Who?
Dr Helen Thompson and Dr Tim Davies, Assistant Professors in Biosciences
What?
A series of workshops originally designed to support students writing a Level 3 capstone literature review were adapted to include active pedagogy, enhance assessment literacy and incorporate generative AI (GAI) skills.
When?
Delivered over two terms as five workshops, with iterative modifications over two years.
Why?
Final-year undergraduates are expected to demonstrate academic independence, critical thinking, and disciplinary expertise. However, many find the assessment criteria opaque and struggle to apply feedback effectively. In our Capstone Literature Review module, we embedded active pedagogical strategies to improve assessment literacy and student confidence, while modelling the ethical use of GAI.
How?
- Flipped Learning with Exemplars: Students pre-mark anonymised exemplar submissions using the same criteria applied to their own work.
- Collaborative Discussion: In workshops, students compare their marks with actual grades and feedback via Padlet, unpacking criteria and academic expectations.
- Generative AI Integration: Students use AI tools to:
- Analyse assessment criteria language and intent
- Simulate peer feedback
- Inner Feedback: Students reflect on discrepancies between their evaluations and actual marks, articulating lessons learned and strategies for improvement. This metacognitive activity encouraged self-regulated learning and deeper engagement with feedback.
Impact
Anonymised surveys indicate increased confidence and preparedness. Grade distribution shifted over two years, with fewer lower-band grades (2:2) and a marginal increase in higher grades, suggesting improved assessment literacy.
Next Steps
We are moving towards assessing the process of writing a literature review, incorporating a reflective dialogue with academic staff post-submission to evidence engagement with the literature research and writing. New iterations of the workshops will support this.