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
4. Chapter 1: Scaling up AfL: Progress & prospects
(Carless)
Chapter 14: How does Technology enable Scaling
up AfL? (Dawson & Henderson)
The University of Hong Kong
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)
The University of Hong Kong
6. Interlinked AfL strategies
1. Productive assessment design
2. Students making judgments
3. Effective feedback processes
4. Developing student appreciation of quality
(Carless, 2017)
The University of Hong Kong
7. Scaling up (Coburn, 2003)
Spread
Depth
Sustainability
Shifts in ownership
The University of Hong Kong
8. Why scale-up AfL?
Research evidence
(Black & Wiliam, Hattie)
Dissatisfaction with current assessment &
feedback practices
The University of Hong Kong
9. Black & Wiliam (1998)
Formative assessment & learning gains
Effect sizes: 0.4 - 0.7
… But implementation is generally weak
The University of Hong Kong
12. MOOC Assessment design
Alignment of goals, activities & low-stakes
assessment
MC quizzes + automated
feedback
Higher order thinking?
The University of Hong Kong
13. Peer assessment
Peer reviewed assignments + detailed
rubrics as key feature of MOOCs
(Admiraal et al, 2015; Huisman et al., 2016)
The University of Hong Kong
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)
The University of Hong Kong
15. Peer feedback for learning
Learners gain more from composing than
receiving peer feedback (Nicol et al., 2014)
The University of Hong Kong
20. Personalised feedback at scale
Using learning analytics to
scale the provision of
personalised feedback
https://www.ontasklearning.org/
The University of Hong Kong
21. Sustainable feedback
Students generating & using feedback from
peers or self as part of self-regulated
learning (Carless et al., 2011)
The University of Hong Kong
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)
The University of Hong Kong
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.
The University of Hong Kong
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.
The University of Hong Kong
