Becoming A More Critical, Autonomous, Reflective Learner

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PRILHE Project - Lecturer’s Toolkit Assessment and Autonomy Assessment is all about making judgements. Developing students’ ability to judge their own performance early in the course, should lead to a general improvement in their achievement. After students leave higher education, they are likely to be heavily reliant on their own judgement of themselves and their peers, to estimate how effective they are in a wide variety of professional contexts. For these reasons, it is important that these skills are developed. Boud (1988b) explains that autonomy can be viewed as the goal of education and the development of motivated individuals capable of independence of thought and problem solving. It can also be viewed in terms of approach to learning, where students make decisions about what to learn, how to set learning objectives and how to measure achievement. Finally, it can be viewed in relation to subject matter and understanding and applying a theoretical knowledge base or discipline. HEIs need to develop in individuals the ability to make their own decisions about what they think and do. Boud (1988a) shows that independence and autonomy are highly rated goals of teachers and is encouraged to note that this view is shared by students. The HEI mission therefore needs to be the development of skills of self-directed inquiry rather than just inculcation of course content, to produce not just knowledgeable persons, but lifelong self-directed learners. This requires different teaching-learning and assessment strategies. I learn best … when I can determine the learning objectives, learning contents and the way of assessment selfreliantly or collaboratively (in a group) and when the learning environment is supporting this very self-directedness.” (Student, Germany). Assessment: purposes and types for promoting students’ responsibility, reflection and autonomy Boud recognises that formative assessment can only have an impact on learning when it influences a student’s own selfassessment. Research shows that frequent self-evaluation is highly efficacious in enhancing student achievement (Boud, 2000:155). Furthermore, the same author states that “Reflective assessment with peers should be encouraged” (ibid). Self-assessment refers to the involvement of learners in making judgements about their own learning, particularly about achievements and the outcomes of their learning. It is a way of increasing the role of the students as active participants in their own learning and it is mostly used for formative assessment to foster reflection on one’s own learning, processes and results (Dochy et al,1999: 334). Regarding its implications in educational practice the same authors claim that, Self- assessment leads to more reflection on one’s own work, a higher standard of outcomes, responsibility for one’s own learning and increasing understanding of problem-solving. The accuracy of self-assessment improves over time. This accuracy is enhanced when teachers give feedback on student’ self-assessment. 44 Becoming A More Critical, Autonomous, Reflective Learner
PRILHE Project - Lecturer’s Toolkit Self-assessment also can open productive student-tutor dialogues. Peer assessment is a process through which groups of individuals rate their peers, i.e. students are making assessment decisions on other students’ work. Student peer assessment can be anonymous, with assessors randomly chosen so that friendship factors are less likely to distort the results. (Race, 2001:4). Group assessment refers to the assessment by the tutor of the students group work, or to the assessment of the product by students from other groups. Summing up, the involvement of students in their own assessment, through self, peer and group contributes to responsibility, reflection and autonomy in students. As Race puts it: • • • Students already self – assess and peer-assess quite naturally and spontaneously – students learn a lot from each other, both in classes and outside classes; they compare what they have achieved with each other and use this to reflect on their learning process It contributes to deepen student’s learning experiences – students can learn a lot by applying assessment criteria to their work and or to two or three other students’ attempts on the same task It helps students to becoming autonomous learners – self assessment, in particular, can be a vital way of causing students to reflect on their progress and take stock of their learning (op.cit 6-7). References Boud, D. (1988a) Boud, D. (1988b) Boud, D. (2000) Brown, S. and Glasner, A. (eds) (1999) Dochy, F., Seggers, M. and Sluijmans Gibbs, Graham and Simpson, Claire Race, Phil. (2001) Stefani, L. A. J. (1998) Introduction to the second edition. In: D. Boud (ed.). Developing student autonomy in learning Moving towards autonomy. In: D. Boud (ed.). Developing student autonomy in learning Sustainable Assessment: rethinking assessment for the learning society. Assessment Matters in Higher Education: Choosing and Using Diverse Approaches The Use of Self, Peer and Co-Assessment in Higher Education: a review Does your assessment support your students’ learning A Briefing on Self, Peer and Group Assessment. LSTN Generic Center. Assessment in Partnership with Learners. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page 2nd ed. London: Kogan Page., quoted in http:// www.aare.edu.au/93pap/yerbh93283.txt (Accessed on 15th October 2006) Studies in Continuing Education, 22(2), pp. 151- 153. Buckingham: SRHE and OUP. Studies in Higher Education, 24(3), pp. 331-350. URL: http://www.city.londonmet.ac.uk/ deliberations/assessment/mowl_content.html (Accessed on 15th October 2006) URL:http://www.phil-race.com/files/self, %20peer%20and%20group%20assess ment.pdf (Accessed on 15th October 2006). 23(4), pp. 339-350. Becoming A More Critical, Autonomous, Reflective Learner 45
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