‘Giving choice a chance: Assessment optionality in political studies education’ with Jeremy Moulton, University of York

Wednesday 3 December, 1:30pm to 3pm

This practice-sharing webinar will present the results of participatory research with political studies students that explored whether a subject-specific case could be made for the use of assessment optionality in the discipline. The webinar will explore political studies students’ understandings of costs and benefits of assessment optionality and share co-created recommendations for the potential application of the practice, as well as my own experience in introducing assessment optionality to the University of York’s Department of Politics and International Relations for the first time. This webinar will be an expansion of the write-up of my research into optionality that was published earlier this year in PS: Political Science and Politics.

Giving students some degree of choice in how they are assessed, known as assessment optionality, is an innovation in assessment that has gained attention in recent years for its potential for improving inclusivity and engagement in teaching and learning. However, although assessment innovations can be beneficial, the process of changing long-established norms can be difficult. Political studies is a field in which the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning literature has historically noted that there is limited pedagogical innovation. This potential resistance to innovation creates a challenge for those working in the field, with the need for stronger and specific arguments to be developed to justify changes to curricula.

The webinar will therefore explore the case for assessment optionality on political studies courses, making the case that it is a relatively low cost assessment innovation that has the capacity for significant benefits for our students. I would also, in the presentation part of the webinar, address the process of staff-student partnership research and SoTL publication to give a whole-picture view of this SoTL work.