Evaluation is critical to the implementation of this project. Evidence of cost savings and/or learning quality improvements are essential to gain and sustain commitment within the three participating institutions and to ensure the uptake of these new educational models across the HE sector. Evaluation is being carried out in three areas to show:
Baseline data has been collected documenting assessment practices using a variety of instruments. Instruments used include some new tools developed through the Formative Assessment in Science Teaching Project funded by HEFCE such as the teachers’ assessment review checklist, the student assessment experience questionnaire, the distribution of student effort instrument (Brown, Gibbs, Glover, 2003). Other instruments are being developed to evidence the balance across self, peer and teacher assessment and the relative balance of formative assessments (feedback) and summative assessments (marking) in courses. Some specific measurable benefits sought include:
The PREDICT unit and Centre for Academic Practice at Strathclyde have developed methodologies to examine whole institutional changes brought about by e-learning developments and to carry out cost-benefit analyses in relation to these changes. This project will also draw on cost-quality models devised by the National Centre for Academic Transformation, Rensselaer Polytechnic in the US.
As well as applying these cost benefit processes, workload models will be developed and implemented to help identify the time currently spent by departmental staff and support staff on teaching and assessment activities, both formative (to provide feedback) and summative (to mark). This will help produce initial baseline data in order to demonstrate changes in time spent on assessment tasks during the transformational period and the relative balance of time spent on self, peer and teacher assessments. Some specific measurable benefits might include:
An analysis will be carried out to ascertain changes (actual and desired) required to support changed assessment and institutional processes. This will include consideration of the cultural, organisational, pedagogical and technical issues that need to be addressed at departmental and institutional level. Areas of focus would include the following:
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