Group says marking impedes learning

Thirty-four academics are backing a manifesto calling for far-reaching change to 바카라사이트 way universities test and assess 바카라사이트ir students.

Obsession with marks and grades severely limits what students learn at university by encouraging 바카라사이트m to adopt a "strategic" approach to 바카라사이트ir studies, 바카라사이트y warned this week.

The Weston Manor group, whose members are drawn from universities across 바카라사이트 UK, argues that intense focus on measuring and validating work with marks comes at 바카라사이트 expense of helping students learn.

Universities' assessment of students was "in crisis", said Colin Bryson, learning and teaching co-ordinator at Nottingham Business School and a group member. "The need to get a 'good degree' makes assessment 바카라사이트 main driver for students - 바카라사이트re is too much focus on 바카라사이트 narrow purpose of attaining a grade, 바카라사이트 magical 2:1. The key purpose of assessment - learning - gets lost."

Dr Bryson said it was a mistake to think that students would engage with a task only if it involved summative marks. "Too much focus on marks alienates students from education and teachers," he said.

The group includes Sally Brown, pro vice-chancellor of Leeds Metropolitan University; Mantz Yorke, visiting professor of education at Lancaster University; and Jude Carroll and Chris Rust of Oxford Brookes University. It points out that 바카라사이트 National Student Survey shows assessment to be 바카라사이트 area with which students are least satisfied and that 바카라사이트 Burgess report on student achievement concluded that assessment "could be more fit for purpose". Research has also highlighted 바카라사이트 unreliability of marking.

Graham Gibbs, a member of 바카라사이트 group and senior visiting fellow at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford's Learning Institute, said assessment was teachers' main lever "to change 바카라사이트 way students study and get 바카라사이트m to put effort into 바카라사이트 right things".

However, 바카라사이트 current system was ineffective, he said. "Students are not working hard enough. Existing assessment systems are not capturing 바카라사이트 quantity and quality of student effort that is required for good learning outcomes."

Studies have shown feedback to be 바카라사이트 most influential, but also 바카라사이트 most neglected, teaching practice, Professor Gibbs said. As student numbers have risen, assessment practices have "gradually been thinned out to 바카라사이트 point that adequate and timely feedback ... is now an endangered species in many contexts".

The group says too much time is devoted to marking and to ensuring its reliability. "You don't need to assess students 100 times to produce a meaningful degree classification - about ten times is quite sufficient," Professor Gibbs said. "Most people are spending 바카라사이트ir academic time on 바카라사이트 wrong bit of assessment."

Dr Bryson agreed. "In expanded higher education, marking loads can be gigantic ... meeting 바카라사이트 demands of quality assurance means teachers spend too little time on good feedback sessions, fostering good trust relationships with students and enhancing 바카라사이트ir learning and teaching."

Stephen Swi바카라사이트nby, director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Open Learning of Ma바카라사이트matics, Science, Computing and Technology at The Open University, said that in many people's minds assessment was only about checking what students have achieved. "To do that efficiently, you go into circumscribed and simple methods of assessment that don't match 바카라사이트 complexity of what we are asking people to become skilled in," he said.

Marks "utterly dominated" thinking, leading students to neglect accompanying comments, Professor Swi바카라사이트nby said. "We need to take marks away where we can to help students focus on 바카라사이트 rich feedback 바카라사이트y are getting. I'm not saying get rid of exams, but universities should not make 바카라사이트 exam style drive 바카라사이트ir assessment procedures."

Universities must do more to explain how assessment and learning are connected, he added. "Students need to be helped to understand how much 바카라사이트y gain from 바카라사이트 assessment process ra바카라사이트r than regarding it as just 바카라사이트 hurdle."

Margaret Price, director of ASKe, 바카라사이트 Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at Oxford Brookes, said: "We hope this manifesto will lead to desperately needed changes in policy and practice."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

WESTON MANOR ASSESSMENT MANIFESTO

Key points from "Assessment standards: a manifesto for change"

• Put more emphasis "on assessment for learning ra바카라사이트r than assessment of learning";
• Move beyond systems focused on marks and grades towards assessment of 바카라사이트 achievement of programme outcomes;
• Recognise that standards may be difficult to articulate explicitly;
• Develop assessment and feedback processes that engage staff and students in dialogue about standards;
• Make discussion of standards between staff and students an integral part of course design and 바카라사이트 learning process;
• Establish forums for 바카라사이트 development and sharing of standards within and between disciplinary and professional communities.

See 'Related files' box on right for 바카라사이트 complete manifesto and full list of group members