Faculty showcase 2010: Excellence in assessment
Assessment is never one-size fits all affair. Our context, our students and the subjects we teach influence what effective assessment design looks like. In this workshop provided an opportunity to learn from effective and innovative assessment practices in the Faculty of Business and Economics in the University of Sydney directly from the staff members who design and deliver them. The workshop went beyond the generic and theoretical to the practical and applied.
Facilitator: Richard Dunford (International Business, Faculty of Economics and Business)
Virtual groups
Kristine Dery (Work and Organisational Studies)
To work in a virtual team requires learning new skills and to gain ownership of this learning. This is not an easy task and Kristine has designed an assessed reflective task to enhance the learning. This task allows students to work from their cultural boundaries and evaluate their learning journey in relation to the virtual team tasks. The journey is supported by a feedback strategy, which enhances the student learning and allows for deeper learning.
Experiential Approach to developing cultural competency in students
Brent MacNab (International Business)
Partnering actively with students who take their theoretical knowledge into practice is the key to Brent's way of teaching experiential cultural intelligence ("CQ"). He will be sharing the ongoing process for blending theoretical learning with experience in creating authentic and original group assignments - making meaningful contact with new culture groups. One of the outcomes of Brent's student-centred approach is an open two-way communication with students, where all parties share in learning (including the faculty) and teaching (including the students).
- View the IBUS6002 students' videos on YouTube
Simulations
Sean Puckett (Institute for Transport and Logistic Studies)
Ranjit Voola (Marketing)
Sandra Seno-Alday (International Business)
Simulations are a great way to provide students with real world learning tasks and work processes. Sean, Sandra and Ranjit all have a passion for creating an environment for practical applications in their units of study and they are to tell the story of how to create simulations which support learning through integrating assessment and the learning experience.
Semester-long group project on setting up a company
Corina Raduescu (Business Information Systems)
Kai Riemer (Business Information Systems)
Creating a manageable and significant applied project for last year students as they key assessment task that is what Kai and Corina have succeeded to do. They are sharing their experience and the processes with students setting up a company as a vehicle to acquire skills in business information management - skills that cannot be learnt by listening to lectures alone.
Innovations in formative assessment
John Dumay (Accounting)
Feedback for learning rather than of learning is the key to the learning strategy developed by John. In his class students get to submit their assessments, receive extensive feedback and given an opportunity to re-submit based on the feedback. This system allows for a great learning sequence.
Embedding critical literacy
Leanne Piggott (Centre for International Security Studies)
Catherine Welch (International Business)
Maree Stenglin (Office of Learning and Teaching in Economics and Business)
Drawing on lessons learned from a case study on team teaching critical thinking in a senior unit of study, Leanne's and Catherine's story shares that appropriately designed and assessed team-based problem solving exercises can provide an invaluable critical dialogue space essential for the development of critical thinking competencies.
Posters as assessment tools - a way of assessing groupwork
Daniel Nyberg (Work and Organisational Studies)
Great groupwork assessment tasks get the groups focused on a shared and integrated product. Daniel has developed a strategy for his students to develop posters to focus their information and create both written and visual presentation of their thinking and learning. The poster sessions also allow the student to easily learn from the work of others and creates a great learning community.
Using concept maps in assessment
Sandy van der Laan (Accounting)
Assessment task in a visual form allows students to conceptualise and link key concepts and ideas. In doing so, it enables Sandra to evaluate how well her students have understood key concepts. This assessment format allows for students to conceptualise complex accounting information, provides a wonderfully rich document for effective marking and allows for feedback to students before misunderstandings become entrenched this is a winning combination for both staff and students.
Streamlining feedback processes
Alex Eapen (International Business)
???? Being able to give students individualised feedback efficiently and even for multiple choice questions is something Alex has been able to achieve. He has automated virtually all the peripheral and administrative activities and given himself a lot more time to read and think about the work students have submitted. As a result both students and Alex are much happier with the process which creates a great learning environment.
Using assessments to enhance group work
Reuben Segara (Finance)
The benefits of group work are enhanced when students have confidence that all group members have prepared and are ready to contribute at their full capacity to the shared task. Reuben has introduced a sequence of assessed individual and group tasks which allow for groups to reach their full potential and for assessment to be fair and valid for all group members. This strategy allows for a great learning experience for all students.