How does the option of video assessment impact on student choice and grades?

Abstract

As digital fluency is becoming an educational priority, contemporary educators are increasingly looking at innovative means of assessment to replace or supplement more traditional approaches such as written essays or tests. Learner-generated, video-based assessment allows students to express themselves in different ways, brings the real world into assessment activities, and provides an opportunity to develop new digital and communication skills.

Since 2014, The Mind Lab by Unitec has provided teachers and educators in New Zealand with a different model of professional development. Teachers and educators are able to study part time and complete a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice – Digital and Collaborative Learning at a range of locations across New Zealand. Candidates can elect to work on assignments independently or collaboratively in small groups. In the first two courses candidates complete four assessments, two for each course. Assessment types for these courses include both video presentations and essays. Following anecdotal feedback from candidates about the two different assessment media, it was decided to examine what impact, if any, the medium used for assessment had on candidates’ grades.

Although research indicates that video assessment is beneficial, there is minimal research into the impact of choice of media on students’ assessment outcomes. Of the four initial assessments, the first is a video, the second, an essay, and for each of the two subsequent assessments students may choose to submit either a video or an essay. We sought to investigate whether the students’ choice of medium impacted on their grades, and whether previous grades influenced the medium that students chose for subsequent assessment.

We collected data from assessments of about 680 students over three consecutive intakes of the programme over a period of twelve months (November 2015 to October 2016). The findings indicate that the students’ choice of medium did not impact their grades. The choice of medium for the initial assessments also does not have a significant impact on the outcomes of subsequent assessments. The key finding is that students were not disadvantaged as a result of submitting video assessments. This may assist others in supporting and designing innovative means of assessment suitable for their students.