Introduction of a non-traditional assessment method into a 2nd year undergraduate geography module

Assessment of student learning is an integral part of the educational system and the development of technology offers the potential to design a range of non-traditional methods of assessment. It is necessary to review the introduction of new methods of assessment to determine if they can help promote student learning. This case study developed when a non-traditional method of assessment was required to help students engage with meteorological/weather conditions. The visual has always been part of the teaching of Geography and this study shows how it can also be used in the assessment of student learning. The literature review considers research into the role of assessment in education and the tools and practices that are employed to engage and motivate students. Research into student and staff perceptions of assessment methods are evaluated. The assignment created involves students using observational skills, fieldwork, digital imagery and a Blog. The Blog is used as the assignment submission platform which is a novel application of the technology. The study analyses data gathered from a cohort of students and lecturers on their perceptions of non-traditional assessment practices. It is a small study consisting of data gathered from 59 of a class of 104 second year undergraduate students enrolled in a meteorology module and 13 academic staff members of a Geography Department. The study found that both students and staff were in favour of using digital tools in assignments. It revealed that students’ digital literacy cannot be taken for granted. It discovered that this non-traditional method of assessment helped promote learning, assessed the students’ understanding of the theory and their ability to correlate the weather processes with the digital image they had captured. It also established that both staff and students believed that doing peer reviews stimulates learning. Furthermore, the study highlights conditions that may encourage students to participate in the peer review process.