Neil

Academic colleague said that stressing students is a good thing to develop their resilience (in the context of making them do exams). Really?! Is anyone aware of evidence that shows stress builds resilience? Rather than the other direction of resilience helps cope with stress.

My top 10 from semi no2

Pleased to share the new episode of the L&T Chat Show podcast is about #compassionate #assessment, compassion in teaching and an invitation to join some research, with @ncurrant , @i_am_vikkic and @lizbunting . Massive thanks to Roger Saunders! open.spotify.com/episode/315nFs…

@sumingkhoo @santanuvasant @LTHEchat I like that: peaceful non-cooperation. I think that is going to enter my lexicon.

@ncurrant @santanuvasant @LTHEchat Peaceful noncooperation? I have been guilty of going along with stupid and bad policies and practices that I disagree with for years. Now I try to practice harm reduction as much as possible

Q4. What examples of assessment policies or practices are you aware of that are compassionate? #LTHEChat (photo from Unsplash)

@LTHEchat #lthechat thanks everyone. Super interesting to read all the responses. It is moments like this that can bring hope.

@sumingkhoo @benrjen @santanuvasant @LTHEchat I won't say what I did to circumvent the rules but if you make stupid policies expect them to be undermined.

@benrjen @ncurrant @santanuvasant @LTHEchat Yeah, if they care that much

@i_am_vikkic @SarahWolfenden @LTHEchat Thankfully, I don't think I have had to sit an exam in nearly 30 years! I generally did well at exams but still...who needs that kind of stress and anxiety.

@ncurrant @SarahWolfenden @LTHEchat I had to sit one for a CertHE in International Relations about 10 years ago. It was an awful experience and I felt so sad that I wasn't able to demonstrate my interest areas or personal research because of the question. It was about the Cold War....🫤

Q5. How could we make assessment policies or practices more compassionate? #LTHEChat

@Danceswithcloud Yes, I feel like half my work is of the 'we need to do something now to be seen to be doing something' variety.

#LTHEchat A6 We need to remove the busy-work tasks that staff now have to do; we need to value pedagogy & make space for developing/exploring/playing with it; we need a slower & more thoughtful academia not strategies, polcies, targets that overwhelm & make us feel failures

@sumingkhoo @santanuvasant @LTHEchat I have just been asked to doc students 5 marks if they fail to put the word count on an assessment!! I won't name the uni. But it is a new word count policy that has been introduced.

@santanuvasant @LTHEchat Just no capping ever. Why is capping? For petes sake.

@i_am_vikkic @SarahWolfenden @LTHEchat Coming from a science background, I am equally baffled by exams!

@SarahWolfenden @LTHEchat Coming from an art and design background, I find the whole concept of exams very difficult to understand! Unless you have to be able to recall information in those conditions in the career context, then I struggle to the benefits. #LTHEChat

@PenarthKate @LTHEchat Yes please!!!

Q6. What help do we as individuals and the sector more broadly need to support compassionate assessment? #LTHEChat  

@mirena07 @LTHEchat I think policies can often stem from a lack of trust in academics to do the 'right thing'.

A5 We’ve moved way beyond the point where tinkering with the system will work. There come’s a point with any design where you’ve just got to stop, admit it’s not working, and start again. #lthechat

@EmmaKEdDev Or even celebrate / encourage failure. What do we mean by failure? How can students fail with no onward consequences?

A5 Also really think through the experience of failure, hear from students who've failed. What was it like to hear the news, how did they hear it, what support is available, were they informed about their options? #LTHEChat

@DrPaulKleiman Exactly, I love it when I learn something from student's work that I didn't already know.

A4 Some of the most personally rewarding examples have been when talking with a student about their work, finding out things I didn’t know, being genuinely surprised and excited. ‘Assessment’ is not about ‘excellence’ it’s about a sense of wonder. #lthechat

A4 loving the examples of compassionate assessment practices and policies #lthechat

@Nasir_phd Which makes me think that we need assessment to focus more on surfacing the process and not being a product. I had a student submit a digital collage last week. It really showed her process so well.

A3 #LTHEChat Recognition of effort whatever it is and sense of critical holding up. This means rigorous judgement but with future oriented support but also thinking about Affective reception side of the feedback

@sumingkhoo @LTHEchat Isn't that some sort of heresy in the modern neo-liberal university?

@LTHEchat A2 to realise that assessment isn't everything. Other things are also important

Q2. Why do you think we need (or don’t need) more compassionate assessment practices and policies? #LTHEChat

@_PXavier @LTHEchat Yes, I think challenging the assumptions of the whole assessment system is needed, especially post-pandemic and with gen AI.

@LTHEchat A3 self-awareness and reflection, a commitment to challenging your own assumptions. Which is a super tough thing to assess about yourself, the work on it is never really done #LTHEchat

Q3. What principles should underpin compassionate assessment? #LTHEChat

@Puiyin @Judith_ekn @LTHEchat I am starting to think compassionate assessment is a layer that can help rethink all sorts of assessment practices: authentic, inclusive, assessment for social justice etc.