JISC

Summary

Inspired by its engagement with the JISC‟s Curriculum Design and Delivery Programme, MMU has embarked on an institution-wide initiative to enhance the quality of assessment for learning (EQAL). The TRAFFIC project will support EQAL in TRansforming Assessment and Feedback For Institutional Change and share lessons learned from doing so across the sector. It will do this by: 

• reviewing our current assessment and feedback processes in the light of available technologies and appropriate pedagogy
• securing approval from relevant committees for a set of updated assessment principles and appropriate threshold
• expectations of the assessment and feedback process for learners
• articulating requirements for and prioritising development of technologies that will make the biggest improvement to assessment and feedback processes
• implementing and evaluating technologies to support improved assessment and feedback processes
• developing and using innovative approaches and materials to facilitate assessment redesign in university-wide Unit approval and review
• developing review mechanisms within the institution‟s new continuous improvement framework to determine the range and impact of assessment and feedback methods
• blogging project progress and encouraging feedback on our dynamic case study via blog comments and twitter

We expect this activity to:

• improve assessment and feedback practice across the institution
• provide business intelligence about assessment and feedback for the institution‟s new continuous improvement framework
• use the most appropriate technologies to support consistent management of assessment and feedback
• support MMU‟s institution-wide Enhancing the Quality of Assessment for Learning initiative to enhance student success and satisfaction
• provide rich case study material from which other institutions contemplating assessment and feedback redesign can learn

Objectives

Our benefits analysis of the TRAFFIC project has identified a range of benefits:

• improve assessment (B1) and feedback (B2) practice across the institution
• improve business intelligence (B3) about assessment and feedback for the institution’s new continuous improvement framework so that interventions are constantly evaluated

We expect these to be enabled by:

• appropriate technologies that support consistent management of assessment (E1) and feedback (E2) – emphasis here will be on usable, cost effective and scalable solutions integrated seamlessly with our evolving Core+ Moodle VLE

We see these benefits furthering overall MMU and 5/11 programme objectives to:

• transform assessment and feedback practice (O1)
• support MMU’s institution-wide EQAL programme (O2) to enhance student success and satisfaction
• provide rich case study material (O3) from which other institutions contemplating systematic assessment and feedback redesign can learn, that incorporates stakeholder perspectives on the efficiency and effectiveness of institution-wide solutions

Anticipated Outputs and Outcomes  

• Baseline report of stakeholder views on current practice
• Comparison of MMU principles to sector best practice
• approved updated assess/feedback principles + thresholds
• Business process models on assessment management
• Requirements specification for VLE enhancements
• Requirements specification for further VLE enhancements
• Institution-wide coursework receipting integrated with VLE
• Assessment handling integration with VLE/SRS
• Consolidation of advice on assessment best practice
• Engagement with course teams re-writing L5 curriculum
• Engagement with course teams re-writing L6 curriculum
• Engagement with post-grad course teams
• Availability of assessment + feedback data reviewed
• Assessment/feedback data improved in Unit ‘health reports’
• External evaluator appointed
• Year 1 external evaluation report
• Year 2 external evaluation report
• JISC-approved TRAFFIC project plan
• 6 month progress report submitted to JISC
• 12 month progress report submitted to JISC
• 18 month progress report submitted to JISC
• Completion reports published including overall evaluation

Project Blog

http://lrt.mmu.ac.uk/traffic/