Student partnership in assessment in higher education: a systematic review

Cecilia Ka Yuk CHAN and Siaw Wee CHEN
The University of Hong Kong
This systematic review explores how student partnership is enacted in higher education assessment using a community of practice and liminality of student roles as the conceptual framework. Forty-three empirical studies were analysed. Thematic analysis results show that students adopt the four roles of co-designers, assessors, consultants and decision-makers in assessment partnerships. Such partnership occurs in four major areas of assessment: assessment and feedback design, execution and implementation, quality assurance, and policy establishment. To facilitate an effective partnership, essential knowledge, training and coaching, accuracy and quality check and partnership management are crucial supports from university staff. A framework is proposed to elucidate student partnership in assessment as situated learning in a community of practice.

Source
Chan, C. K. Y., & Chen, S. W. (2023). Student partnership in assessment in higher education: a systematic review. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 1–13. DOI: 10.1080/02602938.2023.2224948

Cross-Institutional Service-Learning in Orthopedics Curriculum in Traditional Chinese Medicine Education: APRS Service-Learning Model

Peter LAU1*, Chun Hoi CHEUNG2*, Feng TU2, Dong Fang HAO1, Kenny Kiu Lam CHUNG3, Judith Hang Tsz WONG2, Angela Tzi San NG4, Shane Sheung Yuen SIU4
1 The University of Hong Kong | 2 Hong Kong Baptist University | 3 The Chinese University of Hong Kong | 4 Northeastern University | * Co-first authors

Previous studies showed that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) students experienced low confidence in using discipline knowledge/skills due to the lack of practicum opportunities in the curriculum under the current TCM law in Hong Kong. In this study, TCM students participated in service-learning in Orthopedics curriculum as partners. Detailed arrangements of the service in this study were self-determined by the student partners. In such a partnership, TCM students were empowered to take control of their learning. They gained additional exposure and authentic experience of working with TCM professionals and communicating with the local social workers and patients. As TCM students made significant decisions on what specific activities (home visits, consultations, or health care education) to hold, how to carry them out, and how frequent and when to execute, they reported a greater sense of control of their learning, as a result of reinforced Autonomous Motivation (Hagger et al., 2014).

Source
Lau, P.*, Cheung, C.H.*, Tu, F., Hao, D.F., Chung, K.K.L., Wong, J.H.T., Ng, A.T.S, & Siu, S.S.Y. (2024). Cross-institutional service-learning in orthopedics curriculum in traditional Chinese medicine education: APRS service-learning model. Journal of Service-Learning in Higher Education. [Link]

Four approaches of starting SaP projects

Peter Lau
Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre, HKU
After analysing 40+ Students as Partners (SaP) projects in Hong Kong local universities, four effective approaches are identified for attracting student partners at the initial stage of SaP engagement. See below brief descriptions:

  • Creating values for actions

    Considering students as co-advocates for universal values (such as equality, SDGs, etc), university staff could invite student partners to discuss how to incorporate those values in a course assessment. For example, in a course on non-discrimination laws, a student-led symposium replaces the traditional presentation assessment setting. In the public symposium, student groups report an analysis of the court cases assigned (such as discrimination in the workplace) and present how they organise a relevant campaign on campus. At the early stage, student partners engage mainly because of the shared values leading to value-based missions. Project ownership is shared equally.

  • A call for innovative ideas

    University staff raises a general problem statement in a field and makes a call for innovative solutions/ideas. For example, in student incubation projects, teachers engage student partners by providing feedback on the proposals and then supporting them to apply for project funds/resources for project development and implementation. In this situation, student partners have more ownership of the project (student-led), while teachers only play supportive or administrative roles.

  • Seeking help or expertise

    University staff reaches a “bottleneck” in their own T&L projects and seeks others’ help. Based on the well-defined project objectives or research questions, students are invited to contribute their expertise, such as student-perceived motivation, workload, etc. If students will, they could join as student partners (with or without payment) to further contribute to project implementation and execution. Teachers take more control at the early stage, i.e., a teacher-led partnership. However, student partners will gain some control if empowerment is given to them in collaboration in later stage, for example, when student partners add new directions for investigation, or take facilitation roles in some project activities.

  • Learning communities

    Given that teachers and students are members of a Community of Practice (CoP) on specific T&L themes, they have equal opportunities to contribute ideas for positive impacts on the existing practice. As student members already demonstrated a sense of commitment to the CoP, teachers can naturally invite them as partners. Compared with the other approaches, this partnership is free from the traditional power relationship and hence more sustainable.
For further information, please contact Dr Peter Lau, Teaching and Learning Innovation Centre, at pfmlau@hku.hk.