Abstract

Assessment is a fundamental part of teaching and learning. According to the GAISE Guidelines (Carver, et al., 2016), “Assessments need to focus on understanding key ideas, and not just on skills, procedures, and computer answers.” (p. 21). In today’s world, with advances in artificial intelligence, assessment practices need to adapt in order to maintain relevance and credibility.

Our introductory statistical literacy course is designed to prepare everyone, regardless of their statistical background, to develop the skills to be critical consumers of statistical information. Our definition of statistical literacy is based on Gal’s framework (Gal, 2002), with Gal’s knowledge elements augmented to include heuristics and fallacies to highlight the need for a willingness to challenge prior beliefs (Budgett & Pfannkuch, 2010).

One of the course’s learning outcomes is that, by the end of the course, students will be able to critically evaluate a statistically based study and communicate and justify judgment on the study. The first course assignment, in which students are presented with a journal article or technical report, together with a related news media article, is designed to assess this learning outcome. An evaluation of the journal article or technical report is supported by guidelines and worry questions (Utts, 2015). Students are then required to provide a reasoned judgment on the study, based on a synthesis of the information obtained from their analysis. Having critically evaluated the study, students then determine whether the claims made in the news media article are justified. While many students genuinely engage in the assessment, we are aware that some rely heavily on AI tools to create their evaluation and subsequent judgment. Indeed, some of our markers, themselves students undertaking assessments in other courses, have been frustrated by some of the submissions they have marked.

We recently introduced an interactive oral assessment (IOA) in the course. The IOA was designed around an authentic scenario and provided students with the opportunity to develop their communication skills. Not only do IOAs help to preserve academic integrity, they also provide authenticity and can prepare students for their professional life beyond university (Sotiriadou et al., 2020). In this talk, we will discuss our experiences, including the practicalities of the process and lessons learned along the way. We will also share student feedback.

References
Budgett, S., & Pfannkuch, M. (2010). Assessing students' statistical literacy. In P. Bidgood, N. Hunt, & F. Jolliffe (Eds.), Assessment methods in statistical education: An international perspective (pp. 103-121). Wiley.
Carver, R., Everson, M., Gabrosek, J., Horton, N., Lock, R., Mocko, M., Rossman, A., Holmes, G., Belleman, P., Witmer, J., & Wood, B. (2016). Guidelines for Assessment and Instruction in Statistics Education (GAISE) College Report.
Gal, I. (2002). Adults' statistical literacy: Meanings, components, responsibility. International Statistical Review, 70(1), 1-51.
Sotiriadou, P., Logan, D., Daly, A., & Guest, R. (2020). The role of authentic assessment to preserve academic integrity and promote skill development and employability. Studies in Higher Education, 45(11), 2132-2148.