Showing papers in "Journal of Further and Higher Education in 2016"
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explored the use of social media for work-related or professional purposes in higher education and found that, with increasing levels of activity, the number of motivations for using social media increase, as does the perceived number of success.
Abstract: The research reported on in this article explores the use of social media for work-related or professional purposes. In particular, it focuses on the perceptions and use of social media by academics in the UK. The purpose of the research was to explore the potential social media has to facilitate the changing landscape of higher education and support the individual academic in their role. Of particular interest is how specific social media tools are being used to enhance networking opportunities and contribute to career progression. The use of social media was explored in detail through interviews and a survey. Typical activities that are currently being undertaken were identified and user group profiles developed that articulate different levels of engagement with these tools and the motivations that each group of users have for using social media. The study found that, with increasing levels of activity, the number of motivations for using social media increase, as does the perceived number of successfu...
123 citations
TL;DR: The debate between summative and formative assessment is creating a situation that increasingly calls to mind the famous slogan in George Orwell's (1945) Animal Farm - "Four legs good, two legs bad" as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The debate between summative and formative assessment is creating a situation that increasingly calls to mind the famous slogan in George Orwell’s (1945) Animal Farm – ‘Four legs good, two legs bad’. Formative assessment is increasingly being portrayed in the literature as ‘good’ assessment, which tutors should strive towards, whereas summative assessment is ‘bad’ assessment on which tutors should minimise their focus, instead moving towards formative assessment (Taras 2005). By revisiting the origins of formative assessment, this article aims to bring back to light that summative and formative assessment are connected at their inception. It highlights how research in the literature has unintentionally created a harmful dichotomy between summative and formative assessment, and it identifies some attempts in the literature to re-connect formative and summative assessment. This paper challenges the dichotomy in the literature and invites those in higher education to consider the fundamental idea that format...
97 citations
TL;DR: The authors examined how exemplars can be used to enhance student understanding of quality and to promote positive transfer of strategies and skills from exemplars to assessment task in a post-secondary institution in Hong Kong.
Abstract: Discussion of exemplars of student work is a productive means of explaining tacit knowledge and guiding students into the requirements of academic writing Through two cycles of action research in a postsecondary institution in Hong Kong, this study examines how exemplars can be used to enhance student understanding of quality and to promote positive transfer of strategies and skills from exemplars to assessment task Interventions included peer discussion, teacher-led interaction and student mini-presentations in relation to exemplars To gauge perceptions of these processes, we collected data via open-ended surveys and focus group interviews with students, commentaries from a critical friend and a teacher-researcher reflective journal Findings suggest that peer discussion and teacher guidance play a complementary role in engineering a supportive learning environment for positive transfer of insights Peer discussion is useful in allowing students to generate ideas and negotiate meanings Teacher guidance serves to explicate the characteristics of good quality work and to increase students’ critical awareness of the differences between exemplars and their own writing Teaching implications for dialogic use of exemplars are discussed, and some avenues for future exemplar-related research outlined
76 citations
TL;DR: The study was undertaken within the undergraduate placement programme of a UK higher education institution and investigated aspects of service quality through students’ surveys conducted over a five-year period and staff questionnaires and interviews.
Abstract: This article explores several aspects of service quality for the provision of higher education. Alongside the trend of the massification of higher education over the past two decades, higher education institutions are required to review quality across a range of outputs, besides teaching and learning. The study was undertaken within the undergraduate placement programme of a UK higher education institution and investigated aspects of service quality through students’ surveys conducted over a five-year period and staff questionnaires and interviews. The findings of the study point out that, amongst other factors, the increase in student numbers implies a deterioration of higher education service quality.
Based on the findings, several areas that can potentially improve the quality of higher education services in modern universities are identified.
59 citations
TL;DR: This critical case study shares how policy outcomes within intermediate and superintendent certification, sixth-year and Ed.D.
Abstract: Best practice in curriculum development and implementation requires that discipline-based standards or requirements embody both curricular and programme scopes and sequences. Ensuring these are present and aligned in course/programme content, activities and assessments to support student success requires formalised and systematised review and development processes. These processes are not always in play in higher education, however. Using a descriptive qualitative case study strategy, this article shares how policy outcomes within intermediate and superintendent certification, sixth-year and Ed.D. doctoral courses and programmes at a state university were reviewed, mapped and assessed using an evidence-based curriculum analysis model and tool that mapped standards and outcomes from course syllabus data. Strengths and weaknesses of this approach are discussed and it is suggested that the field might benefit from a curriculum mapping and analysis method that also considers content coverage. A Course-Level C...
44 citations
TL;DR: The Critical Realist Review (CRR) as discussed by the authors is a literature-based methodological approach to critical analysis of health care studies that is robust, insightful and essential for the complexities of twenty-first century evidence-based health and social care.
Abstract: This article defines the ‘critical realist review’, a literature-based methodological approach to critical analysis of health care studies (or any discipline charged with social interventions) that is robust, insightful and essential for the complexities of twenty-first century evidence-based health and social care. We argue that this approach, underpinned by a critical realist philosophy and methodology, will facilitate students and researchers to employ relevant theoretical insights from a range of disciplines that have necessary contributions to make to our understanding of health and social care practice and provision. We explore the limitations of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and the systematic review for informing evidence-based health and social care. The article also offers some suggestions on method, although, as we argue, the approach deliberately eschews a ‘cookbook’ approach. A glossary of terms is provided in the Appendix.
38 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the differences between three groups of students, namely, Turkish, Georgian and German, regarding their tendency to conduct academic theft and found that lack of time, busy schedules and weak academic writing skills are the most frequent reasons for plagiarism.
Abstract: Plagiarism continues to dominate the academic world as one of its greatest challenges, and the existing literature suggests cross-cultural investigation of this critical issue may help all shareholders who detect, are confronted by and struggle with this issue to address it. Therefore, the present study, drawing upon a cross-cultural investigation using a questionnaire, aimed to investigate the differences between three groups of students, namely, Turkish (n = 106), Georgian (n = 83) and German (n = 72) regarding their tendency to conduct academic theft. It also investigated ways in which to plagiarise and reasons for and awareness of this issue. The results show that lack of time, busy schedules and weak academic writing skills are the most frequent reasons for plagiarism. However, in contrast to previous studies, the role of the Internet was found to be minimal in relation to increasing plagiarism. It is also worth noting that the German participants were found to have a higher level of sensitivity to t...
37 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report findings from a collaborative study undertaken at four Australian universities with a focus on developing an electronic portfolio (eP), which involved students in classical and contemporary music, music education, music technology, creative writing and professional writing.
Abstract: Although the employability of graduates is of concern across further and higher education it is particularly problematic in the arts disciplines, from which few students transition to a traditional, full-time position. Arts graduates shape their work to meet personal and professional needs, and the successful negotiation of this type of career requires a strong sense of identity and an awareness of diverse opportunities. The challenge for educators is how we might develop these capacities whilst being mindful of students’ dreams, which are often focused on artistic excellence and recognition. This paper reports findings from a collaborative study undertaken at four Australian universities. With a focus on developing an electronic portfolio (eP), the study involved students in classical and contemporary music, music education, music technology, creative writing and professional writing. The combination of music and writing provided points of comparison to identify issues specific to music, and those that m...
36 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a set of guidance activities (scaffolding) is proposed to improve the transition for first-year undergraduates by providing a structured set of guided activities as a means of an extended induction into the assessment processes in higher education.
Abstract: High quality feedback is known to be essential for learning, yet in higher education it has been highlighted as a problem area in the UK by both the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) and National Student Surveys. Furthermore, a recent study has shown that there is a fault-line between the highly structured guidance system that exists in schools/colleges and the culture of ‘independent’ learning that is promoted in higher education and suggests that this is a significant barrier to a successful transition. This article reports research to improve the transition for first-year undergraduates by providing a structured set of guidance activities (scaffolding) as a means of an extended induction into the assessment processes in higher education. The activities are based on the dialogic feedback cycle, which encompasses principles of feedback as dialogue, emphasising guidance at the start of and during an assignment rather than summative written feedback. The intervention was evaluated by means of a questionnaire ...
35 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the identification of threshold concepts in a physiotherapy subject, with a sample of physiotherapy clinical educators, using nominal group technique (NGT), is explored, and three novel insights are offered for future threshold concepts research.
Abstract: The original work on threshold concepts arose from a project designed to improve students’ learning experiences by taking seriously the features of disciplinary knowledge as its starting point. The conceptual and empirical work on threshold concepts has since developed and matured. While many disciplines have engaged enthusiastically with the identification of threshold concepts, healthcare has not been well represented. Drawing on Cousin’s (2007, 2009) notion of transactional curriculum inquiry, the study explores the identification of threshold concepts in a physiotherapy subject, with a sample of physiotherapy clinical educators, using nominal group technique (NGT). While the article presents a set of concepts from the pilot study, this is not its key contribution. Instead, three novel insights are offered for future threshold concepts research. First, there is a need to extend the stakeholders involved in curriculum reform and renewal beyond the university (particularly, for professions). Second, ther...
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an overview of literature on student engagement and quality teaching and discuss three projects in one institution in New Zealand that were designed to improve teaching and student engagement, and outlines key findings from them.
Abstract: Student engagement is important to further and higher education institutions: it is understood to be a proxy for quality teaching and governments attach a proportion of funding to student retention and completion. Many institutions are taking part in student engagement surveys, using the data generated to initiate changes to policies and practice. This article presents an overview of literature on student engagement and quality teaching. It then briefly describes three projects in one institution in New Zealand that were designed to improve teaching and student engagement, and outlines key findings from them. The projects are then related to four of Chalmers’ five levels of quality teaching and Leach and Zepke’s six perspectives on engagement, enabling some conclusions about what Massey University is doing successfully and what more it could do to enhance student engagement. It is suggested that other institutions could use this different approach to review their current pedagogy and student engagement st...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors identify teachers' ways of experiencing their identity and development challenges as teachers in the social and professional context of university and identify a typology of teacher identities and classification of development themes.
Abstract: The aim of this qualitative study was to identify teachers’ ways of experiencing their identity and development challenges as teachers in the social and professional context of university. Identity and development as a teacher were examined based on interviews and drawings of career paths collected from a group of university teachers representing diverse scientific fields at one research-intensive university in Finland. Based on the findings, a typology of teacher identities and classification of development themes were constructed, illustrating the experiences and drawing on the themes found in the data and comparing them to Huberman’s teachers’ career cycle as well as Akerlind’s views on university teachers’ changes. The findings showed that those who have reached a goal-reflective and stabilised teacher identity recognise development challenges, especially in the areas of self-development and facilitation of student learning, while those who have a constructive-conflicting or unsolved teacher identity ...
TL;DR: This article conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 student teachers and analyzed them using an inductive content analysis method, finding that student teachers have had some experiences with individual aspects of AfL.
Abstract: Numerous studies have dealt with the importance of assessment for learning (AfL) in higher education, arguing that AfL helps to promote students’ learning and supports them in becoming self-directed learners. The majority of the recent literature focuses mainly on the role of individual aspects of AfL. Less attention has been paid to the interrelation of different aspects of AfL. The current study argues that AfL combines authentic assessment tasks given to students, feedback from teacher educators, peer assessment and self-assessment. The aim of the current study is to understand student teachers’ experiences of AfL practices in higher education, focusing on the reasons why student teachers do not always find the practices supportive. The study conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 student teachers and analysed them using an inductive content analysis method. The findings indicate that student teachers have had some experiences with individual aspects of AfL. A critical finding is that, when teach...
TL;DR: This paper conducted a comparative analysis of promotional materials produced by public universities and community colleges in Ontario, Canada and found that these two groups draw on unique strategies to communicate their quality to external constituents.
Abstract: Existing research on marketing within PSE tends to focus on homogeneous groups of high-status organisations. This study ameliorates this gap in the literature, conducting a comparative analysis of promotional materials produced by public universities and community colleges in Ontario, Canada. We find that these two groups draw on unique strategies to communicate their quality to external constituents. Public universities emphasise faculty and institutional-level accomplishments, such as research grants and rankings. Meanwhile, community colleges, lacking access to these symbolic resources, employ corporate-like strategies, such as taglines and non-traditional logos.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe one such approach to the problem of English language provision in higher education, which is perceived as a complex and very pressing issue, particularly given its financial ramifications and its importance in terms of the student experience.
Abstract: As the university student body becomes ever more diverse, the place and nature of English language provision is coming under unprecedented scrutiny and is the object of greater regulation. Today, more than ever before, institutions of higher education are being called to account for the way in which they support this diverse population in respect of their English language provision. Increasingly, auditing bodies are expecting universities to demonstrate a commitment to supporting students adequately in this area and to be able to articulate a systematic process for doing so, along with a sound rationale and conceptual framework. This has put pressure on English-medium universities everywhere to review their English language provision and to develop creative and theoretically-informed solutions to what is perceived by many in the sector as a complex and very pressing issue, particularly given its financial ramifications and its importance in terms of the student experience. This article describes one such ...
TL;DR: In this paper, a mixed methods study aimed to investigate stress levels of undergraduate students in a post-1992, Scottish university and the potential for measures of stress to act as an indicator of a student's intention to continue.
Abstract: Students suffer from stress as a result of many factors, including educational unpreparedness, financial strain and inability to integrate socially. This mixed methods study aimed to investigate stress levels of undergraduate students in a post-1992, Scottish university and the potential for measures of stress to act as an indicator of a student’s intention to continue. The study sampled primarily engaged students as tests were administered during timetabled classes and required the students’ voluntary participation. The level of perceived stress reported by these students appeared to be high (mean PSS-14 scores of 18.42 (SD 8.452) and 24.57 (SD 8.969) for males and females, respectively) and was coupled with intention to drop out across all study levels (12.1% of students sampled reported ‘seriously considered dropping out’). Perceived stress score predicted a student’s intention to withdraw but this association did not transfer to actual withdrawal, suggesting that other factors, most likely coping mech...
TL;DR: The World Cafe method as mentioned in this paper is a community engagement method that encourages participants to engage in reflection and dialogue in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere and promotes the use of multiple methods in capturing insights that recognize individual and cultural preferences in communication.
Abstract: This article provides an example of how the World Cafe method can be used as a platform to encourage reflection on internationalisation in higher education. The World Cafe is a community engagement method that encourages participants to engage in reflection and dialogue in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. It promotes the use of multiple methods in capturing insights that recognise individual and cultural preferences in communication. It values respect for diversity of perspectives, which resonates with the principles of internationalisation. This article focuses primarily on how this method can be used in practice and provides a step-by-step guide on how to organise and facilitate such an event.
TL;DR: In this article, the effects of emotions and servicescape factors in higher education settings are investigated. And the authors highlight that comfort, temperature/humidity, functionality/design and acoustics/visual features are key factors in determining students' pleasure within the environment.
Abstract: Conceptual and empirical studies on the impact of physical environments in educational settings are lacking. In comparison, consumption environments research has a rich history. In this paper we bring together these two research streams to develop (Study 1) and test (Study 2) an ‘Eduscape’ model of the effects of emotions and servicescape factors in higher education settings. Study 1 (423 students) explores aspects of the physical environment. Building on Study 1, Study 2 uses structural equation modelling (209 students) to test the proposed conceptual model. The results highlight that comfort, temperature/humidity, functionality/design and acoustics/visual features are key in determining students’ pleasure within the environment. Although Study 1 highlights that cleanliness/upkeep is important to students, Study 2 does not find statistical support for this association. The proposed model also emphasizes the links between students’ pleasure derived from the environment and their satisfaction, engagement/involvement and approach behaviour.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the effectiveness of a program-wide communication skills training framework incorporated within a one-year biological sciences taught Masters course designed to enhance the competency of students in communicating scientific research principally to a scientific audience.
Abstract: In this article we describe the effectiveness of a programme-wide communication skills training framework incorporated within a one-year biological sciences taught Masters course designed to enhance the competency of students in communicating scientific research principally to a scientific audience. In one class we analysed the numerical marks achieved by students (N 61) for specific communication assignments completed at the start and at the end of the course. This was complemented by questionnaires administered to students at the beginning and at the end of the course to self-assess their competency and to elicit their views on the usefulness of the training received. We considered three questions: did students’ communication skills improve during the course; did the outcomes depend on the place of previous education (UK or non-UK); and how useful did students consider the learning and teaching activities to be? We show that the training improved students’ self-reported competency in most of the communi...
TL;DR: This paper presented a case study of a single, mid-size English FE college, which piloted the provision of tablets to bounded groups of students and teachers in four diverse curriculum areas.
Abstract: Interest in the potential benefits of providing tablet computers to students has grown in recent years, both in UK institutions, and across the world. Limited research studies have been reported in higher education (HE), and primary and secondary school settings, tentatively suggesting a range of positive impacts on learners, but little conclusive research has been published on the introduction of tablets in further education (FE). This article presents a case study of a single, mid-size English FE college, which piloted the provision of tablets to bounded groups of students and teachers in four diverse curriculum areas. The author was invited to help design the college’s evaluation of the pilot, which would inform a potential business case to extend the pilot to all students. One element was a qualitative research project, with data captured through a series of focus group interviews with all 64 students who received tablets, and separate interviews with their ten teachers. Findings are reported here, ex...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors explore whether students actually use technology for reflective assignments if given the choice, and explore if technology was used for these types of assignments, and conclude that students did not use technology at all.
Abstract: Encouraging reflective practice and developing reflective practitioners is a goal of many disciplines in higher education. A variety of pedagogical techniques have been used to promote critical reflection including portfolios, narratives and reflective journals. Over the past decade, the use of Web 2.0 technologies with students has been increasingly adopted in higher education settings and many educators have integrated these technologies into reflective assignments. These educators assume that students, who are members of the Net Generation, are technologically savvy and have the ability to integrate the use of Web 2.0 technologies into learning. However, while there have been studies examining the outputs of reflective assignments using Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, e-portfolios and wikis, there has been little research examining whether or not students actually use technology for these types of assignment if given the choice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore if technology was ...
TL;DR: In this article, a new research instrument and diagnostic tool derived from the Farmer and Sundberg's Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS) is presented, specifically intended to assess or measure the recurring propensity or habitual disposition of students to becoming bored particularly within the UK higher education context (e.g. further education, university college and university provision).
Abstract: Recently identified as an academic ‘achievement emotion’, boredom has long been implicated as a factor contributing adversely to student attainment across a diverse range of formal educational settings. Despite this, the study of boredom, particularly among students in higher education, remains a relatively neglected and underdeveloped field. In this article, and following a systematic review of the research literature, we present details of a new research instrument and diagnostic tool derived from Farmer and Sundberg’s Boredom Proneness Scale (BPS), specifically intended to assess or measure the recurring propensity or habitual disposition of students to becoming bored particularly within the UK higher education context (e.g. further education, university college and university provision). Referred to here as the BPS-UKHE, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the statistical validity and reliability as well as educational relevance and meaningfulness of the BPS-UKHE is established, confirming its mul...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors analyzed the evolution of Italian universities in terms of growth, economic sustainability and reforms, and found that although the number of enrolled students and funding problems propel the Italian university system towards the universal access stage, activities and functioning mechanisms are lagging far behind, since they are still involved in the transition from the elite to mass stage.
Abstract: The evolution of Italian universities in terms of growth, economic sustainability and reforms can be interpreted in the light of the elite, mass and universal access categories defined by Martin Trow. The findings from this analysis show that although the number of enrolled students and funding problems propel the Italian university system towards the universal access stage, activities and functioning mechanisms are lagging far behind, since they are still involved in the transition from the elite to mass stage. Interpretation of the changes since 1980 on the basis of the New Public Management (NPM) paradigm and the notion of diversity allows identification of the reasons for this discrepancy as being mostly related to backwardness in terms of ideas and values rather than a lack of management techniques.
TL;DR: In this article, what standards do students themselves use to judge whether a lecturer is a "good" teacher, and how do they assess teaching effectiveness is by eliciting student feedback.
Abstract: One way that universities assess teaching effectiveness is by eliciting student feedback. However, what standards do students themselves use to judge whether a lecturer is a ‘good’ teacher? As part...
TL;DR: The authors conducted a descriptive analysis of 824 respondents from 7 university accounting programs to highlight the main learning strategies that failed to work for their sample, mainly for time management, listening, and reading, and attention, concentration, and memorisation management.
Abstract: Study programme withdrawal and student perseverance in post-secondary education are major challenges for post-secondary institutions, especially in view of the increasing difficulty of retaining the student clientele during the first year of university studies. To analyse the challenges students face in terms of learning strategies, we asked students to identify the cognitive and self-regulatory strategies that they would like to enhance in order to succeed in their education. We conduct a descriptive analysis of 824 respondents from 7 university accounting programmes to highlight the main learning strategies that failed to work for our sample, mainly for time management, listening, and reading, and attention, concentration, and memorisation management. The students report that they are unable to effectively manage their time (balance family, work, and studies) or estimate the time they need to devote to their studies. They mention being unaware of strategies for easily retaining the information t...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a questionnaire designed specifically to evaluate taught postgraduate (TPg) awards for quality assurance or enhancement purposes. But they do not discuss the role of curriculum design.
Abstract: There is a need for a questionnaire designed specifically to evaluate taught postgraduate (TPg) awards for quality assurance or enhancement purposes. Comparison of undergraduate and TPg awards suggests that as the former have broadened their ambit to better nurture generic graduate attributes, TPg awards have concentrated on advanced specialised knowledge and skills. Those enrolling in TPg programmes are often mature part-time students working in a field associated with the subject studied. A set of interviews with TPg students revealed that they had clear expectations of the knowledge and skills they were expected to acquire from their studies and were able to comment critically on curriculum design. This made it clear that instruments designed for undergraduate degrees would not be suitable. Therefore, a TPg questionnaire was designed based on a model derived from a qualitative study, which adopted a grounded theory approach to collect views from 21 part-time TPg students from seven programmes offered b...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe a statewide initiative to implement a training model for educators and parents of children with disabilities in more than 90 public school districts and 20 higher education institutions.
Abstract: This manuscript describes a statewide initiative to implement a training model for educators and parents of children with disabilities in more than 90 public school districts and 20 higher education institutions. The proposed model was designed to facilitate positive changes among families, teachers and administrators by increasing their knowledge, improving their attitudes and dispositions, and improving their ability to develop effective partnerships. Through this statewide initiative, teachers and families will be trained together in learning communities whose members share a vision and a mission to serve children with disabilities and improve student outcomes. This article describes (a) the theoretical and research basis that provides the foundation of this training model, (b) the core components of the training model, and (c) the procedures for implementing the model throughout the state.
TL;DR: This article used Chinese MBA students to validate the expanded reflective learning continuum and address the concerns raised in this regard in business education, and determine whether the reflective learning concept holds true in a non-western culture and whether reflective learning remains a powerful force in MBA students' learning outcomes in China.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was twofold: (1) to use Chinese MBA students to validate the expanded reflective learning continuum and address the concerns raised in this regard in business education; (2) to determine whether the continuum concept holds true in a non-western culture and whether the reflective learning continuum remains a powerful force in MBA students’ learning outcomes in China. A total of 232 MBA students in China completed a three-page questionnaire that included all question items set out in the work of Peltier, Hay, and Drago. The translation/back-translation technique was employed in order to achieve a semantic, conceptual and normative equivalent relative to the original English version. The results yielded by this study and its predecessors suggest that (1) reflective learning is a multi-dimensional concept in nature, and (2) the reflective learning continuum could take on a similar picture across various social and cultural contexts. This study extends the work of Peltier et al. on re...
TL;DR: In this paper, an instructor and education reference librarian at a public, four-year research university infused an urban planning course with reflective writing exercises to increase students' perceived writing abilities and active thinking via increased immediacy, frequency of writing and active learning.
Abstract: Writing is an important teaching and learning tool that fosters active and critical thinking. There are multiple pressures for disciplines outside the humanities and social sciences to integrate writing in their courses. The shift from teaching solely discipline-specific skills to including writing in a meaningful way can be a daunting process. An instructor and education reference librarian at a public, four-year research university infused an urban planning course with reflective writing exercises. The collaboration proved effective in increasing students’ perceived writing abilities and active thinking via increased immediacy, frequency of writing and active learning.
TL;DR: In this article, a new classification of self-assessment models is presented and theories of power and student voice are utilised to build on the limited existing literature that examines issues of power in selfassessment.
Abstract: Many twenty-first century educational discourses focus on including and empowering independent learners. Within the context of five self-assessment models, this article evaluates how these practices relate to the realities of student involvement, empowerment and voice. A proposed new classification of these self-assessment models is presented and theories of power and student voice are utilised to build on the limited existing literature that examines issues of power in self-assessment. The results of the evaluations show that the standard self-assessment model, which has been the default model since the 1930s, is the least empowering for students and also detrimental to producing a dialogic forum with tutors. The other models are far more conducive to permitting a shared understanding of assessment protocols, processes and products and therefore potentially lead to more equitable and transparent assessment communities. The value of this study is that it helps to clarify the possible implications and impa...