Leniency and Halo Bias in Industry-Based Assessments of Student Competencies: A Critical, Sector-Based Analysis

Autor/in	Wolf, Katharina
Titel	Leniency and Halo Bias in Industry-Based Assessments of Student Competencies: A Critical, Sector-Based Analysis
Quelle	In: Higher Education Research and Development, 34 (2015) 5, S.1045-1059 (15 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	0729-4360
DOI	10.1080/07294360.2015.1011096
Schlagwörter	Industry; Experiential Learning; Supervisors; Competence; Business Administration Education; Performance Based Assessment; Small Businesses; Nonprofit Organizations; Grading; Public Relations; Internship Programs; Student Evaluation; Evaluation Methods; Questionnaires; Coding; College Graduates; Student Characteristics; Knowledge Level; Thinking Skills; Communication Skills; Lifelong Learning; Job Skills; Statistical Analysis; Student Placement; Foreign Countries; Likert Scales; Australia + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Industrie; Experiental learning; Erfahrungsorientiertes Lernen; Kompetenz; Leistungsermittlung; Kleingewerbe; Nonprofit-Organisation; Notengebung; Schulnote; Public relation work; Öffentlichkeitsarbeit; Berufspraktische Ausbildung; Studentische Bewertung; Fragebogen; Codierung; Programmierung; Hochschulabsolvent; Hochschulabsolventin; Wissensbasis; Denkfähigkeit; Kommunikationsstil; Life-long learning; Lebenslanges Lernen; Produktive Fertigkeit; Statistische Analyse; Schülerpraktikum; Ausland; Likert-Skala; Australien
Abstract	Industry placements are popular means to provide students with an opportunity to apply their skills, knowledge and experience in a "real world" setting. Within this context, supervisor feedback allows educators to measure students' performance beyond academic objectives, by benchmarking it against industry expectations. However, industry assessments appear to be frequently clouded and overwhelmingly positive by nature, which questions the reliability and validity of supervisors' judgement of competencies. Supervisor bias has been paid much attention within the context of clinical placements, as well as within the domain of social work. However, the concept has been largely ignored within business education, despite the increasing emphasis on--and deep integration of--work-integrated learning in the business curriculum. This paper sets out to address this gap by examining variances in mark distribution and apparent leniency in the context of a final-year, compulsory placement unit, based on observations and data collected over nine semesters (n?=?546). The focus of this study is on gaining an understanding of the reasons behind assessment bias and the pressures placed on industry assessors. The data indicate that different types of placement locations apply dissimilar standards when assessing student performance. The author identifies three statistically different placement types (small business, not-for-profit and professional), which influence the strength and risk of grader bias, hence ultimately the assessment outcome. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01