In 2023-24, we invite you to work with us on projects related to two key priority areas: embedding digital education and redesigning summative assessments.
During our initial consultancy scoping meeting with you, it may be evident that it would be helpful for your course or programme team to explore a range of issues through the use of TESTA (Transforming the Experience of Students Through Assessment) fast-track methodology before agreeing on a specific project and required outcomes.
TESTA fast-track has three key stages that enable course or programme teams to capture a sense of their current students' experiences and suggestions for action, alongside their staff's experiences. This collaborative approach to identifying appropriate and timely developments is shared between staff and students as partners in the process and outcomes. As such TESTA fast-track is a good example of a staff-student partnership.
TESTA fast-track is an adapted version of TESTA focused on reviewing and preparing timely and focused educational development strategies in relation to exploring summative assessments and embedding digital tools.
Within the process there is also scope for course and programme teams to explore one or two other areas to gain a more complete picture of their students' experiences, for example, learning opportunities within a course or academic support.
What does the TESTA fast-track process look like?
Step 1: Student workshop led by the Centre for Teaching and Learning
60-90 minutes depending on the number of students.
Students are invited to contribute their experiences of the course or programme and their own study habits through a series of coordinated ‘data’ collection activities that ensure all voices are heard.
Current students are invited to contribute their experiences of the course or programme and their study habits through a series of coordinated 'data' collection activities that ensure all voices are heard. This step focuses not only on the course improvements but also how they approach their study to get a balanced view of the students' perspectives on their course experiences.
Step 2: Data analysis by the Centre for Teaching and Learning
One day for the Centre to analyse the data from step 1 and prepare key themes for step 3.
Step 3: Meeting with all staff involved with teaching on the course or programme, led by the Centre for Teaching and Learning
60-90 minutes, depending on the size of the course or programme team.
We will feed back key themes from the student data to the team. The course or programme team will be asked to review the student findings in light of their own experiences and identify similarities/differences.
We will highlight a few areas they noticed and suggestions for future practice.
The course or programme team arrive at an action plan to feed into step 4.
Step 4: Review and next steps
Approximately 60 minutes.
We will meet with the course or programme team to review the initial EOI and scoping document and identify outcomes, timelines, and an action plan for project work going forward.
Find out more about TESTA
Transforming the Experience of Students Through Assessment (TESTA) is an international education enhancement intervention based on robust research evidence.
TESTA responds to the pedagogic problem for students of disconnected assessments across individual units of teaching.
TESTA:
- adopts a programme-level approach to create a picture of prevailing assessment patterns
- measures conditions under which assessment supports deep learning
- suggests directions for real change.
At more than 50 universities in the UK, Australia, India, and Ireland, this research and change process has brought about more coherent assessment and curriculum design to the benefit of students’ learning.
The full TESTA is developed and conducted over an extended period and is a powerful tool for a more in-depth review of programmes that some teams may want to consider utilising in the future. To support the embedding digital education and redesigning summative assessments services, the Centre will be offering the TESTA fast-track as part of its consultancy work.
