Contributor: Deena Ingham, Loughborough University. D.ingham@lboro.ac.uk
Ingredients: Paper or whiteboards and Pens
Method: Ask every person in the group to draw a mouse (or an elephant) without any further instructions and giving no opportunity for questions. Ask every person to self-assess their own mouse out of a score of 10. Then ask each individual (on tables if a big group or the entire group if a small group) to assess and give feedback to the artist. I then mark them all according to the mouse/elephant which I have on my slide (maybe a computer mouse, a cartoon elephant etc.). We then discuss what was awarded in marks, how subjective this is and how intended learning outcomes support a fair and rigorous assessment. We also look then at how ILOs inform marking and grading criteria. How the feedback is written and received opens opportunities for dialogue.
Special Notes: It works particularly well to introduce the importance of clear instructions in assessment and how feedback can be effective. Staff still talk about their mice helping when they set assessments, or write feedback which they want to be critical and constructive. You can run it without the feedback element if wished or if short of time.
Acknowledgements: I learned this from the ever inventive Dr Lesley Lawrence when she was at Bedfordshire who may have inherited it from someone else
References: Probably are some but none to my knowledge
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
