) ‘A multi-institutional assessment of changes in higher education teaching and learning in the face of COVID-19’, Educational Review, pp. 1–17. doi:10.1080/00131911.2021.1955830.
Cage, E. et al. (2021) ‘Student mental health and transitions into, through and out of university: student and staff perspectives’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 45(8), pp. 1076–1089. doi:10.1080/0309877X.2021.1875203.
Thompson, M., Pawson, C. and Evans, B. (2021) ‘Navigating entry into higher education: the transition to independent learning and living’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, pp. 1–13. doi:10.1080/0309877X.2021.1933400.
Yowler, J.Y. et al. (2021) Rapid adaptation and remote delivery of undergraduate research training during the COVID 19 Pandemic | bioRxiv. Available at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.02.24.432694v1.full.
Location: Portland Building 1.66
Learning Development Mentor provision – How it’s going
Sheryl Mansfield, Sam Thomas, Helena Beeson
University of Northampton
Abstract:
Continuing from the presentation in 2022, the University of Northampton Learning Development Team will share with colleagues how the second year of our Learning Development Mentor Project has progressed. We will discuss the impact of utilising student mentors on the provision of our service with the objective of reducing barriers to accessing support. Our nine Learning Development Mentors (LDMs) replicates that of the Price et al., (2018) Student Learning Assistant Model where we offer support to students from any disciplinary subject via drop-ins, tutorials and other formal events. All LDMs are current second- and third-year students and work four or six hours a week to supplement the LD provision by offering a peer perspective to academic and study skills. Furthermore, they are seeping into spaces unable to be penetrated by learning development. The talk will evaluate how the role was co-created with the LD Mentors and the benefits and impact it has had on the LD provision. We will discuss how the learning development tutors, mentors and users of the service differentiate the roles. In addition, the impact of the following projects which the LDMs have been involved with will be considered:
- University of Northampton Plagiarism Awareness Course (UNPAC)
- Social media and marketing outputs
- Pathways project to support students’ understanding of learning development and how to access the service
- Other institutional events such as open days, exam ready project and many more
The conference presentation will describe how we have navigated the project and how measuring impact with the project is not always straightforward.
References
Price, S. Wallace, K. Verezub, E & Sinchenko, E. (2018) ‘Student learning assistants: the journey from learning advice to creating community’, https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2018.1425379. Routledge, 43(7), pp. 914–928. doi: 10.1080/0309877X.2018.1425379.
Location: Portland Building 2.33b
Enhancing employability and engagement with the University through the Student Experience Leaders (SEL) Scheme
Sibel Kaya, Clio Spanou, Barry Poulter, Robert Payne, Steven Briggs, and Julie Brunton
University of Bedfordshire
Abstract:
The University of Bedfordshire launched a new Education and Student Experience Strategy (2022-2026) that includes expanding students as partners opportunities as a key priority. The Student Experience Leaders (SEL) scheme was launched in 2022 and is managed by the Learning Development Team at the University of Bedfordshire in partnership with the Students’ Union. SEL provides opportunities for students to work with course teams and professional service staff to deliver curricular and co-/extra-curricular projects (aligned to key strategic priorities). SELs also act as representatives for Course Reps within faculties to champion the student voice.
We believe that the formal representation partnership co-led by the Students’ Union and Learning Development Team differentiates our scheme from more traditional Peer Assisted Learning schemes. Our approach, therefore, contributes to the wider learning development field in terms of redefining how learning development teams could co-lead students as partners initiatives within their institution.
Approximately 30 students have been recruited to the SEL scheme, which consists of nine projects from four faculties and two directorates. The SELs received training on various identified key transferable skills from the Learning Development Team and Students’ Union to support them in their roles. The Learning Development Team have also established and facilitated a community of practices for SELs. The first round of the scheme will conclude in June 2023 and will be evaluated through a narrative-focused and empirical evaluation using a mixed-methods approach. Pre- and post-questionnaires that focus on the transferable skills of SELs and focus group interviews will provide data for evaluation. This session will consider the role of a Learning Development Team in leading a student as partners institutional scheme. We will discuss how the SEL scheme will inform the future delivery of learning development at the University. We will also consider how to best support students as partners in their role and how a learning development team can be effectively promoted through such activity.
Session Plan
- Overview of the SEL scheme
- Perspectives on the benefits and issues encountered when working with SELs
- The impact of SELs on transferable skills and wider student engagement
- Recommendations for learning developers who are planning to introduce a students as partners scheme
- Opportunity for further discussion/questions
Location: Portland Building 2.33b
Fostering belonging: An inter-disciplinary journal club
Katie Winter and Jennifer McLay
University of Surrey
Abstract:
This session will explore the evolution of an inter-disciplinary journal club open to undergraduate and Master’s students, the challenges faced and how we plan to develop the project going forward.
The aim of the club is to empower students through an initial staff-led workshop, followed by student-led peer-to-peer discussion sessions, developing their confidence in group working (and indirectly meeting new people), critical reading and analysis. The club also provides the opportunity to analyse and interpret statistical data, an area that can be daunting for students (Mezgebe, Chesson and Thurston, 2019). Articles for discussion in the club are chosen to be accessible to students from all disciplines, with a focus where possible on aspects of equity, diversity and inclusion. Collaboration between different facets of our learning development team allow our Librarian, Writing and Maths and Statistics advisers to bring their specific expertise to the initiative, resulting in a holistic approach additionally underpinned by students’ increased ownership.
Impact is measured through pre- and post-participation surveys* with mostly positive comments, touching on benefits beyond obvious ‘skills development’, most notably participation being seen to instil a sense of connection and belonging with fellow students, contributing to students’ sense of wellbeing and the appreciation of having a space to explore learning outside of the core assessed curriculum.
We hope to tap into delegates’ experiences of any similar initiatives and explore possibilities for further developing our initiative, which could include embedding subject-specific clubs within course programmes (i.e., empowering academic staff to facilitate these), with the aim of further enhancing sense of belonging across the institution. Equally, the model we have developed is adaptable to different contexts, so we would encourage delegates to consider the potential for adaptation to their institutional contexts.
*Ethical approval has been obtained to use survey responses for research.
References
Mezgebe, M., Chesson, M. and Thurston, M. (2019) ‘Pharmacy student perceptions regarding understanding of and confidence in literature evaluation following a student-led journal club, Currents in Pharmacy Teaching and Learning, 11(6), pp. 557-564. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cptl.2019.02.018
Location: Portland Building 2.33a
How a learning skills course addressed transition, diversity and inclusion, and a sense of belonging for mature students seeking entrance to university – Reflections of a Canadian Learning Specialist
Heather Grierson
University of Guelph
Abstract:
Universities across Canada offer bridging programs for mature students who wouldn’t otherwise have access to post-secondary education. The College of Arts at the University of Guelph developed their Academic Transition Program (University of Guelph) to support these students, with the cornerstone of the program being a learning skills course, launched in Fall 2022, that students require to be accepted into an undergraduate program.
In the Canadian context, it’s unusual for a learning specialist to be act as course developer for the creation of an undergraduate credit course. This presentation shares a reflection on the theories that underpinned the course creation, most notably Kolb’s (2015) theory on Experiential Learning, Baxter-Magolda’s (1999) theory of Self Authorship and the learning gained after wearing many hats – learning specialist, course developer, and sessional instructor.
This presentation will detail:
- The tripartite arrangement developed to create the course
- Ways in which the course addressed students’ transition to university
- Considerations around diversity and inclusion
- How the coursework supported a sense of belonging
- Feedback from the students’ experience in the course
- What was learned when the course was made available to traditional undergraduate students from first through fourth year
- How this course intersects with the Canadian model of learning support
- Sharing examples of course content, including weekly reflection questions
- Lessons learned and plans for the future of the course, including alternate formats
Making learning strategies explicit can support mature students’ level of success in higher education (Erb & Drysdale, 2017). This course combined theoretical and practical learning skill applications and opportunities to develop a sense of belonging for a diverse cohort of mature students.
Location: Portland Building 2.33a
Great expectations: four writing tendencies for actionable self-knowledge
Carina Buckley and Alicja Syska
Solent University and University of Plymouth
Abstract:
We all know that writing for publication is a valuable activity and one that many of us aspire to. We have previously presented it as a form of liberatory practice for Learning Development (Syska & Buckley 2022) showing how it allows us to shape and develop our ideas as part of a wider conversation in LD, and in doing so it helps to build the field and our own professional profiles. Yet many of us struggle to write. We explored some of the reasons behind this in a small study and although lack of time is consistently cited as a factor, we believe the root of the issue lies in managing the expectations we have for ourselves alongside those that others have for us and, most crucially, how we respond to those.
In her book The Four Tendencies, Gretchen Rubin identified that internal and external expectations, enmeshed with our particular predisposition when it comes to responding to tasks, go far to explain ‘why we act and why we don’t act’ (Rubin 2017, p.12). While her Tendencies relate to the four possible combinations of meeting or not meeting inner and outer expectations generally, we have translated this specifically to writing as a way of understanding why many people struggle to write and how they can be supported. The four writing tendencies we have identified – autonomous, social, analytical and maverick – have their own blocks to writing, but also have their own strategies for effectively overcoming those blocks. In this presentation we therefore outline the nature of the four writing tendencies, help participants identify their own, and show how self-knowledge can have a significant impact on our approach to writing, which we can then pass on to our students.
References
Rubin, G. (2017). The four tendencies: the indispensable personality profiles that reveal how to make your life better (and other people’s lives better, too). John Murray Press
Syska, A. & Buckley, C. (2022). Writing as liberatory practice: unlocking knowledge to locate an academic field. Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2022.2114337
Location: Portland Building 1.67
Bridging the Transition Gap
Liv Jonassen
Newcastle University
Abstract:
Issues around transition to university have been widely discussed, with the recent pandemic highlighting issues such as students’ lack of confidence in engaging in higher education and lack of knowledge around some of the expectations and skills required (Advance HE,2020), but one aspect which has been somewhat under researched is the link between academic skills required by 6th form students and stage 1 undergraduate students (Baker, 2016)) . The Bridging the Gap project is a collaboration between students, the Academic Skills team and the Education Outreach team at Newcastle University. Our project co-created accessible, engaging, interactive resources based on feedback from both 6th year students and UG students with the student voice at the heart of the project. We worked with paid interns to not only use the information gathered from focus groups to inform resource development but also to consider how our message was communicated to students. To date several resources have been developed around topics such as time management and evaluation of sources. Although still in the development phase, the project team have been able to gather some formative feedback from UG students, 6th form students as well as teachers. Further, the impact of the project has been highlighted by gaining additional funding for a two-year project coordinator.
This session will outline what we’ve learned about working collaboratively with students to provide resources to help develop core academic and research skills to build confidence and support the transition from secondary to HE. We will highlight the project phases, how we were able to work collaboratively and how we were able to ensure that the student input and evaluation were central to the project in order to provide a good practice framework.
References
Baker, S. (2018) ‘Shifts in the treatment of knowledge in academic reading and writing: Adding complexity to students’ transitions between A-levels and university in the UK’, Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. 17 (4) pp. 388-409.
Morgan, M. (2020) An exceptional transition to higher education: induction of new and returning students during the new normal year. Advance HE report. Available at: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/exceptional-transition-higher-education-induction-new-and-returning-students-during (Accessed: 17 February 2023).
Location: Portland Building 1.67
Skill Audit – The journey of exploring how diagnostic assessment could be used to promote reflective learning
Ivelina Cramphorn
University of Northampton
Abstract:
Through interactive and discussion-encouraging content, this session aims to open a conversation about diagnostic tools used to support the development of reflection skills in level 4 students and promote self-evaluation of personal perceptions in relation to academic skills. In the process of working with subject lecturers and learning development staff, it was established that further support was required in order to encourage the development of a reflective learning environment particularly within students taking sports courses (Dole, 2017; Ryan & Ryan, 2012). Applying core principles of confidence-based assessment, we created a workshop package which allows summative evaluation of students’ academic skills and knowledge and supports students to set personal academic goals (Gardener-Medwin, 2019; Hendriks et al. 2019; Bryan & Clegg, 2006). The resource package contains a workshop plan which is built around active participation in class discussion and confidence grading. In addition, it is supported by an online site available on the module Blackboard page, where students could take a ‘Skills Quiz’ (as part of the workshop or independently) to further explore their academic competence. Participants (in this session) are invited to experience and critically review the workshop package and academic quiz, situating it within their own institutions and experiences with diagnostic tools.
Discussion questions for the 20-minute paper presentation session:
What diagnostic tools have you come across being used in your institution?
Could academic diagnostic tasks be used beyond ‘fixing holes’ in knowledge and develop sustainable academic abilities?
Could diagnostic tasks help us overcome the issue of unrealistic academic perceptions of oneself?
References:
Bryan C and Clegg K (eds) (2006) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group Ltd, London, 256pp.
Dole, S. F. (2017). Creating Cultures of Thinking: The 8 Forces We Must Master to Truly Transform Our Schools. Interdisciplinary Journal of Problem-Based Learning, 11(2).
Gardener-Medwin T. (2019) Certainty-based marking. In Bryan C., and Clegg K. (ed.) Innovative Assessment in Higher Education. A Handbook for Academic Practitioners. 2nd Edition. London: Routledge
Hendriks, W.J.A.J., Bakker, N., Pluk, H. et al. (2019) Certainty-based marking in a formative assessment improves student course appreciation but not summative examination scores. BMC Med Educ 19, 178 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1610-2
Ryan, Mary & Ryan, Michael (2013) Theorising a model for teaching and assessing reflective learning in higher education. Higher education research and development. [Online] 32 (2), 244–257
Location: Portland Building 1.11