Understanding how we assess our students’ work and how they understand feedback is at the core of the Researching Assessment Practices group (RAP). The RAP forum comprises academics, students and professional staff from across the university, interested in enhancing assessment feedback practice, using an approach informed by research. This cross-disciplinary group was established by Prof. Carol Evans (Education), with Dr James Minney (ADE) leading for Humanities.
The RAP group aims to enhance the quality of assessment and feedback throughout the university by supporting good practice. The forum encourages the development of ideas, promoting a shared understanding of the principles underlying assessment feedback. The research-based approach is also extended to developing authentic, relevant and sustainable forms of assessment.
Each disciple or academic group has at least one RAP representative and is also recruiting its own student RAP reps. Humanities’ colleagues across the Faculty have been active in the RAP community since the inaugural reps’ meeting in June. Currently, the reps are working with colleagues in their own disciplines to develop assessment feedback plans tailored to each subject area’s specific needs. In particular, we are working on how students recognise good work, and on focused feedback. As a key principle of the RAP group is that students should actively engage with feedback, we are also working on the student’s role, rights and responsibilities in the feedback process. Humanities colleagues are also involved in the RAP think tank, working on developing policy and strategy, and in planning areas for further research.
The RAP group is developing a resource base, which includes a valuable assessment toolkit (EAT Framework, Evans 2016), as well as organising developmental seminars and events on relevant issues throughout the year. Those of us at the High Impact Pedagogies and Student Engagement Conference in September found it both useful and thought-provoking, especially the keynote talk on ensuring high impact assessment from Prof. David Boud (Deakin University), whilst the recent session at NOC in November helped with the practical aspects of testing deeper learning outcomes using online questionnaires. The next RAP event is: ‘Small Steps: Developing RAP within the Disciplines’. This session will be looking at small-scale quick wins in assessment and feedback. The event is scheduled for Tuesday 6 December 2016, Building 02, L/T B Room 1083 (Music), Highfield campus, 12.00-14.00. Register for this (free) event here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/small-steps-developing-researching-assessment-practices-rap-within-the-disciplines-tickets-28187096364
More information can be found on the RAP group, including useful links, downloadable resources, details of forthcoming events, and dates of meetings, at:
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/iliad/comm-of-practice/sigrap.page?
