Visiting Professor Kay Sambell, University of Cumbria & Dr. Linda Graham, University of Sunderland
As universities increasingly seek to help students develop the knowledge, judgement and capability needed for an uncertain world, important questions are being asked about what assessment products can really tell us about student learning. Drawing on the notion of pentimento – the traces of earlier sketches that remain visible beneath a finished painting – this masterclass explores how purposefully designed formative assessment can make students’ developing disciplinary thinking visible while learning is still underway.
Using a practical Produce-Compare-Review case study as a starting point for practice-based discussion, participants will explore formative assessment design strategies that surface assumptions, interpretations, emerging understandings and troublesome ideas. Together, these create opportunities for learners and teachers to notice, acknowledge and work productively with developing disciplinary thinking as students engage with threshold concepts and navigate the uncertainties of learning.o refresh your thinking and practice.
Biographies
Professor Kay Sambell is widely known internationally for her publications, which mainly focus on aspects of Assessment for Learning (AfL) in Higher Education. For over two decades she has spearheaded a diverse range of research projects, pragmatic innovations, and institution-wide initiatives focused on improving university student learning via assessment. She has authored and co-authored outputs in a varied range of formats, ranging from highly-cited journal articles to practical resources that are widely used by practitioners. She has also successfully supervised and examined doctoral students on the PhD by publication route.
Kay is a UK National Teaching Fellow (2002) and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is currently an independent consultant and Visiting Professor of Assessment for Learning at the University of Sunderland and the University of Cumbria and President of the Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) conference series.
