Methodology and Criteria for two types of ‘Innovative’ assessment: Discussions and Displays

Assessment

Brief description

The English department at Bishop Grosseteste College has a history of developing and refining the assessment of oral and, to a lesser extent, display skills.

Background

In the light of the increasing skills and employability agenda, this project sought to develop further two method of assessment: leading a discussion and preparing a display. The team aimed to develop detailed criteria related to the programme outcomes, levels statement and to the skills and employability agenda.

Project design

Two case studies were used to develop a) criteria for assessment of undergraduate students’ b) assessment of undergraduate students’ ability to put up a wall display working as a small group.

Key findings

Care needs to be taken to overcome students’ anxieties about these forms of assessment and this can be addressed with careful training and guidance. If this is done, then most students at BGC appear to relax and even enjoy this form of assessment. Displays can also be a useful way of achieving other outcomes, in particular skills in group work and the ability to synthesize or translate information for a specific audience.

Learning outcomes

A methodology for each type of assessment; a table of criteria indicating how to award marks at each classification for each type of assessment; an examination of the validity of concerns held by students and English lecturers about these types of assessment in the light of the case studies.

Report

Methodology and Criteria for two types of ‘Innovative’ assessment: Discussions and Displays

Project Leader

Sally Bentley
Head of English
Bishop Grosseteste College
Lincoln
LN1 3DY

Status

Project completed January 2003

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