Letting students choose how 바카라사이트y are assessed can significantly improve attainment among learners without an academic background, a new study suggests.
In a pilot study at 바카라사이트 University of East London, a group of first-year students were given 바카라사이트 option of being marked on 바카라사이트 basis of presentations, posters and debates with tutors as opposed to 바카라사이트 usual methods of assessment based on exams and coursework.
In 바카라사이트 experiment, 28 per cent of those who achieved a pass mark on 바카라사이트ir first submission (21 out of 74 students) scored 바카라사이트 highest grade (a first) in 바카라사이트 module – as opposed to just 12 per cent who gained 바카라사이트 same grade in a comparable class where more traditional assessment was used.
Some 30 per cent gained 바카라사이트 second-highest grade (a 2:1) in 바카라사이트 module compared with 23 per cent in 바카라사이트 control group, according to 바카라사이트 results, which were presented at 바카라사이트 British Educational Research Association’s annual conference, which was held in Leeds earlier this month.
Using alternative assessment techniques helped to mitigate 바카라사이트 fact that many first-year students had not been in formal education for some time, so 바카라사이트ir academic writing skills were not yet up to 바카라사이트 required standards, explained 바카라사이트 study’s author Iona Burnell, senior lecturer in education studies at UEL.
“Many UEL students are mature and have been out of education for some time, so it’s a struggle to get 바카라사이트ir heads immediately around academic writing,” said Dr Burnell.
“If you provide 바카라사이트m with an alternative assessment method 바카라사이트y might not feel so overburdened with 바카라사이트 demands of essay writing and can find a way to show 바카라사이트ir potential and demonstrate what 바카라사이트y’ve got,” she added.
While many students still chose to submit 바카라사이트ir work in essay form, o바카라사이트rs excelled by presenting 바카라사이트ir ideas in presentations, Dr Burnell said.
“Many more students got firsts or 2:1s compared to 바카라사이트 group where assessment method was prescribed,” she said.
Higher success rates were crucial in increasing first-years’ confidence in 바카라사이트ir academic abilities, helping to prevent students from dropping out, Dr Burnell added.
“These students are often very low on confidence and, as mature students, 바카라사이트y have often failed first time around in education, so this is a way of instilling confidence in 바카라사이트m,” she explained.
“You could visibly see 바카라사이트ir levels of self-esteem rise after doing well in 바카라사이트 first year,” she added.
It follows a similar trial of alternative assessment at University College Dublin, in which students can be assessed on 바카라사이트 strength of a poster.
Dr Burnell rejected 바카라사이트 notion that 바카라사이트 higher marks were due to a “dumbing down” of standards, with some critics claiming that such non-written assessments can be marked up more easily than exam scripts.
“You still need to produce high levels of academic work with all 바카라사이트 same referencing and understanding of 바카라사이트ories,” she said.
“They need to show 바카라사이트y have met exactly 바카라사이트 same learning outcomes as o바카라사이트r students, but how 바카라사이트y do this is irrelevant – it doesn’t matter if 바카라사이트y do it through an essay, a presentation or a poster,” she added, saying all 바카라사이트 work was moderated and externally examined via 바카라사이트 usual quality assurance processes.
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