1. Dr Sarah Alix, Deputy Head of Education (Chelmsford)
Improving NSS scores in the area of assessment and feedback through the review of assessment processes, introduction of a standardisation day, and explicit communication closing the loop with students.
Dr Sarah Alix, Deputy Head of Education (Chelmsford)

2. Issues
Poor NSS performance
Particularly around areas of assessment

3. Assessment Pilot grademark annotation (feedback from students and EEs)
Developed the feedback form suitable for regional colleges
Still issues with inconsistency of feedback

4. Standardisation day Occurs around the day of main hand-in
Everyone in same room, across campus, new staff and regional partners
Input; feedback form, expectations for this, annotation/close marking, different years/gradebands. Processes, EEs.
Then courses work in groups to standardise work
Course leaders then look across modules
‘this has been incredibly useful to ensure that we are all doing the same, can discuss any issues and examine work with module leaders before the ongoing marking, this has been so much better for us and the students’.

5. Close the loop with students
to each student year group outlining strengths in their assignments and quotes from external examiners
Use language of NSS eg EEs commented that marking process were robust
Remind them of 20WD for feedback and this was timely/achieved/better

6. Clear processes
EEs are informed in September of work they will see, when they will receive it etc
Expectations for completion of marking
Time booked/diarised for moderation
Gives clear time – 1 week for EEs to look at work

7. Assessment & feedback
2016
Early Years Playwork and Education 88
Education Studies 80
Education & Childhood 69
Early Childhood Studies/ ECPS 84
Some course improved as much as 30%. Most courses achieved higher than ARU average (79) and HEI average (73). ‘what have you done differently? I can see no inconsistency in marking and feedback across all of the markers on the Undergraduate Major Project, this is really outstanding’

8. Areas still to work on!
Feedback on my work has helped me to clarify things I did not understand
Clarity of processes will support us in the next steps of unpicking the further detail