Assessment - Assignments
- Robin Milner
Assignments are used by TAFE QLD for a range of assessments excluding Quizzes (Knowledge Questions). They can be configured a variety of ways based on a particular assessment task but are typically used for any assessment where submission of documents or observation of skills is required.
Assignment Categories
In the Assignments area all assignments are to be divided into four categories:
Assessments - For Summative assessments affecting gradebook outcomes.
Learning Activities - Formative in Learning Content type activities
Draft Assignment Checker - Used for draft submission of assignment to check for plagiarism.
Student Acknowledgement - May be used for assignments where the student is required to acknowledge they have completed learning before attempting a summative assessment.
Categories may be edited using the Edit Categories Button.
Learning Activities, Draft Assignment Checker and Student Acknowledgement Categories are not required if the content or assessments do not require Assignments within them.
Creating a New Assignment
After selecting the New Assignment button to create an assignment the user is presented with a page similar to below.
The name field is completed using the format - Assessment Task (Number) - Type of Assignment (Attempt (No.))
Under the Assignment Name field Grade Points (usually set to 2) and Due Date can be entered.
The Instructions are created using the corresponding instruction text for the type of Assignment using the HTML from the Appendix of this guideline.
Availability Dates & Conditions Panel
Release Dates, Conditions and special access rules can be applied to assignments via this panel.
Submission and Completion Panel
Assignment Types
It is important to acknowledge that there are four (4) Assignment submission types available when creating assignments to allow evaluation of different tasks.
File submission: learners upload and submit a file to the assignment. This is recommended for most assignments - observations, written and portfolios of evidence.
Text submission: learners post text, image, or a link to their work in a text box within the assignment.
On paper submission: learners submit a physical copy of their assignment directly to their educator. No file upload is required to complete the assignment.
Observed in person: allows educators to observe learners as they perform tasks, such as in-class presentations, and evaluate them using Assignments. No file upload is required to complete the assignment.
If file submission is selected the following settings are used:
Files Allowed Per Submission: Unlimited
Submissions: Only one submission allowed.
Assignment Attempts
Assignments are typically two attempts. This means that two almost identical assignments are created with naming and instructions differentiating them. The exception is Multiple Observations (O2 documents) which only need one assignment setup as the second attempt is managed in rubrics.
Evaluation & Feedback Panel
This panel is where Rubrics are added to assignments to help grading. This panel also control integration with Antiplagiarism software Turnitin.
Rubrics
Rubrics can be added to Assignments to replicate the use of both Marking Criteria and Observation (Single & Multiple) templates from SPOT.
The purpose is to improve the assessment experience for learners and teachers by providing an electronic mechanism by which to grade and provide feedback on assessment. Rubrics achieve this by providing immediate feedback between learner and teacher instead of uploading or downloading scanned copies to a dropbox or via email.
Rubrics are intended to reduce the requirement for teachers to carry printed documents or USB to complete observation tasks. Mobile devices, desktop computers and laptops may be used to complete an observation.
Rubrics can be found in the ‘Assessment’ section of every unit on the ‘Unit Administration’ page.
This then loads a dedicated ‘Rubrics’ page:
Rubric setup
The setup for a rubric
Name: The name uses the same as the title of the assessment in the assessment document and assignment but with “Assessor to complete” added at the end as a cue that the Assessor will complete it.
For Observations with multiple rubrics the nomenclature is to use the name x of x number of observations.
Eg. Assessment Task 2 - Observation 1 of 2
or Assessment Task 4 - Observation 4 of 5.
Type: Select ‘Analytic’
Scoring: Select ‘No Score’
First Row for each Criteria Group
Leftmost cell: Type ‘During the demonstration of skills, did the student satisfactorily:’
Please note that the left most cell is only accessible when a second Criterion group is added. If only one Criterion Group is required then add a second group, type the note into the lest most cell and delete the second criterion group. The message will stay in the first cell despite no longer appearing.
Middle cell: Yes
Rightmost cell: No
Date Row: Date of assessment - Assessor to record in feedback is added to the first markable row of the rubric.
Attachments: Attach all required assessment documents.
Second or more rows for each Criteria Group
Verbal Questions are added as their own rows.
A new row can be created using the Add criterion button.
Each criterion must be numbered as per the offline Observation or Marking Criteria sheet being supplied.
Sub-points must be denoted with dot points.
The rubric may be broken into sections by using the ‘Add Criteria Group’ button.
The top row of each ‘Criteria Group’ must include the name of the appropriate part or section and ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ columns to match the offline documents of the assessment.
Overall Score section
Left column: Type ‘Satisfactory’
Right column: Type ‘Unsatisfactory’
Options section
Rubric visibility: Select ‘Rubric is visible students’
Score visibility: Select ‘Hide scores from students’.
Assignment folder settings
The recommended Assignment folder settings are defined as follows:
Name: The name uses the same as the title of the assessment in the assessment document with an extension to the title of attempt 1 or attempt 2.
Instructions: Include a summary of the assessment instruction to the student. Instructions will vary based on the task being Attempt 1 or Attempt 2 (HTML provided in appendix )
Attachments: Attach all required assessment documents.
Submission, Completion and Categorization section
Assessment Type: Always individual assignment.
Submission Type:
Choose “File submission” for any task including Observation that require the student to upload a response file. This is recommended for most assignments - observations, written and portfolios of evidence.
Choose “Observed in person” for any observation not requiring a file to also be uploaded.
Files allowed per submission: Unlimited
Submissions: Only one submission allowed.
Evaluation and Feedback section
Out Of: 2. A numerical score out of 2 allows 3 whole number results to be issued – 2/2 (Satisfactory) 1/2 (Unsatisfactory) and 0/2 (Not graded).
Grade Item: Select the grade item with the same name as the title of the assessment in the assessment document with an extension of Attempt 1 or Attempt 2.
Rubrics: If a rubric has been created to assist in marking the assessment click ‘add rubric’ and select it from the list that may appear to attach it.
Default scoring Rubric: Not required due to no scores being used.
Related content
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