purpose of recognising prior learning etc.) and grading schemes for all stages of assessment should be internally reviewed by a committee such as a programme board before seeking and acting on the advice of the external examiner (where appropriate). A person participating in the review of draft summative assessment tasks should be free of any conflict of interest (actual or potential, real or apparent). This would exclude learners involved in the programme and other persons who may have close ties to learners involved in the programme (e.g. relatives). • Managing continuous assessment When well planned and managed, the assignment of coursework and continuous assessment can impact positively on learning. Otherwise, it can have a negative impact. Continuous assessment regulations (Section 2.2.5) should address issues such as the following: m provision of effective and timely feedback to learners m deadlines for learners m penalties for late submission m the possibility of resubmission m requests for special arrangements on the grounds of mitigating circumstances (for example, in the event of absence or underperformance) m the possibility of examination in lieu of continuous assessment m arrangements for repeating Where necessary, the general continuous assessment regulations should be supplemented by particular regulations for individual programmes or modules. Where continuous assessment is either failed or not attempted, the policy and procedures for dealing with affected learners should be efficient, explicit and made clear to learners (including any legitimate variations for specific programmes and modules). • Assessment of Group Projects See Section 2.2.5. 4.6.2 Retention of Assessment Submissions All assessment submissions should be securely retained for as long as necessary, and always while there is the possibility of appeal. In so far as practical for the intended purpose, this material includes scripts, continuous assessment submissions, dissertations, recordings of performances etc. The intended purpose is to maintain an adequate trace of evidence of the learner’s performance. The retention policy should not prevent students’ work from being returned with feedback, but may require that some of it is collected again at the end of the module. Research theses accepted for higher degrees should be permanently retained in the provider’s library and/or in other suitable libraries. These should normally be made available in hard copy or electronically. 4.7 Commentary on the Functions of Assessors Providers necessarily rely upon the expertise of competent persons in the design of assessment tasks, the assessment itself, and in the grading of learners. Assessors are competent persons who exercise an assessment function on behalf of
will facilitate further learning.’ 5. ‘Feedback may help if we are motivated to improve.’ Hounsell (2003) identified three specific areas for improving feedback to students. These are: 1. ‘More specific criteria and the use of assignment proformas.’ 2. ‘Greater student involvement using self and peer assessment.’ 3. ‘Greater use of collaborative assignments, presentations, posters etc. bringing assessment and feedback into a more public domain.‘ Knight (2002) suggests the feedback needs to be ‘interactive, purposeful, relative to criteria, developmentally useful, understood, timely and appropriate to students’ conceptions’. There may be a trade-off between feedback-delay and feedback-detail (i.e. early feedback based on a cursory analysis may be more effective than delayed feedback based on profound analysis). Formative feedback is any feedback that is relevant to learning needs and which furthers the progress towards attainment of the intended programme learning outcomes. A teacher’s formative feedback is based on his/her inference through assessment of a learner’s learning needs: hence the term formative assessment. Formative assessment: Supports the learner in attaining specified learning outcomes. It does not normally penalise error. ‘Formative assessment is concerned with how judgements about the quality of student responses (performances, pieces, or works) can be used to shape and improve the student’s competence by short-circuiting the randomness and inefficiency of trial and error learning’ (Sadler, 1989).37 Nitko (1996)38 identifies four basic uses to which formative continuous assessment is put: 1. ‘Sizing-up a group.’ 2. ‘Diagnosing individual students’ learning needs.’ 3. ‘Diagnosing the group’s learning needs.’ 4. ‘Planning instruction.’ 37 Sadler, D. R. (1989) Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems Instructional Science, 18 (1989):119-144. (in Harlen W. (2008) Student Assessment and Testing Volume 2 Sage Library of Educational Thought and Practice London: Sage pp3- 28) 38 Nitko, A.J. (1995) Curriculum-based continuous assessment: a framework for concepts procedures and policy Assessment in Education, 2(3), 321-337 (in Harlen W. (2008) Student Assessment and Testing Volume 2 Sage Library of Educational Thought and Practice London: Sage 289-306)
Result Code Result Effect on Number of Exam Attempts Recorded on Broadsheet EXE Exemption(s) Granted Counted as an Attempt Overall EXE – note the number of the exemptions in space provided (boxes) EXE module repeat EXE in module/subject result box to indicate modules passed in previous session Applicable to the overall result – normally further EXE or PASS or FAIL etc. Absent Absent from Examination Counted as an Attempt ABS Fail Fail Counted as an Attempt Fail is only recorded in the overall result when a learner has achieved no exemptions Deferral Deferral of Result(s) A Board of Examiners may, in the case of illness or bereavement, recommend that a final decision on a candidate’s result be deferred to enable the candidate to complete specific outstanding requirements of the course or examination Not Counted as an Attempt DEF in overall result Withdrew Withdrew from Course. The provider normally has evidence stipulated in its procedures that the learner has withdrawn from the programme Counted as an Attempt WDRW Withheld Learner’s Result(s) Withheld Provider to determine – attempt or otherwise WHLD Table 1