The Principles of Course Design for Hybrid Learning toolkit was launched with the aim to contextualise the Hybrid Learning model to the nature of your subject discipline. Further information about the toolkit, as well as a link to download the resource can be found here: https://blogs.tees.ac.uk/lteonline/learning-and-teaching/principles-of-course-design-for-hybrid-learning/
Part six of the toolkit covers designing summative assessment. During this time, staff and students are having to adapt and become flexible in order to cope with the unprecedented levels of change and uncertainty. This is not only within their academic work, but also with their personal lives beyond university. It is vital that we maintain the high quality of the learning experience that students expect when they come to Teesside University. We must also preserve academic standards in order to ensure that students from all backgrounds can still succeed. It is highly important to consider this when designing alternative online summative assessments.
The new and expanded guidance on Flexible Assessment in a Hybrid Model can be found here:
Question to consider
- How will you design assessments to be fair, inclusive and accessible, whatever form it takes?
- Accessibility is one of the things to consider when designing assessments in this new format. Your students may have a variety of different requirements that they would normally get assistance with on campus, so it is vital that this support is given to them for online assessment or an alternative is given to make the process easier for them. This may mean that transcripts are provided for any video content, alternative text provided for any images, etc. It is also vital to consider what your students will be assessed on, as any form of assessment that is based on speed, vision or hearing of the learner may not be accessible for all.
Considerations and Resources for Digital Platforms and Tools Supporting Alternative Assessments can be found at:
Considerations and Resources for Digital Platforms and Tools Supporting Alternative Assessments
Three key considerations for assessment
Inclusivity
Assessment processes need to provide an accessible, equitable and relevant learning experience for all students across a course of study. Using a variety of assessment rather than relying on one or two signature assessment methods ensures each student has the opportunity to enhance their strengths and challenge their less-developed learning and skills, helping to develop a broader range of potential learning outcomes.
Designing learning-focused assessment
Consideration must also be taken in designing learning focused assessment. Learning, teaching and assessment activities need to be aligned at course level to ensure assessment processes and tasks are authentic, designed to achieve key outcomes, and direct students towards appropriate learning. Assessment is ‘learning-focused’ when it is designed to actively involve students in assessment processes in ways which develop their ability to self-monitor, regulate their own learning behaviour, and when feedback is appropriately future facing and can be acted upon in timely and meaningful ways.
Prioritise transparency and shared understanding
Finally, when designing assessment, you must also consider prioritising transparency and shared understanding. Course-wide assessment and feedback processes need to be clearly articulated, relevant to context, and designed to enable action in the ways they foster student learning. For learners to feel capable of fully engaging in their learning in higher education, it is important that they have a good understanding of the requirements of assessment and how the overall assessment design fits together, including familiarity with the related terminology, standards and criteria, assessment methods, skills and techniques.
Further information on these topics can be found here: https://blogs.tees.ac.uk/lteonline/2020/05/15/flexible-assessment-designs-for-ffl/
LTE Support
We hope that the toolkit will provide everything that you need to plan your hybrid learning module effectively. However, if you require any further assistance with the structuring of your module, please contact eLearning@tees.ac.uk where we can offer you various modes of support.