Introducing the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision Staff Development Symposium September 2013 Malcolm MacLean Associate Dean, Quality & Standards

What we’re talking about Principles underpinning the University’s approach to assessment Key issues ◦ agreeing assessment briefs, ◦ marking, second marking and moderation ◦ mitigating circumstances Pressing current issues ◦ breaches of assessment regulations ◦ assessment of disabled students

Principles Underpin UoG assessment Cover key elements of assessment activity Apply to all courses, including collaborative partnership Developed in line with UK Quality Code ◦ Pages/AssessmentPrinciplesandProcedures.aspx Pages/AssessmentPrinciplesandProcedures.aspx Staff ‘interface’ via Student Records on Line ( )

Agreeing assessment briefs All assessment briefs must be peer reviewed and agreed for ◦ Consistency with published module descriptor ◦ Suitability of assessment task ◦ Clarity of assessment instructions New system for Sem 2 modules being developed ◦ Shift from scrutiny process to peer-based developmental process (details to follow)

Marking, second marking and moderation Samples of all assessment tasks are to be second marked and moderated Goal is to ensure that marking is consistent with assessment criteria and that criteria are consistently applied Moderation within modules through second marking process Moderation between modules via external examiners and boards of examiners ges/AssessmentProceduresMarkingBoards.aspx ges/AssessmentProceduresMarkingBoards.aspx

Mitigating circumstances Centrally recorded (via Student Records) and managed MC1: 48 hour extension, no evidence needed, one per year MC2: up to three weeks, via Helpzone, specific criteria must be met, third party evidence required MC3: longer than 3 weeks, via Senior Tutor, criteria less specific, third party evidence More serious cases, affecting a semester or more, decision-making with Mit Circs Review Panel ges/AssessmentAndMitigatingCircumstances.aspx ges/AssessmentAndMitigatingCircumstances.aspx

Breaches of assessment regulations 6 forms of breaches of assessment regs ◦ Plagiarism, unauthorised collusion, fabrication, impersonation, cheating in exams, representation Strong development underpinning ◦ Set range of penalties ◦ Assessment decision, so determined on balance of probabilities If suspect one has occurred, report via Module Tutor to Academic Conduct Officer who will investigate on basis of evidence provided by Module Tutor ◦ Must enter SB grade (suspected breach) entOffencesPrinciples.aspx entOffencesPrinciples.aspx

Assessment of disabled students Managed through Student Services, do not make local arrangements Students must self-declare to Disability Advisers (Student Services) within specified times, with provision of adequate evidence Reasonable adjustments made to assessment arrangements, depending on the form and extent of disability ◦ Adjustments made prior to submission, so there are no adjustments to assessment criteria, e.g., for dyslexic students Adjustments may not be backdated, and there is no retrospective adjustment of assessment arrangements or marks Arrangements for disabled students distinct from mitigating circumstances provisions essmentofDisabledStudentsPrinciples.aspx essmentofDisabledStudentsPrinciples.aspx

Other useful resources Assessment information ◦ Quality and Standards homepage ◦ Student Services ◦