Formative Assessment in Research Degrees

Formative assessment (i.e. assessing a student's work and providing feedback to assist learning, without necessarily contributing to the overall grade) is an important part of any university course, including that for a higher degree. The significance of this form of support is evident in a research degree programme, for the process (the development of a researcher) is intertwined with the product (the thesis). Although higher degree students are expected to work independently, one of the roles of a supervisor is to provide appropriate support for their research students. Support through feedback should ideally be provided at all stages in the life of a budding researcher, from the formulation of a research proposal to the final version of a thesis.

Generally academics do nurture their students' research skills during the course of projects, particularly if the research students are carrying out parts of large projects which the supervisors themselves are working on. Students in a team could learn skills in research such as data collection by explicit instruction from their supervisors, and by observation of other university staff involved in the project. These students could be in daily contact with their supervisors. Supervisors in such situations often have weekly assessments of their students' progress. However, what sort of support do supervisors provide during the thesis writing process? How much should theses be assessed formatively, given that UWA requires a higher degree student to declare 'that the thesis or work is the candidate's own composition' (General Reg. 31)?

Since the thesis is the ultimate decider in awarding a higher degree based on research, the process of learning to write a thesis is an important part of a research student's development. For most research students, writing a thesis is like travelling through uncharted waters and they may need timely directions. This does not mean that the supervisors have to 'spoon-feed' their students. Many supervisors ask probing questions so that the student realises weaknesses in an argument. This is not unlike academics posing challenging questions to one another. Feedback on writing conventions in one chapter could be expected to improve the quality of future chapters. Formative thesis assessment may save both the supervisor's and student's time, for it could reduce the number of revisions and minimise the situations where the supervisor feels they are writing the student's thesis for them.

The pressures from external funding bodies is apparently inducing academics in the U.K. to find an 'appropriate balance between organizing the PhD for students and watching them sink or swim on their own' (Delamont, Atkinson & Parry, 1997, p. 36). Since the situation in Australia is similar to that in the U.K., how might more formative assessments help to achieve the balance?

• Delamont, S., Atkinson, P. & Parry, O. (1997). Supervising the PhD - A guide to success. Buckingham, U.K.: SHRE & Open University.
• General Regulation for Academic Courses, number 31 <http://www.publishing.uwa.edu.au/handbooks/Interfaculty/requirementsforhigherdegrees.html>