Since my last blog post the project is being supported for a further 12 months until July 2012.  We have been working to further develop and embed the framework of assessment processes into practice.  We have had the framework of assessment processes approved by ULTC as a good practice for the Institution.  I have been delivering sessions focusing on the main methods of delivering feedback outlined in the project, using audio, screencapture, video and grademark.  I have been informing new staff through the Teaching and Learning in Higher Education programme at Keele of the different options available when marking and providing feedback.  A small number of projects are also being supported and further resources are being developed.  Dcouments used at the SEDA conference can be found at this link http://www.seda.ac.uk/index.php?p=14_2&e=419&x=1 under item 8 and in the resources section of this blog

We have been collecting feedback from Schools on the consultation paper which outlined a framework of three assessment and feedback processes. This has been achieved by attendance at School meetings and Faculty Learning and Teaching Committees. The feedback collated from Schools will be fed back into the project.
We have also been focusing on wider dissemination of the project our approach and findings. We are presenting aspects of the project at the International Conference on Information Communication Technologies in Education in Rhodes in July and the SOLSTICE conference at Edgehill University in June. We have submitted a paper proposal to the SEDA annual conference.

The next and final steps of the project will be the publication of the final report and the dissemination of any of our findings. Staff experiences of using different technology to provide feedback to students will be posted here.

By
Matthew Street

Support is being offered to staff through workshops focusing on specific technology to provide feedback to students, individual support, the creation of multimedia resources, and documentation.
A consultation paper has been put together outlining three recommended processes that specifically relate to coursework assessment. The consultation paper provides a streamlined framework for the assessment process from submission to archiving based on good pedagogy whilst making the most of existing technology at Keele University and allowing for the incorporation of new technology to provide feedback to students. The consultation paper has been discussed with the Directors of Learning and Teaching, who will take it to their School Learning and Teaching Committees, from where it will go through Faculty Committees to the University Learning and Teaching Committee.

The project steering group convened and had a productive meeting.  Actions were raised and have been taken forward by the appropriate members of the steering group. As project coordinator a full report was given on the progress of the project and any issues that were being faced.

The mapping process is moving forward an outline has been drawn up this is being converted into a document.  We have now met with all the Schools in the University and have a good idea of the processes that take place in each.  Part of the project is producing technology supported processes with existing technologies and technologies novel to Keele university, we have projects involving audio feedback, video feedback, the use of grademark through different devices, the use of a optical mark reader and the use of electronic voting technology in lectures.

Please contact m.j.street@phil.keele.ac.uk if you are interested in adopting technology in your assessment and feedback processes.  This could be a simple change in working practice or the adoption of a technology not mentioned above.

By Matthew Street

As part of the project we invited Dr Karen Llewellyn from a Building Capacity programme project at Leeds University, Jean Mutton from a JISC project centred on the enrolment process at Derby University (project DERBI) and Paul Bailey, a consultant from JISC, to a meeting along with members of staff from the Learning Development Unit at Keele University.  The meeting provedto be very interesting and worthwhile as thoughts and ideas were shared about the respective projects.  We are using a variety of methods to raise awareness across the university of project STAF and how it can incorporate into our institution, we are inviting speakers to Keele from JISC projects that have outcomes that are central to our project objectives, these in part have been identified by our literature review, we are also where possible attending and presenting at school staff meetings and faculty level learning and t eaching committees.

The next stage in the project involves accurately mapping the current assessment practices of the institution to identify any areas for possible efficiency gains.  As part of the project focus is the use of technology, as project coordinator I have been looking at the advantages and disadvantages of certain technologies to support staff in the assessment and feedback process this is also an ongoing process to see what technologies would be useful as part of toolkits for staff.

Please find included the project literature review. It is worth noting at this point that the literature review is changing periodically and growing as the project becomes more focused and ideas are developed. I will post the revised versions to the blog.

By Matthew Street

Draft literature review so far for Project STAF

As project coordinator I am currently working on the litertature review and will post the most upto date version on the blog shortly.  As the review grows and changes I will periodically post the updated versions.

By

Matthew Street