A Science and Health discipline specific network in action: An update on the Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods (TEAM) project

This presentation provides an update on the progress of the Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods (TEAM) in Science and Health Practical Settings, an enhancement project funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of... [ view full abstract ]

This presentation provides an update on the progress of the Technology Enhanced Assessment Methods (TEAM) in Science and Health Practical Settings, an enhancement project funded by the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. This project is examining the impact of technology on assessment in practical settings in Science and Health disciplines through creation of a discipline specific peer network in four Institutes of Technology and led by the heads of discipline within each partner site. This project, in combination with an extensive literature review, engaged with multiple  stakeholders, namely undergraduate students, lecturers and employers to evaluate perceptions of practical sessions in these disciplines and to evaluate the potential of digital approaches being introduced for assessment.  This culminated in a one-day workshop in June 2016 that brought together students and lecturers from the four partner Institutes to collectively explore the issues and identify priorities.  From these analyses, 4 priority areas for intervention were identified: (i) Pre-practical preparation (videos, quizzes, augmented reality), (ii) Electronic laboratory notebooks and ePortfolios, (iii) Digital Feedback and (iv) Rubrics within virtual learning environments.  Recruitment of lecturers interested in piloting these technologies then occurred across the four Institutes.  As a result of this, 59 pilot studies involving 45 different programmes, 50 academic staff and 1481 unique students from the four Institutes took place in Q2 2017.  Evaluation of these pilot studies is currently ongoing through a combination of online surveys and focus groups with teaching and learning coordinators, lecturers and students.  A project website www.teamshp.ie,where the outputs from the project are disseminated, has been launched.  The TEAM project to date, through widespread engagement with student partners and lecturers in four Institutes, has created an effective peer network of academics in the Science and Health disciplines which has real potential to significantly impact focussed practical changes in assessment practice.