10. Briefing Paper Template - Higher Education Academy

Briefing Paper
feedback and learning design, the case studies demonstrated how to assess learners at
higher levels (Bloom, 1956).
The seminar built on the achievements of the University of Bradford’s HEA e-Learning
Pathfinder Project “Embedding support processes for e-assessment” and Bradford’s JISC
Institutional Exemplar e-Assessment Project, “Integrating thin client systems for secure e-
assessment” (ITS4SEA).
The case studies were closely aligned with HEFCE’s framework in “Enhancing Learning and
Teaching through the Use of Technology” (HEFCE, 2009), in particular with the strategic
priorities related to innovation in teaching and learning, enhancing flexibility, student
achievement and improving efficiency of curriculum delivery processes.
The case studies were also driven by the University of Bradford’s Academic Framework
2009-14, which identifies diagnostic assessment, formative assessment and feedback as
key activities within its approach to curriculum delivery.
3. Generation of evidence: please describe how the reported research/evaluation findings were
generated e.g. methods used
This seminar first looked to the literature of educational development to consider what
constitutes “assessment for learning”, and then focused on the literature of technologyenhanced
learning to consider the pros and cons of carrying this out in an online
environment. The work also drew on recent JISC-funded work in the sector, such as the
FEASST and REAQ projects, which have sought to scope and explore best practice in e-
assessment.
The seminar presented research findings from two case studies carried out at the
University of Bradford in 2008-10, to evaluate examples of e-assessment for learning,
delivered in different ways by different lecturers, in search of a model of best practice for
e-assessment for learning. The case studies come from different subject areas and adopted
a mixed methods approach (Yin, 1984) consisting of structured interviews, pseudoqualitative
surveys of student opinion through questionnaires, as well as analysis of
quantitative assessment data; methodologically, the research is based on a pragmatic
methodology to educational research (Pring, 2000).
The first case study (Dr Liz Carpenter, Department of Clinical Sciences) investigated the
quality of feedback-rich formative assessment on a biology foundation course, where
students were presented with a formative e-assessment in the university’s e-assessment
suite towards the end of their taught module, then had access to the same formative
assessment and feedback via the virtual learning environment in the period leading up to
their final e-assessment. Impact was measured in a number of ways: quantitative analysis
of student progress; multiple questionnaires to evaluate student perceptions of the
process and of their own study habits; analysis of student access patterns; comparison of
student engagement with feedback and subsequent progress; comparison of e-feedback
with face-to-face feedback.
EvidenceNet is a Higher Education Academy resource.
www.heacademy.ac.uk/evidencenet
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