Last month the PebblePad team attended the Western Australian Teaching and Learning Forum (WATLF), hosted by The University of Western Australia.
The WATLF is an annual conference held in Perth, WA, and brings together an amazing group of over 200 innovative educators from across the higher education sector to share challenges, inspire, and collaborate around teaching and learning initiatives.
The theme this year was ‘Shocks and Solutions in Higher Education’ . resonating with the challenges and opportunities the sector is currently facing through:
- Gen AI
- Post-pandemic effects
- Fiscal constraints
The need to be able to absorb shocks through a holistic learner-centred curriculum ecosystem was detailed by Professor Kerri-Lee Krause, Vice-Chancellor of Avondale University, in her well-received keynote.
Forming trustworthy judgements of student learning in the age of AI
During the conference Robert Vick, Director of Business Development at PebblePad (Australia) had the privelage of co-presenting with Heather Pate, Senior Learning Designer at Edith Cowan University. Heather led the session on Forming trustworthy judgements of student learning in the age of GenAI: How PebblePad can support a course-wide assessment approach and shared several examples of how good assessment design is a critical part of student success.
Assessment design that is founded on engaging students in authentic learning experiences, and includes feedback that promotes two-way dialogue, addresses the increasing concerns over academic integrity, particularly in the age of gen AI.
Many educators find inspiration from course-wide and programmatic assessment approaches that link a backbone of course learning outcomes, with a diverse range of artefacts, evidencing learning over time and replacing a grading culture with a feedback culture.
Programmatic Assessment: A Solution
In addition to Heather Pate’s presentation, Janica Jamieson, Lecturer and Placement Co-Ordinator, and also from Edith Cowan University, gave an enlightening presentation titled ‘Programmatic Assessment: a solution’, taking a deep dive into best practice and research into programmatic assessment.
Janica shared how students are engaged in multiple and varied learning activities and fit-for-purpose low-stakes assessments with feedback on their performance.
These activities produced multiple assessment data points and artefacts collated into a PebblePad eportfolio, providing a holistic view of a student’s capabilities and used to make a high-stakes assessment.
Overview
What stood out most to our team was that although shocks and disruptions to Higher Education in 2024 are many and varied, the conference demonstrates the power of a strong community coming together to collaborate, inspire and share ideas.
Educators are up to the challenge of the unknown future disruptors, and they are ready to respond with highly transformative solutions. PebblePad is proud to be part of these conversations and to collaborate with our partner universities to support these transformative initiatives.
Attended by both Robert Vick, Director of Business Development and Customer Success Manager, Jacqui Pattern.
Download our latest white-paper on AI: Redesigning Assessment Practices in an AI World.
