Abstract :
Concerns about noncompletion and the quality of the 1st-year student
experience have been linked to recent changes in higher education such as
modularisation, increased class sizes, greater diversity in the student intake
and reduced resources. Improving formative assessment and feedback
processes is seen as one way of addressing academic failure, of enhancing the
learning experience and students’ chances of success in the early years of study.
This paper argues that if this is to happen, a broader perspective on the
purposes of formative assessment and feedback is required, one that links these
processes to the development of learner self-regulation. It then shows, through
two case studies drawn from the Re-engineering Assessment Practices project,
how information and communication technology might support formative
assessment processes and the development of self-regulation in large 1st-year
classes. Finally, the paper presents a set of principles for the effective design and
evaluation of formative assessment and feedback processes.
