Involving Students in the Formulation of Assessment Criteria for Small Group Computing Projects

Students of today have undeniable obligations: e.g. working while still enrolled in full-time study to pay course fees and living expenses, some with family commitments, all with other assignments to complete and add to the juggle of their time. Accordingly, in the first week of the semester, the unit coordinator suggested openly to students in his computer science undergraduate units that, in pursuit of realizing a significant and worthwhile set of assignments and to enhance their generic skills, students might like to study in pairs - thereby sharing the load. It is not uncommon for such students to communicate via electronic means and neither the unit coordinator nor the students saw any difficulties with such paired effort and the plan was received with enthusiasm. However, by week two, when the assignment specifications were published, it was discovered that students had been drafted into group projects in their other units and many were no longer happy about working in pairs. The unit coordinator sought guidance from three main sources, namely his colleagues, the students themselves and the faculty teaching and learning office. In the end, a democratic process was followed whereby a solution was found that resolved the apparent problem satisfactorily.

مواضيع ذات صلة

Research methodology The action inquiry process

Significance of the research

Design assessment and feedback

Feedback and learning

Assessment, learning and feedback in higher education Assessment and learning

Effective Verbal Feedback for Project-Based Assessment: A Case Study of the Graphic Design Critique

Further considerations for the student experience

The student experience Discussion

Comments from a student with a mark lower than expected

Comments from another student who agreed with the mark

Comments from a student who agreed with the mark

Comments from a student whose marks were above expectation