Associate Professor Gordon Joughin of the University of Wollongong presentation on the use of oral assessment in Higher Education at a workshop to the Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching at the University of Wales, Newport, on Wednesday 7th April 2010.

1. ORAL ASSESSMENTUniversity of Wales, Newport7 April 2010 Associate Professor Gordon Joughin University of Wollongong

3. Oral assessment: Any assessment that is conducted by the spoken word.

4. “In an exam you’re just a number but the viva’s personalised and you’re in direct contact with the people who assess you.” “In a written assignment you can be quite remote from what you write.” “In the viva you know you’re going to look a fool so you make sure you know what you’re saying.”

5. Aims To explore the nature of oral assessment To shareour best ideas To consider a framework for design To examine oral assessmentfrom the student perspective To review and improveourcurrent practices

6. Déroulement Introductions Forms of oral assessment Dimensions of oral assessment From the students’ perspective Challenges and goals

7. Introductions In pairs: How are you using (or planning to use) oral assessment? In 4s: Why are you using (or planning to use) oral assessment?

8. Threecategories of oral assessment Presentations Interrogations Applications

9. Why assess orally? Learning outcomes Probing The practice world Learning Student need/preference Eliminates uncertainty Integrity

10. Dimensions of oral assessment Content Interaction Authenticity Structure Examiners Orality

11. Dimensions of your oral assessment Map your oral assessment onto the ‘dimensions of oral assessment’ table. What does this tell you about your assessment? What questions does it raise for you?

12. Contrasting conceptions of oral presentations Presentation Understanding Argument

13. Six aspects of oral presentations Intention Conceptions of the subject Interaction Feelings Audience Comparisons

14. How do/will students come to appreciate what is expected in your oral assessment?

15. ‘Orality’ “Talking and writing are two very different modes of communication and mediate the world differently.” (Schoultz, Säljö & Wyndamn, 2001, p. 213) “… written on the soul of the hearer with understanding.” (Plato)

16. Ong: ‘Psychodynamics of orality’ Identification Power and action Combative & polemical (agonistic) Audience

17. The power of oral assessment In your experience, what makes oral assessment effective for learning?

18. Your oral assessment Return to the ‘Dimensions of oral assessment’ table. What 2-3 changes, in which dimensions, could significantly improve your assessment? If you are introducing oral assessment, which dimensions are the most important?

19. Conclusion “Any well-planned examination … is costly in terms of examiners’ time and effort. The challenge is finding assessment instruments where the effort spent is educationally ‘profitable’.” (Davis & Karunathilake, 2005, p. 294)