Underpinned by a pedagogy that recognises the value of authentic assessment learning experiences, this assessment gives students an opportunity to practice presenting information and arguments in non-academic forms that are accessible to public audiences, thus teaching them to effectively communicate using multiple discourses. This experience in communicating for specific audiences replicates the type of work students may encounter in professional contexts. For example in the case of RELN3000, students select a contemporary religious topic or issue which they must research and consolidate into a particular genre or format (other than a standard academic research essay) for submission (of approximately 1500 words or equivalent). Examples from RELN3000 include writing a government report; producing an audio-visual report (with scholarly script); writing an editorial piece for a newspaper or online platform such as The Conversation; an exhibition proposal; or writing a submission for a hypothetical legal case involving a religious issue. Students are able to tailor their assessments to their vocational or interdisciplinary interests. This assessment is paired with an in-class presentation on their research topic which students deliver as part of a flipped classroom style delivery.
Details
- CLASS SIZE
- 60-80
- CLASS LEVEL
- Third year
- ASSESSMENT SECURITY
- Medium security
- TIME REQUIREMENTS
- Low time
- GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES
- Effective communication skills, Independence and creativity, Critical judgement
- CONDITIONS
- Work-related
- FEATURES
- Authentic, Problem based
- TAGS
- multimodal, personalised learning
Advantages
Flexibility in terms of both focus and mode of submission means that this assessment caters to student interests, supports diverse learning styles, and aligns with a personalised learning pedagogy. Students are left with an output that they are able to add to their professional portfolios, thus enhancing potential employability
This authentic assessment is well suited to all third year courses as students are nearing the end of their programs and preparing to enter the workforce.
Challenges
As this technique focuses on writing for the public sphere, there is a risk that some students' work may lack analytic or scholarly depth. This assessment should therefore be scaffolded with pieces that more directly assess academic comprehension.
Tips for implementation
Many students will be unfamiliar with applied writing or non-academic modalities. Care should be taken to adequately explain the task requirements, particularly what is expected in terms of demonstrating comprehension whilst realistically replicating the tone of the chosen modality.
How it supports academic integrity
As this assessment is scaffolded with an in-class, observed presentation, staff are able to compare students' oral and written competencies as a way to detect possible academic misconduct. In addition, students are required to submit two versions of their assessment – one that is fully referenced and one that aligns with the conventions of the genre/form of their chosen modality. Both are submitted via TurnItIn.
Dr Adam Bowles
a.bowles1@uq.edu.au
Qualifications
Doctor of Philosophy, La Trobe University
Bachelor of Arts, La Trobe University Find out more