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Criteria and Weighting
Guidance Material : A personal view and discussion about criteria and their weighting in different sections of MA education assignments.
Masters Level Assessment Criteria
This is a personal view and the material presented at the Core Day on 13th Feb 2010.
These slides outline the suggested structure of assignments for DPP portfolios, and Action Enquiry/Dissertation reports. They then go on to outline the criteria used for assessment of Masters level work.
Be aware
You should be aware of the assessment criteria before you write assignments for MA level modules.
The controlling document is the QAA for HE level descriptors found in every module guide and here.
You may also need to look at the Mdx 20 point scale. (here).
Evaluation and Analysis
So called "higher order thinking skills" are valued at MA level. See a list here
Weighting
Clearly, some things are valued more than others. My own favourites would be:
- In depth knowledge of the field (ie the literature and practice)
- Critical analysis and evaluation skills.
- Advanced research and scholarship skills
- Development of new perspectives and insights about the field
Different Sections show different criteria
Some sections of your assignment will show different criteria more easily eg
Literature Review :
- In depth knowledge.
- Scholarship (eg Harvard referencing),
- Analysis and evaluation of materials
Methods and procedures :
- Research skills
Report of the Data, Analysis and Discussion
- Evaluation and analysis
- New Insights and perspectives
Weighting
Some criteria are more important than others. My personal view (as of Feb 2010) is that
in depth knowledge of the field of literature and practice, and its critical analysis and evaluation are really important. If you can clearly show new insight and perspective on what is already known then you are approaching the next level- the PhD.
New insights are more than just saying I learned............ (i.e. what practitioners should know). If 100 marks were divided:
Weighting in 100 marks
|
1. In depth knowledge of the field |
6 |
|
2. Communication skills |
2 |
|
3. Advanced Research Skills |
8 |
|
4. Impact on Learners and Schools |
0 |
|
5. Advanced scholarship skills |
8 |
|
6. Insights & new perspectives on key concepts |
20 |
|
7. Effective Practice |
2 |
|
8. Critical Analysis |
10 |
|
9. Critical Evaluation |
10 |
|
10. Creation and Interpretation of knowledge. |
20 |
|
11. Practical problem solving |
2 |
|
12. Decision making and sound judgements |
2 |
|
13. Independence and autonomy. |
4 |
|
14. Self critical |
6 |
|
|
|
This means you can easily spend a lot of time on some sections about practice and impact on schools that may be very valuable on why we do this work, but in the MA assessment they are not highly weighted as assessment criteria. After all we are all practitioners impacting on practice.
It's not that they are not valued. It's that they don't count as much for high quality assignments.
Specific Criteria for Sections of DPP Modules
Specific Criteria and Action Enquiry-Dissertation Assignments
Use this material for self and peer assessment.
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|
Constructing a Professional Autobiography.
Assessment