SEED projects 2019 – A new Canvas for teaching and learning

Peer-marked presentations in large-scale classes

Drs Padraic Bartlett and Nicolette Rattenbury (Faculty of Science)

Our project introduced peer reviewed video presentations as an assessment for Maths 108, our department’s largest course with an enrolment of nearly 2000 students. We added an assessment in which students used Canvas to make a video recording in which they solve mathematical problems. These recordings were then distributed via Canvas to their peers, who assessed the videos for clarity and mathematical accuracy. This process has given us a way of gaining many of the benefits of student-run presentations, but within a large-scale class and at a relatively small cost in terms of class/staff resources.

On end-of-semester surveys, students reacted positively to the assessment, saying things like “It helps us to improve our communication skills,” “I liked that we got to see how other people solve the problems” and “I liked how explaining the answer ensured that you yourself understood it to the full depth.” Quantitative surveys found that over 80% of respondents believed the assessment helped them prepare for their test and exam.

Estimated number of staff/students affected: Directly, about 10 staff (the teaching teams involved with 108 this year) and 1,700 students (the students enrolled in 108 this year.) Indirectly, the number is larger: because 108’s students come from a remarkably diverse array of disciplines across the University, any change in assessment here will affect the cohorts of a number of different majors (and thus, one would hope, the staff teaching their other papers, as well as the classmates of these students.)