Author: Pru Marriott, pmarriott@glam.ac.uk

JISC e-Learning Activity Area: e-Assessment

Higher Education Academy Subject Centre: Business, Management, Accountancy and Finance

This case study illustrates...an effect on learning, an effect on exam results, an effect on student personal development, student satisfaction with e-learning, innovation in learning and teaching, use of resources

Lessons Learned

Summary and reflection

Assessment plays a significant role in the teaching/learning process and the positive comments received from students relating to their recognition of the benefits of engagement, self-assessment and reflection, feedback, motivation and time management afforded by the continuous/phased nature of the assessment provides evidence to suggest that a change in assessment practice has been effective.

For the tutors, measuring student development and highlighting, at an early stage, those students that were experiencing difficulties in understanding certain topic areas enabled the tutors to provide appropriate support where needed. For the students, the immediate online feedback made a contribution towards developing their motivation and engagement with the subject through self evaluation and reflection. By identifying students' strengths and weaknesses and thereby raising their awareness and expectations, student learning and participation in the learning process improved. The prima facie evidence of an improvement in student performance compared with previous years also supports this.

The case study reports how technology has been used to improve students' learning and how technology can be used successfully for assessment purposes. The e-learning approach has worked in terms of meeting the departmental and institutional strategies for improving learning and teaching through the use of technology.

Undertaking this case study has provided me with an understanding of how students prefer to learn and how they engage in the teaching and learning process. Summative assessment plays a major part in their university experience and the way in which we assess has major implications on the success or otherwise of our students. Adopting an assessment strategy that students engage with is therefore vital.