1 ARC Assessment Practitioners Group 19/11/10 Reassessment Methods Neil McLaughlin Cook Liverpool Hope University

2 Overview Presentation  Three Scenarios.  Nine Issues raised by the Scenarios.  How Liverpool Hope might tackle the issues. Group Discussion Plenary Session

3 Scenario One Arthur King is studying BA Celtic Mythology. At the end of Year One, his results are: MYT101 Legends 29 [Essay 33; Exam 25] MYT102 Heroes 15 [Essay 20; Exam 10] MYT103 Researching Myths 30 [Group Report 30] MYT104 Death & Rebirth 35 [Practical 35] HEFCE will count him as a “completer”.

4 Issues: Arthur A.Which fails can he redeem by reassessment? B.What reassessment tasks should he be given? C.If he can only be reassessed on some fails, how do we stop him resubmitting the others? D.How can he get feedback, before the resits, on why he failed?

5 Liverpool Hope’s Answers to Arthur’s Issues A.Which fails can he redeem by reassessment?  Those for which he gained 25+ [unlimited number of assessments can be resat, but 0-24 means “fail so poor that a retake with attendance is the only way of redemption”].  SITS markschemes reflect 24/25 threshold. B.What reassessment tasks should he be given?  Normally, same type of task as for initial assessment [eg practical for MYT104], but examiners can set alternatives that assess the same learning outcomes [probably for MYT103].  All reassessment tasks listed in on-line catalogue, published on results day].

6 Liverpool Hope’s Answers to Arthur’s Issues [continued] C. If he can only be reassessed on some fails, how do we stop him resubmitting the others?  Faculty Offices have lists of students per assessment…..  Published results indicate which assessments can be resat [with dates]…..  Coversheets derived from SITS reassessment lines….. D.How can he get feedback on why he failed?  Coursework: “return, with feedback within 4 weeks”.  Exams: variable at present. We are considering:  moving resits from July to September;  returning scripts to students before resits;  feedback page in answer booklets [technique problems via template, plus brief comments];  students to discuss feedback with staff by mid July.

7 Scenario Two Rhiannon Le Fay is studying BA Celtic Mythology. At the end of Year One, her results are: MYT101 Legends 22 [Essay 44; Exam 0–absent] MYT102 Heroes 23 [Essay 0-not sub; Report 46] MYT103 Researching Myths 10 [Group Report 10] MYT104 Death & Rebirth 35 [Practical 35] HEFCE may count her as a “partial completer”.

8 Issues: Rhiannon E.How can you encourage her to attend the exam by 13 months after she started Year One, enabling her to complete the module in HEFCE terms? F.What could you have done to encourage her to attend in the first place? G.For MYT102, how would you know which assessment was the final assessment, and therefore whether Rhiannon had already “completed” the module in HEFCE terms?

9 Liverpool Hope’s Answers to Rhiannon’s Issues E.How can you encourage her to attend the exam by 13 months after she started Year One, enabling her to complete the module in HEFCE terms?  Students are not able to progress until all assessments have been attempted.  HEFCE rules relate to “final” assessments, but our regulation applies to all assessments. [Number of assessments streamlined; last year, we required students to submit final assessment but not others, but this made little pedagogical sense.]  Resits [still] within 13 months! Also, final mop-up in October for students with ongoing mitigating circumstances or for whom non-submission is the only barrier to progression.]  Normally 0-24 means no resit. However, for nonsubmission, students can resit [to enable progression, not to raise marks].  [Challenge of students deliberately submitting almost nothing!]

10 Liverpool Hope’s Answers to Rhiannon’s Issues [continued] F.What could you have done to encourage her to attend in the first place?  Students who do not submit an assessment during the year are interviewed by a Faculty Personal Tutor [rules explained, and the need to submit, even if late, emphasised].  Aggregate mark following resit is capped at 40 or frozen if above 40 G.For MYT102, how would you know which assessment was the final assessment, and therefore whether Rhiannon had already “completed” the module in HEFCE terms?  In principle, all due dates entered to SITS [and included in Board reports].

11 Scenario Three Serket Sphinx is studying MA African Mythology. Her results are: MYTM01 Power of Pyramids 35 [1 st sit 30; resit 35] MYTM02 Creatures 50 [1 st sit 30; resit 50] MYTM03 Dissertation Proposal 55 [1 st attempt] MYTM04 Death & the Afterlife 75 [1 st attempt] MYTM05 Dissertation 60 [1 st attempt] She needs to pass MYTM01 to become eligible for an MA, and the only remaining way to do so would be via a retake with attendance in October. Unfortunately, her Visa will expire in September……

12 Issues: Serket H.How would your Board of Examiners know about the visa expiry date? I.What opportunity, if any, would you offer her to redeem MYTM01?  None [visa dates override your regulations].  Retake with attendance [and support her visa extension request].  A third reassessment opportunity for September [notwithstanding your regulations].  Condone the fail and award the MA anyway [notwithstanding your regulations].

13 Liverpool Hope’s Answers to Serket’s Issue H.How would your Board of Examiners know about the visa expiry date?  Course End Dates & Visa End Dates will be shown on Board reports. I.What opportunity, if any, would you offer her to redeem MYTM01?  Retake with attendance [and support her visa extension request].  Possible, depending on the circumstances.  A third reassessment opportunity for September.  Possible, depending on the circumstances [we already have autumn Board meetings].

14 Group Discussion 1.Identify one or more of issues “A” to “H” that you would like to discuss. 2.For each issue, identify [for sharing in the plenary session]:  similarities & differences between the solutions at your institutions and those at Liverpool Hope;  any good practice in your institutions;  any strategies you have tried that seemed like a good idea but didn’t work in practice!

15 Plenary Session