This document discusses strategies for assessing psychology students in flexible online programs from a program-level perspective. It notes that most higher education institutions have embraced e-learning and blended learning. Flexible online students particularly focus on assessments. The strategies discussed include: - Constructively aligning program and module learning outcomes to various assessment types like online discussions and final projects. - Developing an assessment matrix to ensure students have sufficient opportunities to achieve program learning outcomes through a variety of assessment types mapped to each module. - Creating an online course and workshops to support assessment writers in developing aligned assessments.

1. Assessing ‘off-campus’
psychology students: Strategic
design and development of
psychology assessments from
a programme-level perspective
Dr James Brunton & Elaine Walsh
Open Education Unit, National Institute for Digital Learning,
Dublin City University

2. Psychology and Flexibility
“Now, more than at any point in our recent
history, there is a compelling economic and
social case for new initiatives to raise
levels of education and skills among
adults in the wider population in Ireland”
(HEA, 2013, p.4)

3. • "Practically all higher education institutions of the sample have
started to embrace e-learning. Most of the surveyed institutions are
using blended learning (91%), integrating e-learning into
conventional teaching, but surprisingly 82% of institutions also
indicate that they offer online learning courses. Less frequent, but
seemingly also on the rise, are other forms of provision such as joint
inter-institutional collaboration and online degree courses. Online
examinations are likely to become more widely used for all students
in all or most disciplines, also for conventionally taught courses.
Besides pedagogical and economic motives, the institutions refer to
a growing need for flexibility of time and place, and better use of
resources, benefiting both residential students and a wider range of
professional and other lifelong learners." (EAU Publications, 2014,
p. 7)

5. Full-time
NUI Maynooth Dublin Business School
NUI Galway Waterford Institute of
Technology Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art
and Design Technology University of
Limerick University College Dublin
University College Cork Trinity College
Dublin Mary Immaculate College,
University of Limerick Dublin City
University (School of Nursing and Human
Sciences) Ulster University
Queens University Belfast

6. Flexible ‘Off-campus’/Online/DE
• Dublin City University (Open
Education)
• (UK) Open University

7. Students focus
on assessment
Flexible Learners
really focus on
assessment

11. Teaching and Learning Model

12. Stakeholders
Stakeholders
Students
Tutors/
Assessments
Monitors
Programme
Team
Assessment
Writers/
Subject
Leaders

13. Constructive alignment – Programme and
Module Learning Outcomes
• Constructive alignment
• Analysis of Programme Learning Outcomes -
Identified skills etc.
• Mapped to assessment type
– Online discussions
– Reflective practice
– Online experiments
– Final year project
– Statistical analysis
– Examinations
• Module assessments mapped to module learning
outcomes

14. Development of the Assessment Matrix
• Programmatic view of assessment
• Ensure sufficient opportunities for students to achieve
PLOs
• Assessment types identified
• Humanities Programme: 30 Modules – flexible routes
with some registration rules
• Psychology Major: 12 Modules – Some flexibility with
more restrictive registration rules
• Mapped the assessment types to each module
• Lists (per module) each assignment type, examination,
assessment weightings
• Created a Moodle-based Humanities Assessment
Writers course, supported by annual workshops

15. Screenshot

16. Humanities
Assessment Writer
Course

17. Links to Accreditation Processes

19. The messy reality

20. Thank You!