1. S112 Science: concepts and practice Assessment strategy
Jim Iley and Nick Adams

2. S112 assessment strategy Single component OES TMAs : Exam TMAs 39%
must sit the exam to pass the module!
TMAs :
three formative TMAs (3 × 3% OES);
three summative TMAs (3 × 10% OES)
Exam
based entirely on ‘seen’ material – articles, tables, figures
Low stakes exam – prepare students for Level 2 when it starts to count!
All seen material (except the questions!)
Possibly 2 hr exam with 3 hrs time
Build up of OES prior to exam, to take some of the fear away from a ‘single point of failure’
Formative assessment built up during the study weeks (no dedicated assessment weeks for TMAs in OCAS)

3. S112 assessment strategy Benefits: Disadvantages
ongoing achievement towards passing
stepping stones for progression – develops student resilience
students can miss one or more assignments (even to pass the module without submitting any assignments)
Disadvantages
students can ‘game’ the system and engage with the minimum of assessment (the exam) to pass the module
students may be insufficiently prepared for Level 2

4. Basic approach Phase 1 October 1 2018 – July 2019
Desk research: in-module behaviour (assignments submitted etc) and previous student cohort performance (S111, U116, SDK100 etc) for S112 17J
Desk research: relationship between assessment behaviour and VLE engagement
Survey the 17J S112 student cohort to ascertain what factors drove their study behaviour and engagement with assessments
Survey S112 ALs: what student assessment behaviours did they identify.
Desk research: 18J cohort to confirm (or otherwise) findings from 17J.
Phase 2 July 2019 – September 2019
Desk research: (i) progression from S112 17J to second level modules (ii) outcomes on subsequent L2 modules of the 17J S112 cohort

5. Scholarship questions
Phase 1
analysis of assessment behaviours during S112 17J
What was their understanding of the assessment strategy?
How did that influence their behaviour?
identify how frequent any ‘gaming’ behaviour is
identify any previous module contraindications (SDK100, U116, S111)
Phase 2
How has the S112 assessment strategy impacted student performance at Level 2