Newcastle University

Project:

Developing formative assessment using ICTs in education

From September 2004 to August 2008
Project Leader(s): Chris Falzon (Project Manager); Steve Higgins (Lead Academic)
Staff: Lisa Murtagh; David Mercer; Jennifer Miller; Liz Todd; Sue Robson; Viv Baumfield
Contact: Chris Falzon
Sponsors: Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
Partners: University of Durham

Aims and objectives

The aim of this project is to develop formative feedback using ICTs on Education courses to improve students’ learning. The specific objectives are to:

1. enhance existing formative assessment techniques by using appropriate ICTs;

2. develop new techniques for formative assessment using ICTs;

3. develop a good practice Guide for staff and students to disseminate these;

4. extend understanding of formative assessment and how this relates to wider curriculum design across a diverse student population.

Outcomes

The identified outcomes are:

• implementation of a number of practical and innovative strategies for formative feedback using ICT by a total of 8 education staff on at least 10 courses impacting on about 400 students per year at Newcastle University;

• formation of a sub-regional practitioner network to develop the use of ICTs to support formative assessment across at least 4 institutions which will contribute to relevant national networks;

• dissemination of a good practice Guide for staff and students, exemplified through case studies, through existing subject networks;

• publication of a paper outlining the development of innovative strategies for formative assessment.