{"id":4204,"date":"2016-06-07T09:15:36","date_gmt":"2016-06-07T08:15:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=4204"},"modified":"2016-06-14T09:35:45","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T08:35:45","slug":"constructively-aligning-criterion-feedback-using-turnitin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2016\/06\/07\/constructively-aligning-criterion-feedback-using-turnitin\/","title":{"rendered":"Constructively aligning criterion feedback using Turnitin"},"content":{"rendered":"

Reinforcing feedback. flickr photo by Jurgen Appelo<\/a> shared under a Creative Commons (BY) license<\/p><\/div>\n

Implementing processes to support the electronic management of assessment has been a priority for many universities and colleges in recent years, with many making use of Turnitin as a means\u00a0of checking the originality of submitted work and providing feedback to students. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The University of Sussex have been using Turnitin<\/a> in this manner since the introduction of <\/span>e-submission and e-feedback<\/span><\/a> at the start of the 2014-15 academic year.<\/span><\/p>\n

The following article will look at ideas and best practice for using Turnitin\u2019s GradeMark software (soon to be renamed Feedback Studio<\/a>) to constructively align marks and feedback to a module\u2019s intended learning outcomes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Constructive alignment and criterion referenced assessment<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In essence, the purpose of constructive alignment is to ensure that all activities of teaching, learning and assessment within a curriculum are designed in a way that is relevant to the intended learning outcomes.<\/span><\/p>\n

‘The key is that all components in the teaching system – the curriculum and its intended outcomes, the teaching methods used, the assessment tasks – are aligned to each other. All are tuned to learning activities addressed in the desired learning outcomes. The learner finds it difficult to escape without learning appropriately.’\u00a0<\/i><\/span>(Biggs, J. 1994)<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Criterion-referenced assessment design is an approach commonly used to constructively align an assessment to learning outcomes. This method uses a scale of predefined standards to measure a student\u2019s performance in relation to a set of criteria for which work is assessed against in order to determine a grade. Using criteria derived from the learning outcomes is an effective way to ensure that it is aligned.<\/span><\/p>\n

The benefits of this model are that it provides a robust set of benchmarks for tutors to ensure that marks and feedback can be justified in a way that is fair and consistent, and for students to use as a point of reference for how their work has been (or will be) assessed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Turnitin Rubrics<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Rubrics are one of the key features of the Turnitin software for providing marks and feedback. They can be thought of as a grid-based form containing predefined feedback which can be customised (per assessment) to include criteria (on the vertical axis), scales (on the horizontal axis) and descriptors (on the grid). <\/span><\/p>\n

Tutors can use this tool to provide feedback on a student’s individual piece of work by selecting the relevant boxes on the grid which indicate the performance level on the scale in relation to each of the criteria. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Capture\"

Screenshot of an example Rubric within Turnitin<\/p><\/div>\n

Here\u2019s a brief breakdown of the terminology and purposes in related to a criterion-referenced assessment for the different areas of text which can be used on a rubric:<\/span><\/p>\n