Relating to assessment

1. Include a discussion board dedicated to assessment discussion

From the start of the module, having a specific area where learners can post queries about assessments is helpful. Some learners may feel shy about asking questions in this space and will email you. In this case, you might want to reassure learners that their questions are worthwhile but ask them to post in the discussion forum. This also ensures that everyone sees the response. It also encourages a feeling of ‘all in it together’, a key part of SoB.

Example: Margaret asked learners from the previous cohort to create a list of hints and tips for students taking her module. These were added to an area on her VLE and linked to the online discussions area where students could post queries and thoughts about the assessment. Rather than answering the queries individually, once a week, Margaret added a short audio clip discussing the postings.

2. Include formative assessment

This can help students with both understanding the assessment criteria and the process. SoB involves feeling accepted, respected, valued and a legitimate group member. Failing the first summative assessment can lead to alienation, particularly if the student feels they invested time and effort. What went wrong? How can they feel accepted by the group and a legitimate member of the learning community? Formative assessments should be included both to guide students’ learning but also to familiarise them with the process, both academic and technical.

Example: Melanie introduces a tutor-supported formative assessment early in the first module. This is also the first part of the summative assignment, allowing good scaffolding and also gave the tutor a clear idea on how well the student engaged with their feedback.

Example: Sandy sets up an arrangement whereby students’ draft work was sent anonymously to three peers, charged to offer positive suggestions for improvement in relation to the criteria. Despite the anonymity, students commented positively on the sense of belonging to a helpful, corporate group, devoted to helping each other to improve the quality of the finally submitted work. Focus groups suggested that the more able students benefitted particularly from their constructive exercise of critical thinking in relation to the subject matter of the assignment.

3. Use peer feedback opportunities

Learning together allows us to develop, share insights, and ourselves feel valued. Peer-interaction can provide rapid constructive collegial feedforward, and hence nurture a meaningful sense of belonging to a supportive group. Structure effective loops in the programme to harness this peer feedforward constructively. Require and assess speedy and constructive peer feedforward (possibly anonymous) in terms of declared criteria, concentrating objectively on strengths and scope for enhancement in draft work. Students who spend more time on a task, particularly with others, are more likely to learn, and in turn more likely to stay. (Tinto, 2006).

Example: Nigel sets up a peer feedback activity. This is part of the summative, and allows students to both give and receive formative feedback. He is aware students may not be familiar with giving feedback, so he identifies developing this skill as one of the learning outcomes of the activity. He asks the students how best he should provide instructions for this, and they ask him to screencast himself giving formative feedback on a piece of work. He hosts the formative feedback activity on a discussion forum so he can also comment on posts, e.g. highlighting good feedback (and why) and gently nudging less clear feedback with questions.

4. Ensure students are clear on the requirements and mechanics of submission

Gone are the days of posting a typed script. Students are increasingly submitting their assignment via electronic methods. Students can get very concerned about the mechanics of submission – getting it wrong can make them feel at best anxious, at worst cross. Neither of these emotions encourages a Sense of Belonging. Think about how you will communicate the mechanics of submission. Involve key stakeholders (e.g. assessors, administrators, students). Is the process as streamlined as it could be? Are the instructions clear? Is it clear what the student should do if they don’t understand? If they miss the deadline? Can you use the same process for a formative assessment so they can practice when the assessment is low stakes?

Example: Murray liaised with the programme administrators to identify frequently asked questions. He then made screencasts for online issues such as how to submit an assignment and how to open the Turnitin report (if appropriate). This dramatically decreased the number of queries coming through to the administrative staff, and was highlighted in evaluation as something valued by the students. They reported feeling their needs were understood and considered. He now plans to make short videos relating to other key questions.

5. Support students who need to resubmit

Failing an assignment can be highly emotional for the student and alienating. Think about how you can support this student. Was it a technical issue such as submission problems? Was it a lack of understanding of the requirements? Does the student need additional support such as language support.

Example: Nigel unintentionally leaves the assessment discussion board open. He notices some of the students who have a resubmit posting examples of their work and queries to the board, and others, including those who have passed, commenting on these and revisions. This has happened with no intervention with him and he considers not only has he provided a safe place via the discussion forum hosted within the module, but a supportive community of learners. This example of peer mentoring has allowed the students to build knowledge, confidence and sense of belonging together.

6. Include space for reflection

Assessment, particularly summative assessment, can often be seen as an end point. Evidence shows that students are very much more interested in the grade than the feedback, and hours spent feeding back individually may be an inefficient use of tutor time, as well as keeping assessment compartmentalised. Think about how you might introduce a sense of belonging through assessment. As well as individual grading and feedback, can you

Example:

June and Sean work on a large international online masters course. They develop a feedback dialogue process where students are encouraged to comment on their assignment and their feedback. Currently this is only shared with the student’s tutors. Students have highlighted that they feel empowered to discuss their feedback with the tutors, including identifying anything they don’t understand. By practising the language of assessment with their tutor their sense of belonging within the academic sphere is increased. Tutors have welcomed this space for helping their own feedback practices, increasing their own sense of belonging and professional development.