Pedagogies of Digital Assessment

Claudia Rogers (Digital Education Service)

Project overview

This project will support the digital enhancement of our assessment practices by identifying and applying sound pedagogical underpinnings. The project asks: what are the pedagogical implications of the University’s new digital by default assessment strategy? What are the benefits and challenges associated with digital assessment through the lens of learner experience, equality and inclusion? How does digital assessment impact assessment setting and marking decision-making for staff?

The project will conduct a critical, systematic review of current pedagogical literature on digital assessment and explore the landscape of digital assessment at the University of Leeds through case studies on current practice. The project is also investigating listening rooms as a method to explore the language we use to talk about digital assessment. All methodologies will engage with both staff and students’ lived experiences and perspectives. Combining existing knowledge on effective digital assessment, this project will showcase best practices and suggest pedagogy-driven, innovative approaches to digital assessment.

The research approach

One key element of the new Assessment Strategy is that all assessment will be digital by default, and it is essential that we understand the pedagogical implications of this strategy by taking a rigorous and research-informed approach. This Fellowship will provide the pedagogical underpinnings to support the Digital Assessment at Leeds project. The University has invested in a diverse range of tools and platforms that offer us exciting opportunities to digitally enhance our assessment practice, but why is digital enhancement important and how do we best implement it? Understanding why digital assessment is valuable to students and staff from perspectives rooted in pedagogy is essential in the context of the University’s broader Assessment and Digital Transformation strategic goals.

A key aim of the project is to create a pedagogically-informed knowledge base that supports both staff and students engage with digital assessment in tangible and meaningful ways. To this end, the project will develop support materials on the implementation of digital assessment from a learning-focused and pedagogical perspective and design an evaluation framework for digital assessment (with possible pilot work). I hope that the project will form a sound basis for future work in the digital transformation of assessment here at the University and support the initiation of conversations and enterprise in this area.

If you would like to find out more about the project contact Claudia Rogers (C.J.Rogers@leeds.ac.uk)

Each fellowship has a project sponsor that helps the fellows achieve impact across the institution. The sponsor for this fellowship is Alice O’Grady.

Project start date: 1 September 2022