From Outcomes to Outputs: Shifting the Culture of Assessment in the 21st Century Learning Environment

1. Higher Education Academy/Pedagogic Research Institute & Observatory
Inclusive Assessment in Practice Conference
University of Plymouth, 24 November 2014
From Outcomes to Outputs: Shifting the Culture of
Assessment in the 21st Century Learning Environment
Dr Gordon Heggie - @gorheg
Dr Neil McPherson - @neilgmcpherson
School of Media, Culture & Society
University of the West of Scotland

2. Context
“Engaging students in the process of research and of creating resources does
far more than simply enhancing the learning experience. It also develops
valuable skills for life – while improving research outcomes too”
(Jisc Inform, 37: 14 – Open Lives Project)
Our focus:
To link active, inquiry-based learning with the production of editable, re-usable,
re-purposable learning objects
Our approach:
Introducing Xerte as a mode of summative assessment on an
interdisciplinary research-based module on BA Social Science programme
(Level 9)

3. Context
Rethinking & reconfiguring learning, teaching, assessment – external and
internal drivers
Considering ‘research-type’ graduate attributes – embracing uncertainty,
unpredictability, supercomplexitity
Learning in ‘research mode’ / developing ‘research mindedness’
Engaging students as producers of knowledge
Growing potential of Xerte

4. “Undergraduate education…requires renewed emphasis on a point strongly made
by John Dewey almost a century ago: learning is based on discovery guided by
mentoring rather than on the transmission of information”
Boyer Commission 1998: 15
Heggie & McPherson, 2014
Context

5. How did we do it?
Participatory pedagogy developed from learning in partnership model
Supported through ambassador/champion framework
Framework of formative engagement supporting summative assessment
From outcomes to outputs, shifting the culture of assessment
Learning outcomes
Quality assurance
Structure learning
Provide measure of performance
However
Prescriptive
Restrictive
Dampen creativity
Learning outputs
Open to creativity
Support originality
Builds on the work of others
Encourages critique
Open ended
(See Neary, 2010)

6. Xerte is a free open source authoring tool that allows users to produce interactive
learning objects that underpinned by the principles of inclusivity and accessibility
See Xerte Homepage at
http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xerte
Why Xerte?
Heggie & McPherson, 2014

7. Our reflections
Disruption of ‘normal’ learning, teaching and assessment practice
Embracing uncertainty & ‘failure’ (together)
“the purposes of open-ended exploration could be puzzling and unsettling to students who
held strongly reproductive conceptions of learning”
Enabled self direction & authentic experience
Integrated negotiated learning & engaged leadership (learners as teachers)
Personal development, lifelong learning and employability
(Levy & Petrulis 2012: 96)

8. How did we navigate the challenges of inquiry-based learning and new
methods of assessment?
We formed collaborative and inclusive learning communities
From the outset, I was apprehensive as to be
honest it looked a bit daunting; as I had never
and like most of the class done anything like this
before. However, as it went on there was a
sense of lets work together, giving us a sense of
control and ownership over our learning plus the
fact we were all sort of in the same boat, as we
the students were learning just as much as the
lecturers and we were all learning together

9. How did we navigate the shift from outcomes to outputs?
We revelled in co-creation and creativity?
At first, I wasn’t interested in this module. The
reason for this is because I’m not a person who
verbalises, I’m more of a creative, artistic person.
I view life in shapes, colours and objects, not in
words. Art is my style of writing. Throughout this
module, the lecturers deliberately gave a reduced
amount of guidance in order to encourage
creativity and this definitely encouraged me to
use my creative skills and critical thinking

10. Can students act as ‘change agents’ in shifting the learning and assessment
landscape?
‘
I only found it scary
because I was introduced
to this way of learning so
late in to my degree - do
it earlier!!!
Should be implemented more
as it allows the experience of
university education to be
more stimulating, interactive
and therefore more enriching
It facilitates learning.
That's all I need in a
teaching style, and
the current system
fails at that
Personally I think students
taking ownership of their
learning and becoming co-creators
of their own learning
experience has to be the future
of Higher Education in Scotland

11. Generation X: learning in partnership with Xerte

12. References
Boyer Commision (1998) Reinventing Undergraduate Education: A Blueprint for
America’s Research Universities. Stony Brook: State University of New York at Stony
Brook
Levy P & Petrulis R (2012) How do first-year university students experience inquiry
and research, and what are the implications for inquiry-based learning?. Studies in
Higher Education, 37(1): 85-101.
Neary, M (2010) Student as producer: Research engaged teaching and learning at
the University of Lincoln User’s Guide 2010-11 Lincoln: University of Lincoln
Dr Gordon Heggie
gordon.heggie2@uws.ac.uk - @gorheg
Dr Neil McPherson
neil.mcpherson@uws.ac.uk - @neilgmcpherson