1. Experience of using formative
assessment and students
perception of formative
assessment
Paul Ong
Greg Benfield
Margaret Price

2. Evaluation of the Oxfor d Brookes
Univer sity Assessment Compact
 How satisfied are students with assessment and
feedback practices in their courses?
 Which assessment and feedback practices do you
think have the greatest impact on learning?”
 How do students and staff relate specific
assessment and feedback practices to impact on
their learning?

3. Integration of Compact
to Module U43702
Important principles adopted by team aligned with
Compact:
• Assessment is integral to teaching and learning
• Timely feedback provided
• Actively involving students in assessment and
dialogue (with peers and tutors)

4. Introducing a formative
assessment
Three concepts integrated in support of these
principles:
1. Establishing Peer Support Groups
2. Identifying learning needs through timely formative
feedback from: Peers, Seminar leader and
Turnintin
3. Support with developing own academic skills

5. Question 1 - Most value to learning (all 31 responded)
Learning what is expected of me
Being able to send a draft to turn it in and also to the
tutor, as it showed me the level I am at as I had no idea.
(Resp 12)
Getting direction on how to progress
the formative feedback as it gives direction as to where
to go next with the essay (Resp 04)
Learning how to improve their grade or performance
The feedback I have received is clear and will help me
to hopefully rework my part one before final deadline,
so I can achieve a better standard. (Resp 03)
Gaining confidence
The understanding of how to write an essay has
improved a lot and the knowledge of where I have gone
wrong and how to improve. It has given me more
confidence. (Resp 26)
12 respondents
(39%)
Learning what I’ve done wrong
helped us understand where we were going wrong and
gave us a lot of confidence,,, (Resp 02)
4 respondents
(13%)
8 respondents
(26 %)
8 respondents
(26 %)
5 respondents
(16%)

6. Question 2(a) - Perceptions of the value of peer learning
(81% responded positively)
Seeing other approaches
Reading others was useful to you; get other ideas of
what information to include. (Resp 14)
6 respondents
(19%)
Sharing ideas
It was useful for someone else, who also has been
working on the same information, to share their ideas
+ seeing their work. (Resp 12)
Gaining a better understanding of content
Presentation: encouraged me to get in-depth
knowledge of one of the symptoms. This then helped
me to plan how I would research each of the other
symptoms. Other groups presentations then gave me
an overview of the physiology of other symptoms to
start with….. (Resp 21)
4 respondents
(13%)
Getting feedback from peers
Getting feedback was helpful as you are able to learn
more from them. (Resp 14)
1 respondent
(3%)
3 respondents
(10%)

7. Question 2(b) Perceptions of the value of self-assessment
(Only aspect negatively perceived by majority)
.
10 respondents (32%) expressed positive perceptions
18 (58%) expressed negative perceptions about self-assessment
Remainder (3) did not comment on this aspect
Most common reasons for participants’ dissatisfaction with this aspect
were lack of perceived relevance and lack of skill:
‘Self assessing = not valuable as we are not teachers or taught to
mark others’ work!’ (Resp 03)
8 (26% of all respondents) of the negative comments indicated
respondents felt ill equipped to do self-assessment. For example:
‘I don’t think that this was useful as none of us really had the
confidence or knowledge to mark each other’s work ‘(Resp 08)

8. Question 2(c) - Perceptions of the value of tutor feedback
(Highly valued by all 31 respondents)
Typical comments include:
‘Excellent feedback which has given me great insight into
where I need to improve and how. I am no longer worried
about my writing skills and this is down to such great tutor
feedback’ (Resp 20)
‘The comments you wrote on the side where you referred
to the text I found very useful and a big advantage to me’
(Resp 28)
‘Very detailed feedback. I know what to change to
improve my assignment’ (Resp 10)

9. Question 2(d) - Perceptions of the value of Turnitin (all 31
students made favourable comments about Turnitin)
Typical comments include:
‘Receiving the Turnitin report and the tutor feedback on
how to improve. It lets you know that you are on the right
track and how you were doing in terms of knowledge and
writing as well as using references correctly’ (Resp 14)
‘Showed me how to paraphrase better so I don’t get too
much highlighted from my text’ (Resp 31)
‘Confused, but I know that I shouldn’t get too much in my
text to be highlighted’ (Resp 31)
A second respondent commented that they didn’t learn much
from Turnitin because their referencing was already good.

10. Analysis of module U43702 student
feedback about formative assessment
Results
There are three main findings.
1.Formative assignment was highly valued by all the
respondents
2.The self-assessment element is problematic. Many, if not
most, respondents felt they lacked the skills to self-assess
their work effectively and/or did not see the reason for doing
so
3.The vast majority (81%) views the peer learning elements
very favourably

11. Participants’ recommendations
for changes (27 students)
•opportunity for a second draft for those who did poorly on
their first one (x1 resp)
•Extend the formative process into part two of the assignment,
(x3 resp)
•Try to include more content in the weeks 5 to 7 sessions
(x1 resp)
•Reduce the amount of time spent on Turnitin (x1 resp)
•Schedule the assignment earlier in the semester (3 resp)

12. Recommendations:
Peer assessment is highly regarded but perhaps
its full value is still to be realized.
Actions that might improve perception about value to be
gained include:
• Highlighting for students in subsequent runs the value
that past participants have found from seeing a range of
responses to the same issue or problem
• This sharing of ideas and approaches allows them to
improve their own work.
• Stressing with participants that giving feedback is a skill
they will develop over time
• Providing some additional in-class training in what to
look for (using criteria) and how to offer feedback

13. Recommendations
Establish processes for providing a rationale for selfassessment and for supporting students with it
Some possibilities include:
• Make clearer the link between developing self-assessment skills
and the well-regarded peer assessment component. Students need
to understand that the main way in which they will improve their selfassessment skills is by being exposed to and assessing or giving
feedback on a variety of other peoples’ work
• Clarify and make explicit the relationship between self- (and peer-)
assessment skills and the graduate attribute of personal literacy and
critical self-awareness
• Incorporate additional self-assessment elements so that students
become more familiar with the process and (hopefully) see their
skills develop.
• Advocate opportunities for formative Turnitin use in other (at least
first-year) modules.

14. Evaluation of the Oxfor d Brookes
Univer sity Assessment Compact
 How satisfied are students with assessment and
feedback practices in their courses?
 Which assessment and feedback practices do you
think have the greatest impact on learning?”
 How do students and staff relate specific
assessment and feedback practices to impact on
their learning?

15. References
Davis M (2007) ‘The Role of Turnitin within the
formative process of academic writing – A tool for
learning and unlearning. Brookes eJournal of
Learning and Teaching. Vol.2 Issue 2.
Davis M (2009) ‘Using Turnitin Formatively’ OBU