ITU Seminar onTeaching & Learning

Claus Brabrand((( brabrand@itu.dk )))((( http://www.itu.dk/people/brabrand/ )))

Associate Professor,IT University of Copenhagen Denmark

The Danish Grade Scale and Grading with ILO's

( 14:50 – 15:45 )

The Danish Grade Scaleand Grading withIntended Learning Outcomes

Claus Brabrand((( brabrand@itu.dk )))((( http://www.itu.dk/people/brabrand/ )))

Associate Professor,IT University of Copenhagen Denmark

The Danish Grade Scale and Grading with ILO's

( 14:50 – 15:45 )

[ 3 ]

Intended Learning Outcomes From content:

...to competence:

Intended Learning Outcomes(using verbs from The SOLO Taxonomy)

ILO's: analyze ... explain ... compare ... apply ...

Goal: understand: deadlock interference synchronization ...

analyzeexplain

Teacher Censor Student

identifyrecite

Understanding?!?

Have the student do something;and then "observe" product and/or process

vs.

[ 4 ]

Make explicit ILO's ( ) (…and tell this to students)

= ILO's = TeachingLearningActivitiesAssessment

Constructive Alignment

vs.

ROBERT:extrinsically motivated

SUSAN:intrinsically motivated

IntendedLearningOutcomes

[ 5 ]

The Implementation Process1) Think carefully about: overall goal of course (what are the stud. to learn?)

2) Operationalize these goals: and express them as (SOLO) intended learning outcomes

3) Carefully design (TLA's): teaching/learning actitivites ( intended learning outcomes)

4) Carefully design (AT's): assessment tasks ( intended learning outcomes)

alignmentlearning support learning incentive

"What and how students learn depends to a major extent on how they think they will be assessed" (Biggs & Tang, 2007)

[ 6 ]

The Danish Grade Scale

ECTSSCALE

A, B, C, D, E, Fx, F

...

4 steps

8 steps

10 steps

21 steps

...

4 steps

8 steps

10 steps

21 steps

7 steps:

...

... ...Conversion (between EU countries):

Motivations (for new grade scale): Comparability (DK vs. other countries) mobility in EU Uniform usage (from primary school to university) "Wear and tear" (inflation, diff. subject conventions) Wanted: clearer steps between grades Wanted: grade = degree of fulfillment of objectives

[ 7 ]

Key Legal Points Adoption of new grade scale in all of DK (Sep 2007)

§1-8

Only absolute grading allowed (no relative grading) §9

Grade = degree of fulfillment of objectives §10

All courses must have explicit course objectives §10, §19

[ 8 ]

The Danish Grade Scale

Unacceptable-3 For a performance which is unacceptable in all respects F

Inadequate00 For an insufficient performance which does not meet the course objectives Fx

Adequate02 For a sufficient performance which barely meets the course objectives E

Fair4 For a fair performance which adequately meets the course objectives but also displays several major weaknesses D

Good7 For a good performance which meets the course objectives but also displays some weaknesses C

Very good10 For a very good performance which meets the course objectives, with only minor weaknesses B

Excellent 12 For an excellent performance which completely meets the course objectives, with no or only a few insignificant weaknesses A

Grade := Degree of fulfillment

of course objectives!

[ 9 ]

The Danish Grade Scale-- ++

PassedA: 10%B: 25%C: 30%D: 25%E: 10%

E:10%

D:25%

C:30%

B:25%

A:10%

Not passed

0(lowest)

100(highest)

degree of fulfillment of course objectives

22,5(interval mid)

50(interval mid)

77,5(interval mid)

/100 102 5 8

-2-5

symmetric transposition of lowest passed grades

02 124 7 10

00-3

avoid “psychological effect” with negative grades

ECTS

+2

[ 10 ]

Grading Formula

No universal ”grading formula”:

Grading is (of course) a very course-specific process: Depends on explicit learning objectives!

[ 11 ]

Assessing by MarksFor: People are used to it It is logistically easy

Against: Quality = accumulating

small quantities Sends undesirable

messages to students (cf. the "backwash effect")

Also, measurement errors accumulate no valid difference between

74 and 75, yet to the student it can make a big difference (pass/fail)

ILO's: analyze ... explain ... compare ... apply ...

Higher-level assessment

[John Biggs]

[ 12 ]

Intended Learning Outcomes: analyze ... explain ... compare ... apply ...

Grading using ILO's§10: Grade = degree of fulfillment of objectives (overall evaluation)§9: Only absolute grading allowed (no relative grading)

Grading:12 = ‘Completely meets objectives’ with no or only a few insignificant weaknesses10 = ‘Meets course objectives’ with only minor weaknesses 7 = ‘Meets course objectives’ but also displays some weaknessesetc. ...from a researcher’s perspective (as in research-based teaching)

[ 13 ]

Group Exercise 1) Pick a course (e.g., your favorite)

2) Write down the ILO's (or see 'course base')

3) Design assessment task(s): Use what you have heard today as inspiration; in particular: "Different Types of Examination" (Hanne Leth Andersen) [ For simplicity, let's disregard resource constraints ]

Q) What are the main difficulties (challenges)?

2-4 people per group

AT's = ILO's

[ 14 ]

SOLO Taxonomy

SOLO 2”uni-structural”

SOLO 3“multi-structural”

SOLO 4“relational”

SOLO 5“extended abstract”

theorize generalize hypothesize predict judge reflect transfer theory

(to new domain) …

analyze compare contrast integrate relate explain causes apply theory

(to its domain) …

combine structure describe classify enumerate list do algorithm apply method …

define identify count name recite paraphrase follow (simple)

instructions …

Graphic Legend

problem / question / cue known related issue - given! hypothetical related issue - not given! student response

Q

R

QUANTITATIVE QUALITATIVE

R

R'Q

RQR2R3

R1Q

RQ

RQ

[ 15 ]

Two Types of AssessmentFormative: During course Feedback learning

NB: revealing errors may improve learning ! (student strategic response)

Summative: End of course (typically) Score final grade

NB: concealing errors may improve grades ! (student strategic response)

[ 16 ]

Thank you !

Questions?