1. FROM EMPLOYABILITY TO INCLUSIVITY Dr Errietta Bissa School of Classics University of Wales Trinity Saint David Inclusive Assessment In Practice Conference Plymouth, November 2014

2. UWTSD Classics Employability-Centred Curriculum Aims of the Project 1. Provide students with a set of skills that make them more employable in the long-run. 2. Make these skills part of the curriculum. 3. Preserve (and increase) student satisfaction rates. Method 1. Identify key skills wanted by employers but not as yet covered in the curriculum 2. Embed these are part of assessment in existing subject-specific modules. 3. Pilot in 2009/10. 4. Has been continuing until now.

3. Types of assessment introduced Skills Present ations Group Work Websites and pages Alternati ve Essays Take- home exams Portfoli os Take-home exam: Students receive the examination paper at 9.15am and have to return a completed essay by 3pm on the same day. Aim: Recreate work-place pressure to complete assignment within a business day Alternative Essays: -Reflective Journals -Reflective Reports -Reflective Essays -Reply to Articles -Reply to other student’s argument

4. Student Satisfaction in modules with employability-specific assessments

5. Students’ Recognition of Employability Enhancement 2009/102012/13

6. Effect on the curriculum Before the Project (2008/9) All non-language modules (except the dissertation): 50% Traditional Essay 50% Traditional timed unseen exam Today Across the curriculum as per Validation 2014: 72% by coursework 49% by non-traditional assessments 28% by examination (including take-home exams) Modules Running 2014/15 24 non-language modules across levels 4-6 31.6% traditional essay assessments 16.3% traditional exam assessments 51.7% non-traditional assessments

7. OK... WHAT ABOUT INCLUSIVITY? Graduate Cohort 2014 Started 2 years into the Project (2011) Graduated in July 2014 Studied during the cascading of non-traditional assessments, but before high point of cascading in Validation 2014. We will concentrate on students with SpLD and medical conditions requiring study support

8. Students needing support (SN): Individual module statistics Loss in exam vs. essay (average) Loss in take-home exam (average) Loss in individual work vs. group work (average) Loss in written work vs. oral (average) Mark loss for students needing support -3.4-1.3-2.66-4.5 Mark loss for students without support needs -2.5-1.6-0.2+1 (i.e. Students do BETTER in written than in oral) Meaning for SN student Essays better than exams Take-home exam better than traditional exam Group work better than individual Oral better than written Meaning for non-SN student Essays better than exams Take-home exam better than traditional Group marginally better than individual Written better than oral

9. Focussing on the individual SN student Using a sample of 17 students with SN that graduated in 2014. Module choice means different overall assessment patterns. Having a greater variety of assessments (rather than the old essay + exam pattern) means: average GAIN 1.99 marks. 76.4% of students gained marks overall, ranging from +0.9 to +6.6 23.7% of students lost marks overall, ranging from -0.2 to -1.5 Loss meant change of degree classification for 0 students. Gain meant change of degree classification for 23.5% of students.

10. What if.... IF... the percentage of assessments were equal, then SN students would GAIN on average 0.4 marks. Thus, no change in classification. They would GAIN 4.4 marks against the traditional essay + exam pattern. So, 23.5% would gain a class. IF... students could choose their assessment pattern to reflect their “best” assessment types (but still doing other assessments to improve their skills), then SN students would GAIN on average 3 marks. So, 29% would gain a class. They would GAIN 5 marks against the traditional essay + exam pattern. So, 47% would gain a class. For 70% of students their “best” assessment types could be predicted from their first-year work...

11. THANK YOU Questions?