CITERS Keynote

1. Scaling up Assessment for
Learning
CITERS 2017, June 9
Professor David Carless
University of Hong Kong
The University of Hong Kong

2. Overview
• Assessment for learning (AfL)
• AfL & MOOCs
• Peer feedback & technology
• Leadership & communities of practice
The University of Hong Kong

3. The University of Hong Kong

4. Chapter 1: Scaling up AfL: Progress & prospects
(Carless)
Chapter 14: How does Technology enable Scaling
up AfL? (Dawson & Henderson)
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5. AfL definition
Assessment for which the
first priority is promoting students’
learning (Black et al., 2004)
Cf. Formative assessment
Learning-oriented assessment
(Carless, 2007, 2015a)
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6. Interlinked AfL strategies
1. Productive assessment design
2. Students making judgments
3. Effective feedback processes
4. Developing student appreciation of quality
(Carless, 2017)
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7. Scaling up (Coburn, 2003)
Spread
Depth
Sustainability
Shifts in ownership
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8. Why scale-up AfL?
Research evidence
(Black & Wiliam, Hattie)
Dissatisfaction with current assessment &
feedback practices
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9. Black & Wiliam (1998)
Formative assessment & learning gains
Effect sizes: 0.4 - 0.7
… But implementation is generally weak
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10. Hattie: Visible Learning
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11. MOOCs & AfL
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12. MOOC Assessment design
Alignment of goals, activities & low-stakes
assessment
MC quizzes + automated
feedback
Higher order thinking?
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13. Peer assessment
Peer reviewed assignments + detailed
rubrics as key feature of MOOCs
(Admiraal et al, 2015; Huisman et al., 2016)
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14. Reliability of PA
Moderate reliability of peer assessment
(Admiraal et al., 2015)
Use of multiple peer assessments to
mitigate variance in judgments (Hew, 2016)
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15. Peer feedback for learning
Learners gain more from composing than
receiving peer feedback (Nicol et al., 2014)
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16. Peer & Self-evaluation
Students did 5 peer reviews then self-
evaluated own work
(Hew, 2016)
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17. FEEDBACK PROCESSES &
TECHNOLOGY
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18. Audio & Video feedback
Rapport
Nuance
Personalisation
Monologue or Dialogue?
Time saver?
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19. Peer video feedback
Peer-to-peer video feedback
delivered via Facebook
Hung (2016)
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20. Personalised feedback at scale
Using learning analytics to
scale the provision of
personalised feedback
https://www.ontasklearning.org/
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21. Sustainable feedback
Students generating & using feedback from
peers or self as part of self-regulated
learning (Carless et al., 2011)
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22. DEVELOPING STUDENT
APPRECIATION OF
QUALITY
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23. MOOC limitation?
MOOCs do not systematically develop
student understanding of quality
(Dawson & Henderson, 2017)
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24. Using exemplars
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Exemplars convey messages
that nothing else can
(Sadler, 2002)

25. The University of Hong Kong

26. Appreciating quality
Students need to debate nature of quality &
develop capacities in making judgments
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27. SCALING UP POSSIBILITIES
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28. Enhancing design
Adding technology to existing design &
expecting improvements is flawed
Invest in improved assessment & feedback
designs to leverage gains from technology
(Dawson & Henderson, 2017)
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29. Leadership
Resourcing & support
Incentives & rewards
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30. TELI
Technology-Enhanced Learning Initiative
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Associate Vice-President (Teaching
and Learning) Ricky Kwok

31. Incentives
Teaching Innovation Award
Teaching Feedback Award
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32. Communities of practice (CoPs)
Surfacing and sharing AfL practices
(Hounsell & Zou, 2017)
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33. Staff development
Good CoPs
Dialogue & communication
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35. References
Admiraal, W., Huisman, B., & Pilli, O. (2015). Assessment in massive open online
courses. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, 13(4), 207-216.
Black, P., Harrison, C., Lee, C., Marshall, B., & Wiliam, D. (2004). Working inside the
black box: Assessment for learning in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan, 86(1), 8-21.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in
Education, 5(1), 7-74.
Carless, D. (2007). Learning-oriented assessment: Conceptual basis and practical
implications. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 44(1), 57-66.
Carless, D. (2015a). Exploring learning-oriented assessment processes. Higher
Education, 69(6), 963-976.
Carless, D. (2015b). Excellence in University Assessment: learning from award-winning
teachers. London: Routledge.
Carless, D. & K.K.H. Chan (2016). Managing dialogic use of exemplars. Assessment and
Evaluation in Higher Education, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1211246
Carless, D., Salter, D., Yang, M., & Lam, J. (2011). Developing sustainable feedback
practices. Studies in Higher Education, 36(4), 395-407.
Coburn, C. (2003). Rethinking scale: Moving beyond numbers to deep and lasting
change. Educational Researcher, 32(6), 3-12.
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36. References
Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning. London: Routledge.
Hew, K. F. (2016). Promoting engagement in online courses: What strategies can we
learn from three highly rated MOOCS. British Journal of Educational Technology,
47(2), 320-341.
Hounsell, D. & Zou, T. (2017). Surfacing and Sharing Advances in Assessment: A
Communities-of-practice approach. In D. Carless, S. Bridges, C.K.W. Chan & R.
Glofcheski (Eds.), Scaling up Assessment for learning in Higher Education. Singapore:
Springer.
Huisman, B., Admiraal, W., Pilli, L., van de Ven, M., & Saab, N. (2016). Peer assessment
in MOOCs: The relationship between peer reviewers’ ability and authors’ essay
performance. British Journal of Educational Technology. Doi: 10.1111/bjet.12520.
Hung, S.-T. A. (2016). Enhancing feedback provision through multimodal video
technology. Computers & Education, 98, 90-101.
Nicol, D., Thomson, A., & Breslin, C. (2014). Rethinking feedback practices in higher
education: a peer review perspective. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education,
39(1), 102–122.
Sadler, D. R. (2002). Ah! … So that’s ‘quality’. In P. Schwartz & G. Webb (Eds.),
Assessment: Case Studies, Experience and Practice from Higher Education (p.130-
136). London: Kogan Page.
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37. THANK YOU
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