Developing a national understanding of assessment and feedback in Irish higher education

Abstract

This discussion paper provides an outline of how stakeholders across the Irish higher education sector were supported to develop a national understanding of assessment and feedback through local and national conversations. Within the context of a national enhancement initiative and utilising a conversational approach, a collective effort was made to provide clarity around concepts related to assessment and feedback in Irish higher education. The approach taken and the perspectives that emerged from these conversations, along with the resulting national understanding, are presented and discussed with reference to related literature.

Keywords:

• Assessment literacy
• feedback literacy
• summative assessment
• formative assessment
• conversational approach

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes on contributors

Dr Geraldine O'Neill is an Associate Professor and educational developer in UCD Teaching & Learning, University College Dublin, Ireland. In her time in UCD, she had supported and evaluated many institutional teaching, learning and assessment projects. She is current working on an institutional approach to programmme-focused assessment. In a recent two-year secondment to Ireland's National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, she coordinated the National Forum Assessment Enhancement theme (Assessment of, for and as Learning).

Dr Eileen McEvoy is Policy and Projects Manager at the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Ireland. Her role is to ensure that the impact of the work of the Forum is captured and communicated. She also assists the Forum to act as a conduit between those shaping teaching and learning practices at institutional level and those developing national policies related to teaching and learning.

Dr Terry Maguire is Director of the National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Ireland. In 2013 she became the inaugural Director to establish the National Forum as an essential component of the national-level infrastructure for higher education in Ireland. Terry has a keen interest in professional development of those who teach and adult mathematics education.