Abstract:

The role and purpose of assessment is critical to examine, support, guide and enhance students learning experience. Summative assessment is commonly used in the Irish education sector; however, extant literature debates on the types and impact of assessment on students learning experience. Influential educational scholar Grant Wiggins’ ‘authentic assessment’, has generated a movement towards more active, experiential learning pedagogies by integrating and applying students’ knowledge and skills to evaluate real – world contextualising tasks. The aim of this study describes the adoption of a live case project as an alternative pedagogy used in an economics elective module given to undergraduate students. The objective was to pilot a change in the midterm assessment from an exam to a live case project worth 30% of the overall module. The live case project was conducted on the Irish Car Industry in collaboration with an Irish motor dealership. The students were required to analysis current, real macroeconomic problems affecting the performance of the motor dealer. The students completed a site visit to the motor dealership which strengthened their research output.

Primary data was collected and analysed from a questionnaire administered among twenty-one students. A qualitative approach was used to evaluate students' experiences of undertaking a live case project as a method of assessment and students overall learning experience.
The literature drew on the types, role and impact of assessment used in education to facilitate and respond to students learning styles and experience. Bloom’s taxonomy (1956) is an advocate of promoting higher order forms of thinking, by students analysing and applying theory rather than relying on rote learning. Educators have identified the importance of linking theory and practice in education, which students exercised by conducting the project (Granitz 2001; Nofz 1990; Kolb 1984; Schibrowsky and Peltier 1995; Stern and Tseng 2002 as cited in Maher et al. 2005).

The results revealed that student’s decision on choosing an elective module is influenced by the type of assessment. Most participants would undertake a live case project again because students found the project enjoyable, interesting, and practical. The integrative project provided students with real – life interactions between business entities that they would eventually face upon entry into the workforce. The findings provided evidence that the live case extended student’s business knowledge, deepens their learning experience, equip students with a wide range of transferable skills and competencies. Therefore, educators should continue to investigate ways of introducing authentic assessments such as live case projects into disciplines to enhance students overall learning experience and enlighten student minds through education.

References:
[1] Bloom B., Engelhart D., Furst J., Hill H., Krathwohl R. (1956). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Handbook I: Cognitive domain. New York: David McKay Company.
[2] Maher J., Morris R. (2005) ‘Experiential Marketing Projects: Student perceptions of live case and simulation methods’, Journal for Advancement of Marketing Education, 7(1), pp1-10.
[3] Wiggins G. (1989) "A True Test: Toward More Authentic and Equitable Assessment," Phi Delta Kappan International, 70(9), pp. 703-713.
[4] Wiggins G. (1990). The case for Authentic Assessment. Practical Assessment, Research &Evaluation, 2(2).

Keywords:

Student learning, assessment, live case project, pedagogy.