It is the time of year when we rush into finishing with the Autumn semester and rush into preparing for the Spring semester. Within two weeks we need to mark and second mark exams, prepare and conduct examination boards, implement changes and prepare syllabi and coursework, organise notes and teaching methods, collaborate to ensure a challenging semester for learners, and so on. I have to admit that this is one of the toughest periods of the year, and its characterisation as "semester break" is rather unfortunate .
Summative assessment after the final exams is one indication of how many learning outcomes students have achieved and, finally, how much learning took place.
But, how much do WE learn from this process?
I know that you are going to tell me about self-assessment and course reports! OK, but between us, how honest and thorough you are in a course report? Don't tell me ... I know! ;-)
It would be intriguing, however, to answer interesting questions, even if we keep these answers for ourselves:
Summative assessment after the final exams is one indication of how many learning outcomes students have achieved and, finally, how much learning took place.
But, how much do WE learn from this process?
I know that you are going to tell me about self-assessment and course reports! OK, but between us, how honest and thorough you are in a course report? Don't tell me ... I know! ;-)
It would be intriguing, however, to answer interesting questions, even if we keep these answers for ourselves:
- Did students perform as I expected? If not, have I done something wrong?
- How much each individual student learn? What can I do to help individuals fill in gaps in knowledge and skills, now that the unit is over? When can I give some feedforward advice?
- Is the unit really over? That was it? Is my job done?
- What was not expected from the answers in the exams? Any pattern identified in answers (omissions, misunderstandings etc.)? What made the students make one choice and not the other?
- Why students under perform in a question? Was it the wording? Was it the coverage during lectures? Was it unbalanced in comparison with others?
- What would I have done differently if I started all over again in few days? Why will I forget to do it when the time comes?
- What did I see or hear from other colleagues' practices? Was it useful? Did I disseminate my practices?
- How much do I value the Student Evaluation Questionnaire answers other than those referring to me as the lecturer? What was the overall satisfaction? How students find the unit (not me)?
- Am I really happy with what I have done? What are the two things I will definitely change in myself when teaching? Is there a way to improve?
Our exam boards tend to look like maths exercises; mark allocations, percentages, combinations, rules, exceptions but comparatively very little talk on actual "learning", for students and for us.
We need time to reflect, to make time to think before we proceed. I think we make the same mistake as our students; read scripts, give a mark, job done, game over! I strongly believe it is important to know:
"How much the delivery of my units during the past semester changed my perception and attitude against Teaching, Learning and Assessment? How much did I learn?"
We need time to reflect, to make time to think before we proceed. I think we make the same mistake as our students; read scripts, give a mark, job done, game over! I strongly believe it is important to know:
"How much the delivery of my units during the past semester changed my perception and attitude against Teaching, Learning and Assessment? How much did I learn?"
Petros Kefalas
IFDLT
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