Re-Engineering Assessment Practices in Scottish Higher Education

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“The REAP project has demonstrated that assessment redesign with technology can result in improved learning, higher student satisfaction and more efficient use of staff time.”

Resources at a glance:

Project Overview

• The REAP project: 2 page bullet point summary (PDF)
• The REAP project: 4 page overview (PDF)
• Journal articles and publications

Module Redesign

• Assessment principles underpinning redesign
• Disciplinary examples of module redesign
• The research rationale
• Interactive lectures and electronic voting (PDF)

Institutional Strategies

• Abrupt transformation at CBS (PDF)
• Revised policy on assessment at the University of Strathclyde (PDF)

Managing transformational change

• Assessment as a driver for institutional transformation (PDF)
• Course redesign using ICT: advice for senior managers (PDF)

Dissemination

• International Online Conference archive
• Presentations

International interest in REAP

Main site

Conference site

What is REAP?

• REAP stands for Re-engineering Assessment Practices
• the REAP project received funding from the Scottish Funding Council during 2005-07 under its e-Learning Transformation Programme
• the REAP partners are the University of Strathclyde (lead), the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Caledonian University
• REAP is piloting the redesign of formative assessment and feedback practices in large-enrolment first-year modules across these three institutions.
• and is developing strategies for embedding new thinking about assessment into institutional policies and quality enhancement processes

Why is REAP important?

• assessment and feedback are critical drivers of student learning
• they are demanding in terms of staff time and resources.
• they deeply affect the quality of student-teacher interaction.
• they are the main areas of dissatisfaction in the UK National Student Survey (NSS) [e.g. Satisfied - but students want more feedback, THES 14 September 2007] (For more information on the NSS results and a REAP guide for improving assessment see Resources > NSS)

The key features

• the REAP project draws on current educational research
• to redesign large-enrolment first year classes across a range of disciplines
• all the redesigns are underpinned by formative assessment principles that emphasise student responsibility
• the goal of REAP is to develop in students the ability to monitor, manage and self-direct their own learning

Achievements

• nineteen higher education modules redesigned across a range of disciplines
• exemplifying innovative formative assessment practices
• with students actively generating their own feedback and scaffolding the development of their peers
• the redesigns show both learning and staff efficiency gains as well as how technology can add value
• the REAP principles have been embedded in institutional strategies
• the models provide blueprints for transformational change and they are transferable to other disciplinary and institutional contexts

What next

• REAP will continue to be a source of advice on assessment for the HE and FE sectors
• the working models are already being applied in other institutions at local and strategic levels
• and all further developments will be archived at www.reap.ac.uk, and disseminated worldwide.