Integrating disciplinary practices to optimally deliver alternative assessments and embed graduate attributes in a Global Mental Health Master’s programme
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14297/jpaap.v9i1.438Keywords:
assessment; alternative; authenticity; graduate attributes; internationalisationAbstract
The routes to optimising the authenticity of assessments in different organisational and disciplinary contexts have been ambiguous and challenging. This paper offers a case study of diversifying the assessments in a taught Master’s Programme by integrating disciplinary practices to design alternative assessments. Embedding discipline-specific principles and perspectives was found to be key to achieving authenticity of assessments. This paper reports on a descriptive mixed-method study that the authors conducted to evaluate current students’ perceptions of and experiences with the diversified assessments in the Programme. Overall, the findings demonstrate students’ acknowledgement of the importance of a diverse mix of assessments, especially in terms of fostering the development of several graduate attributes. The findings also highlight several opportunities for enhancing the constructive alignment of the curriculum. Alternative assessments can be feasibly designed to promote many of the graduate attributes necessary to create ‘global students’ in an increasingly competitive and internationalised job market.
References
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Bath, D., Smith, C., Stein, S., & Swann, R. (2004). Beyond mapping and embedding graduate attributes: Bringing together quality assurance and action learning to create a validated and living curriculum. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 313-328. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436042000235427
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Brown, G. A., Bull, J., & Pendlebury, M. (2013). Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education. Routledge.
Coffey, J. E., Hammer, D., Levin, D. M., & Grant, T. (2011). The missing disciplinary substance of formative assessment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(10), 1109–1136. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20440
Cowan, J., & George, J. (2013). A Handbook of Techniques for Formative Evaluation: Mapping the Students’ Learning Experience. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge.
Fook, C. Y., & Sidhu, G. K. (2010). Authentic assessment and pedagogical strategies in higher education. Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2), 153-161. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.977.5553&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Forsyth, H., & Evans, J. (2019). Authentic assessment for a more inclusive history. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), 748-761. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1581140
Frank, M., & Barzilai, A. (2004). Integrating alternative assessment in a project-based learning course for pre-service science and technology teachers. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(1), 41-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293042000160401
Gore, J., Ladwig, J., Elsworth, W., & Ellis, H. (2009). Quality assessment framework: A guide for assessment practice in higher education. Retrieved from https://ltr.edu.au/resources/QAF%20FINAL%20doc%20for%20print_0.pdf
Green, W., Hammer, S., & Star, C. (2009). Facing up to the challenge: Why is it so hard to develop graduate attributes?. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360802444339
Gulikers, J. T., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(3), 67. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504676
Gulikers, J., Bastiaens, T., & Kirschner, P. (2006). Authentic assessment, student and teacher perceptions: The practical value of the five‐dimensional framework. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 58(3), 337-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820600955443
Haigh, M., & Clifford, V. A. (2011). Integral vision: A multi-perspective approach to the recognition of graduate attributes. Higher Education Research & Development, 30, 573–584. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.598448
Hill, J., Walkington, H., & France, D. (2016). Graduate attributes: Implications for higher education practice and policy: Introduction. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(2), 155-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2016.1154932
Hughes, C., & Barrie, S. (2010). Influences on the assessment of graduate attributes in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(3), 325-334. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903221485
Janisch, C., Liu, X., & Akrofi, A. (2007). Implementing alternative assessment: Opportunities and obstacles. The Educational Forum, 71(3), 221-230. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ763213.pdf
Keeling, S. M., Woodlee, K. M., & Maher, M. A. (2013). Assessment is not a spectator sport: Experiencing authentic assessment in the classroom. Assessment Update, 25(5), 12-13.
Killick, D. (2015). Developing the Global Student: Higher Education in an Era of Globalization. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kinash, S., McGillivray, L., & Crane, L. (2018). Do university students, alumni, educators and employers link assessment and graduate employability?. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(2), 301-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1370439
Kirk, S. H., Newstead, C., Gann, R., & Rounsaville, C. (2018). Empowerment and ownership in effective internationalisation of the higher education curriculum. Higher Education, 76(6), 989-1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0246-1
Klenowski, V., Askew, S., & Carnell, E. (2006). Portfolios for learning, assessment and professional development in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(3), 267-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930500352816
Knight, P. T. (2002). Summative assessment in higher education: Practices in disarray. Studies in Higher Education, 27(3), 275-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070220000662
Libman, Z. (2010). Alternative assessment in higher education: An experience in descriptive statistics. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 36(1), 62-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2010.01.002
MacAndrew, S. B., & Edwards, K. (2002). Essays are not the only way: A case report on the benefits of authentic assessment. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 2(2), 134-139. https://doi.org/10.2304/plat.2002.2.2.134
MacDonald, R. (2005). Assessment strategies for enquiry and problem-based learning. In T. Barrett, I. Mac Labhrainn, & H. Fallon (Eds.), Handbook of Enquiry & Problem Based Learning (pp. 85-93).
MacLellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(3), 311-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293042000188267
McDowell, L., Wakelin, D., Montgomery, C., & King, S. (2011). Does assessment for learning make a difference? The development of a questionnaire to explore the student response. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(7), 749-765. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488792
Moll, I. (2004). Curriculum responsiveness: The anatomy of a concept. In Griesel, H. (Ed), Curriculum Responsiveness: Case Studies in Higher Education (pp. 1-19). Pretoria: South African Universities Vice-Chancellors Association.
Murphy, V., Fox, J., Freeman, S., & Hughes, N. (2017). “Keeping it Real”: A review of the benefits, challenges and steps towards implementing authentic assessment. AISHE-J: The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 9(3). Retrieved from https://ojs.aishe.org/aishe/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/280
O'Donnell, K. S. (2012). Global mental health: A resource primer for exploring the domain. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 1(3), 191-205. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029290
O'Donnell, K., & O'Donnell, M. L. (2016). Global Mental Health: Sharing and synthesizing knowledge for sustainable development. Global Mental Health, 3, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2016.22
Patel, V. (2014). Why mental health matters to global health. Transcultural Psychiatry, 51(6), 777-789. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461514524473
Pretorius, L., Bailey, C., & Miles, M. (2013). Constructive alignment and the Research Skills Development Framework: Using theory to practically align Graduate Attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks in undergraduate midwifery. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 25(3), 378-387. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1029152
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. (2011). Graduates for the 21st century: Integrating the enhancement themes: Institutional activities. Retrieved from https://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/completed-enhancement-themes/graduates-for-the-21st-century
Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to Teach in Higher Education (2nd ed.). London. Routledge.
Robson, S., & Wihlborg, M. (2019). Internationalisation of higher education: Impacts, challenges and future possibilities. European Educational Research Journal, 18(2), 127-134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904119834779
Simm, D., & Marvell, A. (2017). Creating global students: Opportunities, challenges and experiences of internationalizing the geography curriculum in higher education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 41(4), 464-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2017.1373332
Slonimsky, Y. & Shalem, Y. (2006). Pedagogic responsiveness for academic depth. Journal of Education, 40(1), 37-58. Retrieved from https://journals.co.za/content/joe/40/1/AJA0259479X_72 .
Spence-Brown, R. (2001). The eye of the beholder: Authenticity in an embedded assessment task. Language Testing, 18(4), 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553220101800408
Sutton-Brady, C., Scott, K. M., Taylor, L., Carabetta, G., & Clark, S. (2009). The value of using short-format podcasts to enhance learning and teaching. ALT-J, 17(3), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687760903247609
Swaffield, S. (2011). Getting to the heart of authentic assessment for learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(4), 433-449. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2011.582838
Treleaven, L., & Voola, R. (2008). Integrating the development of graduate attributes through constructive alignment. Journal of Marketing Education, 30(2), 160-173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475308319352
Yorke, M., & Harvey, L. (2005). Graduate attributes and their development. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2005(128), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.162
Bath, D., Smith, C., Stein, S., & Swann, R. (2004). Beyond mapping and embedding graduate attributes: Bringing together quality assurance and action learning to create a validated and living curriculum. Higher Education Research & Development, 23(3), 313-328. https://doi.org/10.1080/0729436042000235427
Birenbaum, M. & Dochy, F. J. R. C. (1996). Alternatives in Assessment of Achievements, Learning Processes and Prior Knowledge. Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Brown, G. A., Bull, J., & Pendlebury, M. (2013). Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education. Routledge.
Coffey, J. E., Hammer, D., Levin, D. M., & Grant, T. (2011). The missing disciplinary substance of formative assessment. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 48(10), 1109–1136. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20440
Cowan, J., & George, J. (2013). A Handbook of Techniques for Formative Evaluation: Mapping the Students’ Learning Experience. Abingdon-on-Thames: Routledge.
Fook, C. Y., & Sidhu, G. K. (2010). Authentic assessment and pedagogical strategies in higher education. Journal of Social Sciences, 6(2), 153-161. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.977.5553&rep=rep1&type=pdf
Forsyth, H., & Evans, J. (2019). Authentic assessment for a more inclusive history. Higher Education Research & Development, 38(4), 748-761. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2019.1581140
Frank, M., & Barzilai, A. (2004). Integrating alternative assessment in a project-based learning course for pre-service science and technology teachers. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(1), 41-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293042000160401
Gore, J., Ladwig, J., Elsworth, W., & Ellis, H. (2009). Quality assessment framework: A guide for assessment practice in higher education. Retrieved from https://ltr.edu.au/resources/QAF%20FINAL%20doc%20for%20print_0.pdf
Green, W., Hammer, S., & Star, C. (2009). Facing up to the challenge: Why is it so hard to develop graduate attributes?. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360802444339
Gulikers, J. T., Bastiaens, T. J., & Kirschner, P. A. (2004). A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment. Educational Technology Research and Development, 52(3), 67. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02504676
Gulikers, J., Bastiaens, T., & Kirschner, P. (2006). Authentic assessment, student and teacher perceptions: The practical value of the five‐dimensional framework. Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 58(3), 337-357. https://doi.org/10.1080/13636820600955443
Haigh, M., & Clifford, V. A. (2011). Integral vision: A multi-perspective approach to the recognition of graduate attributes. Higher Education Research & Development, 30, 573–584. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2011.598448
Hill, J., Walkington, H., & France, D. (2016). Graduate attributes: Implications for higher education practice and policy: Introduction. Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 40(2), 155-163. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2016.1154932
Hughes, C., & Barrie, S. (2010). Influences on the assessment of graduate attributes in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(3), 325-334. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903221485
Janisch, C., Liu, X., & Akrofi, A. (2007). Implementing alternative assessment: Opportunities and obstacles. The Educational Forum, 71(3), 221-230. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ763213.pdf
Keeling, S. M., Woodlee, K. M., & Maher, M. A. (2013). Assessment is not a spectator sport: Experiencing authentic assessment in the classroom. Assessment Update, 25(5), 12-13.
Killick, D. (2015). Developing the Global Student: Higher Education in an Era of Globalization. Abingdon: Routledge.
Kinash, S., McGillivray, L., & Crane, L. (2018). Do university students, alumni, educators and employers link assessment and graduate employability?. Higher Education Research & Development, 37(2), 301-315. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1370439
Kirk, S. H., Newstead, C., Gann, R., & Rounsaville, C. (2018). Empowerment and ownership in effective internationalisation of the higher education curriculum. Higher Education, 76(6), 989-1005. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-018-0246-1
Klenowski, V., Askew, S., & Carnell, E. (2006). Portfolios for learning, assessment and professional development in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(3), 267-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930500352816
Knight, P. T. (2002). Summative assessment in higher education: Practices in disarray. Studies in Higher Education, 27(3), 275-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070220000662
Libman, Z. (2010). Alternative assessment in higher education: An experience in descriptive statistics. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 36(1), 62-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2010.01.002
MacAndrew, S. B., & Edwards, K. (2002). Essays are not the only way: A case report on the benefits of authentic assessment. Psychology Learning & Teaching, 2(2), 134-139. https://doi.org/10.2304/plat.2002.2.2.134
MacDonald, R. (2005). Assessment strategies for enquiry and problem-based learning. In T. Barrett, I. Mac Labhrainn, & H. Fallon (Eds.), Handbook of Enquiry & Problem Based Learning (pp. 85-93).
MacLellan, E. (2004). How convincing is alternative assessment for use in higher education?. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 29(3), 311-321. https://doi.org/10.1080/0260293042000188267
McDowell, L., Wakelin, D., Montgomery, C., & King, S. (2011). Does assessment for learning make a difference? The development of a questionnaire to explore the student response. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(7), 749-765. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.488792
Moll, I. (2004). Curriculum responsiveness: The anatomy of a concept. In Griesel, H. (Ed), Curriculum Responsiveness: Case Studies in Higher Education (pp. 1-19). Pretoria: South African Universities Vice-Chancellors Association.
Murphy, V., Fox, J., Freeman, S., & Hughes, N. (2017). “Keeping it Real”: A review of the benefits, challenges and steps towards implementing authentic assessment. AISHE-J: The All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 9(3). Retrieved from https://ojs.aishe.org/aishe/index.php/aishe-j/article/view/280
O'Donnell, K. S. (2012). Global mental health: A resource primer for exploring the domain. International Perspectives in Psychology: Research, Practice, Consultation, 1(3), 191-205. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0029290
O'Donnell, K., & O'Donnell, M. L. (2016). Global Mental Health: Sharing and synthesizing knowledge for sustainable development. Global Mental Health, 3, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2016.22
Patel, V. (2014). Why mental health matters to global health. Transcultural Psychiatry, 51(6), 777-789. https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461514524473
Pretorius, L., Bailey, C., & Miles, M. (2013). Constructive alignment and the Research Skills Development Framework: Using theory to practically align Graduate Attributes, learning experiences, and assessment tasks in undergraduate midwifery. International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 25(3), 378-387. Retrieved from https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1029152
Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. (2011). Graduates for the 21st century: Integrating the enhancement themes: Institutional activities. Retrieved from https://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/completed-enhancement-themes/graduates-for-the-21st-century
Ramsden, P. (2003). Learning to Teach in Higher Education (2nd ed.). London. Routledge.
Robson, S., & Wihlborg, M. (2019). Internationalisation of higher education: Impacts, challenges and future possibilities. European Educational Research Journal, 18(2), 127-134. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474904119834779
Simm, D., & Marvell, A. (2017). Creating global students: Opportunities, challenges and experiences of internationalizing the geography curriculum in higher education. Journal of Geography in Higher Education 41(4), 464-467. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2017.1373332
Slonimsky, Y. & Shalem, Y. (2006). Pedagogic responsiveness for academic depth. Journal of Education, 40(1), 37-58. Retrieved from https://journals.co.za/content/joe/40/1/AJA0259479X_72 .
Spence-Brown, R. (2001). The eye of the beholder: Authenticity in an embedded assessment task. Language Testing, 18(4), 463-481. https://doi.org/10.1177/026553220101800408
Sutton-Brady, C., Scott, K. M., Taylor, L., Carabetta, G., & Clark, S. (2009). The value of using short-format podcasts to enhance learning and teaching. ALT-J, 17(3), 219-232. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687760903247609
Swaffield, S. (2011). Getting to the heart of authentic assessment for learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 18(4), 433-449. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969594X.2011.582838
Treleaven, L., & Voola, R. (2008). Integrating the development of graduate attributes through constructive alignment. Journal of Marketing Education, 30(2), 160-173. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475308319352
Yorke, M., & Harvey, L. (2005). Graduate attributes and their development. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2005(128), 41-58. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.162
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