Learning to mark: exemplars, dialogue and participation in assessment communities

Abstract

The problems of shifting from norm-referenced assessment to criterion-referenced assessment have been identified by several scholars in recent years. These important critiques touch on a number of areas, but neglect a key question about how assessors learn to accomplish what Shay calls a ‘socially situated interpretive act'. Research that does exist tends to focus on salaried, full-time academics. This overlooks the heterogeneity of the academic labour force in higher education and the substantial contribution made by contract (hourly-paid) lecturers, particularly in applied disciplines such as Business and Management. This study explores how nine newcomers to a UK Business School – including salaried and contract staff – attempt to understand local assessment practice. We use a situated learning lens to analyse their diary entries and interviews about their experiences of learning to mark. Drawing on scholars such as Sadler, we examine the suggestion that exemplars are important for newcomers coming to understand local assessment practice. We argue for the fundamental importance of dialogue about exemplars and other aspects of practice, both to develop inter-subject understandings of assessment ‘anchor points' and also to foster among newcomers (and especially contract lecturers) a greater sense of participating in, and being valued by, the local assessment community.

Keywords:

• contract lecturers
• criterion-referenced assessment
• dialogue
• exemplars
• participation
• situated learning

Acknowledgements

We wish to acknowledge the contributions made to this article by Royce Sadler, and members of our research team, Jill Millar, Laura Morosanu and Berry O'Donovan. We are grateful for the constructive comments made by four reviewers on an earlier version of this article, and thank those who participated in our research. This research was funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England through a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning.