MicroCPD: The EAT Framework for Enhancing Assessment Feedback Practice

 Summary

The EAT framework provides a research-informed, integrated and holistic approach to assessment feedback. It has evolved from Evans’ extensive research on assessment feedback (Evans, 2013) and use in practice within higher education.

Underpinning Principles of EAT

EAT (Evans, 2016) is underpinned by a Personal Learning Styles Pedagogy (PLSP) approach (Waring & Evans, 2015). It stresses the importance of agency, collaboration, and sensitivity to the needs of the context (discipline; programme, etc.) to support the development of strong student-lecturer partnerships in order to build student self-regulatory capacity in assessment and feedback.

Dimensions of Practice

EAT focuses on three core dimensions of practice, with each having four sub-areas :

•  Assessment Literacy – helping to clarify: what constitutes good; how assessment elements fit together; student entitlement; and the requirements of the discipline.
• Assessment Feedback – providing accessible feedback and early opportunities for students to act on feedback; preparing students for meaningful dialogue / peer engagement; and promoting the development of students’ self-evaluation skills to include self-monitoring/ self-assessment and critical reflection skills.
• Assessment Design – ensuring robust and transparent processes and procedures; QA literacy; promoting meaningful and focused assessment; ensuring access and equal opportunities; and on-going evaluation.

The Tool

EAT provides a practical tool that universities can use across disciplines, and at a variety of levels (individual; discipline; college; university). The three interconnected dimensions and their four areas are presented as a set of twelve decision making cards, with both teacher focused and student focused versions available, as well as key considerations for programme leaders.

Further Reading

Evans, C. (2016) Enhancing assessment feedback practice in higher education: The EAT Framework. University of Southampton 33pp.  Accessed from: https://eatframework.org.uk; https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/417264/

Evans, C. (2013). Making sense of assessment feedback in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 83(1), 70-120. Accessed from  http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.3102/0034654312474350

Evans, C., Kandiko-Howson, C., & Forsythe. A. (2018). Making sense of learning gain in higher education. Higher Education Pedagogies. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23752696.2018.1508360

Waring, M., & Evans, C. (2015). Understanding pedagogy: Developing a critical approach to teaching and learning. Abingdon, Oxford: Routledge.

For details on how to use the Framework, please see the full EAT guide.