"Collaborative Problem-solving in First Year Physics"
Simon Bates, University of Edinburgh, UK

"Formative assessment in a professional doctorate context: developing identities as researchers"
Dr. Barbara Crossouard & Dr. John Pryor, University of Sussex, UK

Expert Facilitator: Prof Lewis Elton, University of Manchester, UK - Download review

Please download case study texts by both authors by clicking the links below.

Read the Bates case study (Download will open in a new window)

Overview: This case study describes an assessment design for collaborative group working of first year students in Physics, implemented in teaching activities we call ‘workshops’, that were originally introduced 5 years ago as a replacement for the standard tutorial-plus-laboratory format. These workshops comprise a variety of different group activities, but here I focus on collaborative problem-solving and the way that the workshop activities feed into the assessments for the course. The case study addresses themes 1 and 2 of this conference (1st year experience and assessment designs). I also describe the spread of this activity throughout first and second year teaching in Physics and how it has led to a reconsideration of the importance of variety in teaching accommodation at an institutional level.

Read the Crossouard & Pryor case study (Download will open in a new window)

Overview: This case study describes a task design to support formative assessment in doctoral contexts. It was conducted within the collaborative EU-funded project ‘Internet-Based Assessment’ (2002-2004). Formative assessment was conceptualised from the perspective of sociocultural learning theories. These emphasise learning as becoming – students’ construction of new identities (here as researchers) through engagement in authentic tasks. The task design involved a series of peer and tutor formative assessment activities in a blended learning setting. The study has added interest from having been implemented by a tutor whose own research area was formative assessment (see Pryor and Torrance, 2000; Torrance and Pryor, 1998; 2001) and for its contribution to formative assessment theory from a sociocultural perspective (Pryor and Crossouard, 2007). Given the considerable expansion of doctoral education, the blended task design is also considered useful for developing more collaborative forms of doctoral supervision that support student agency.

Session details

A chat session was held here with the Authors and Expert facilitator on the 30th May from 16:00 - 17:00 UK time (BST). You may view a transcript of this chat from the link below.

 Chat transcript - The interaction of peer & tutor feedback

The discussion forum will be open throughout the conference, and can be accessed through the 'Join the discussion' link below.

Join the Discussion

Use the 'Join the Discussion' link to view all the posts for this session. As a taster, below are the last 5 posts for this session's discussion fora.