University culture(s) as a determinant/moderator of innovative assessment practice

Stephen Barr, Glasgow Caledonian University

Within higher education visions of the future are often expressed in innovations in learning, teaching and assessment (L, T & A). These visions are often requested by students, required by national policy-making bodies and sponsored by agencies that are both external and internal to education. Although innovative educational practice might previously have been the haphazard creation of inspired individuals, more recently it has become “guided” and “directed”, in that it is targeted towards specific strategies and outcomes by institutional or government sponsored policies and funding (Hannan and Silver, 2002). Student peer assessment is one example of innovative practice which imbues promise, risk and potentially chaos.

This research has four objectives: first, to survey the use of student peer assessment within the accounting and management disciplines in all Scottish universities, second to consider factors influencing the adoption of student peer assessment in this context; third, to investigate the perceptions of various stakeholders within these institutions regarding attitudes towards promise, risk and chaos in regard to the drivers and inhibitors of innovative practice in peer assessment. Finally the role of university culture in embracing national policy on innovation in L, T & A in each of these universities is explored.

In order to achieve these objectives, the literature with regards to national policy on innovation in L, T & A, organisational culture (in the context of Higher Education) and student peer-assessment is critically evaluated. A comparative analysis will be made between the learning, teaching and assessment strategies of each university. Questionnaires and interviews are used to examine the experiences and perceptions of various stakeholders with regard to peer assessment.

In-depth studies of five universities was undertaken to gauge the significance of the contribution which university culture plays in supporting or impeding student peer support initiatives.

The finding will be of interest to business academics, university management, professional bodies and educational policy makers.