With no single placement output to assess, bioscience students used reflection to evidence learning and personal development during a 35 hour work placement undertaken as part of an employability skills module.
Our challenge / opportunity
Bioscience students in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences had the opportunity to undertake a 35 hour work placement as part of an employability skills module. Each student had a project relating to research, development or communication that they carried out on behalf of the placement provider.
Our solution (approach)
Placement projects were varied and influenced by the needs of the placement provider so there was not a consistent output (e.g. report) to assess. Therefore, there was an opportunity to embed reflection as the assessment for the module. In the first iteration of the module, assessment included:
- Work Placement Plan, structured as SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Timebound) targets
- Oral Presentation and Reflective Report, where students reflected on the SMART targets set out in the Work Placement Plan using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) format.
As reflection was new to this group of students, the Oral Presentation functioned as an opportunity for formative feedback for students on their use of STAR before the final submission of their Reflective Report. Over time, the Oral Presentation was removed and further iterations of the module moved to focus on providing tutorial support where students could come and ask specific questions in advance of submissions. If a student was not able to reach a planned goal, they were encouraged to discuss why it was not achievable and reflect on what they could have done differently to make it so.
Timetabled sessions, including contributions from Careers Service colleagues, supported students in understanding the requirements of the assessment and the assessment rubrics. This included encouraging students to discuss the phrasing of the rubric in pairs and evaluate example reports.
The impact (results)
Although students found aspects of the assessment challenging, overwhelmingly they enjoyed their placements and found the reflection skills learnt during the module useful. We have been told by students long after the module has finished that they are still using the skills they developed and applying this within their graduate employment. Many students have been successful in being appointed into roles that require the use of STAR in selection interviews.
Lessons learned
Here we used SMART targets and STAR-based reflections to encourage students to think deeply about the personal skills and attributes they wanted to develop during a short work placement, and then whether they had achieved that. This example is framed around a work placement but the structure could be applied to other experiences students have as part of their course.
Tips for colleagues
Encourage students to reflect holistically and honestly on their experiences, including the barriers and challenges
We found that many students needed significant support to grasp the concepts of goal setting and reflection. Initially, many students wanted to put a positive spin on their experience. However, we encouraged students to be transparent about obstacles and view adjustments to goals as recalibrations rather than failures. It was challenging to get the message across that an honest appraisal of the situation was more valuable than only drawing out the positives.
Tutorials scaffolded students in exploring qualitative evidence of achievement, expanding their views of what was evidence of success
Many students found it difficult to move away from description into analysis and critical thinking. As these were biosciences students, many had a view of “evidence” as meaning quantitative evidence so introducing the concept of qualitative evidence of success was unfamiliar to some. We worked on getting these messages across by timetabling tutorials to explore the requirements of the assessment and assessment rubric, showing examples and answering questions from students.
Reflection can provide a value assessment option
One of the reasons we chose to assess students’ reflection on their placement was because there was no consistency in placement type or output (for example, some students produced a tangible output, like a report, but others did not). Even amongst similar outputs, variation meant it would have been challenging to mark consistently. But giving students the opportunity to reflect on their development was consistent and developed a different skill set to the rest of their course, and one that had transferable value. Equally, even if all students are tasked to produce a consistent output, reflection can still be used for assessment as their individual process to that output will be personal to them.
Consider alternative names for reflection
Colleagues may wish to consider if “reflection” is the best name for this type of assessment. For example, one of these could be more accessible: “evidence of learning”, “personal learning analysis”, “self-assessment”, “critical review of practice”.
Skills and attributes
Students were able to develop the following attributes:
Education for Life Strategy
This case study reflects the following aims of the Education for Life strategy:
- Equity: To provide a core, universal offer for all students, including tailored provision where needed, to ensure equity of access, experience and in outcomes for all, regardless of background, identity, nationality, location or mode of study.
- Fit for the future: To ensure our students are fit for their future, our teaching is fit for the future of our offer, and our colleagues are fit for the future of HE
Further resources
Reflective practice
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/academic-skills-kit/study-skills/independent-learning/reflective-practice/
STAR format
Authors
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Dr Alison Graham Senior Lecturer in Medical Sciences Education School of Medicine alison.graham@ncl.ac.uk |