Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context
Assessment is a powerful mechanism to leverage student learning and develop skills and practices that prepare students for the world of work. By extension, assessment can also play a critical role in creating learning contexts that are inclusive, responsive, and transformative. This paper draws on...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Johannesburg
2023-12-01
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| Series: | SOTL in the South |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uj.ac.za/SOTL/index.php/sotls/article/view/349 |
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| author | Teresa Hattingh |
| author_facet | Teresa Hattingh |
| author_sort | Teresa Hattingh |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Assessment is a powerful mechanism to leverage student learning and develop skills and practices that prepare students for the world of work. By extension, assessment can also play a critical role in creating learning contexts that are inclusive, responsive, and transformative. This paper draws on findings from a student survey, lecturer interviews, and student focus groups, conducted in an engineering school in South Africa, that provide a rich picture of the interaction between lecturer intentions, assessment practices, student experiences, and how these influence student intentions, actions, and ultimately learning. The findings presented in this paper focus on the social themes that emerged, highlighting the social nature of assessment practices and the role that these play in student identity, confidence, and engagement. The importance of a purposeful and holistically aligned assessment strategy is highlighted through several social themes, including the fairness and relevance of assessment tasks, feedback and relationships between lecturers and students, group work, the formation of social networks and community, and opportunities for including students as partners in assessment practices. The study reveals that a more collaborative and collectivist approach to assessment is needed. This is a significant finding that provides valuable insights that can be used to transform assessment practices, enhance student success, and facilitate social justice.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e72c3cc8b6474a0789cd816a19c51959 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2523-1154 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Johannesburg |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SOTL in the South |
| spelling | doaj-art-e72c3cc8b6474a0789cd816a19c519592024-12-04T04:34:22ZengUniversity of JohannesburgSOTL in the South2523-11542023-12-0173Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering contextTeresa Hattingh0University of Johannesburg, South Africa Assessment is a powerful mechanism to leverage student learning and develop skills and practices that prepare students for the world of work. By extension, assessment can also play a critical role in creating learning contexts that are inclusive, responsive, and transformative. This paper draws on findings from a student survey, lecturer interviews, and student focus groups, conducted in an engineering school in South Africa, that provide a rich picture of the interaction between lecturer intentions, assessment practices, student experiences, and how these influence student intentions, actions, and ultimately learning. The findings presented in this paper focus on the social themes that emerged, highlighting the social nature of assessment practices and the role that these play in student identity, confidence, and engagement. The importance of a purposeful and holistically aligned assessment strategy is highlighted through several social themes, including the fairness and relevance of assessment tasks, feedback and relationships between lecturers and students, group work, the formation of social networks and community, and opportunities for including students as partners in assessment practices. The study reveals that a more collaborative and collectivist approach to assessment is needed. This is a significant finding that provides valuable insights that can be used to transform assessment practices, enhance student success, and facilitate social justice. https://journals.uj.ac.za/SOTL/index.php/sotls/article/view/349assessmentsocial contextinclusive assessmentstudent experiencesidentityagency |
| spellingShingle | Teresa Hattingh Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context SOTL in the South assessment social context inclusive assessment student experiences identity agency |
| title | Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| title_full | Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| title_short | Exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| title_sort | exploring the social aspects of assessment practices in an engineering context |
| topic | assessment social context inclusive assessment student experiences identity agency |
| url | https://journals.uj.ac.za/SOTL/index.php/sotls/article/view/349 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT teresahattingh exploringthesocialaspectsofassessmentpracticesinanengineeringcontext |