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EILA2 Dr Simon Sneddon Senior Lecturer in Law Institutional Teaching Fellow University of Northampton What Works Conference University of York 28 th March 2012 Project funded by: University of Northampton Office of Educational Partnerships & Lifelong Learning
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EILA2 Dr Simon Sneddon Senior Lecturer in Law Institutional Teaching Fellow University of Northampton What Works Conference University of York 28th March 2012 Project funded by: University of Northampton Office of Educational Partnerships & Lifelong Learning University of Northampton Department for Enhanced Learning, Teaching, Achievement and Employability
Background – Scoping Study • Two-part project • Quantitative: based on all LL.B results (yrs 1-3) from 2002-3 to 2006-7. Nine types of assessment in total, 25,000+ assessment included. • Qualitative: based on interviews and focus groups with LL.B students in 2007-8 cohort. • Students split by: • Age (at time of enrolment) • Ethnicity (White / BME) BME students not disaggregated • Gender • Declared Disability
Age (under 21 versus 21 or over) • Numbers: 76% under 21 24% 21 or over • Biggest Difference: Group Work 2.30 (C+/B)* • Smallest Difference: Presentations 0.07 (B/B) • Average Difference: 0.70 (C/C+)
Ethnicity (white versus BME) • Numbers: 61% White • 39% BME* • Biggest Difference: Time Constrained Test 2.20 (C+/C-) • Smallest Difference: Seminar Based 0.02 (D+/D+) • Average Difference: 1.68 (C+/C-)
Gender (male versus female) • Ratio:32% Male 68% Female* • Biggest Difference: Short Answer Test 2.52 (D/C-) • Smallest Difference: Long Assignment 0.10 (C+/C+) • Average Difference: 0.76 (C-/C)
Declared Disability • Numbers: 9% Declared Disability • 91% No Declared Disability • Biggest Difference: Group Work 4.80 (D/B-) • Smallest Difference: Short Assignment 0.20 (C/C) • Average Difference: 0.30 (C/C)
Conclusions from Quantitative Data • Age: • Overall difference is small • Ethnicity: • Biggest gap in 3rd most common assessment type • Significant overall gap needs investigation • At Level 4, this difference was even greater (D+ v C) • Gender: • Overall difference is small • Declared Disability: • Average is lowest difference of all four groups
Intervention • Year 1 (Level 4) Compulsory LLB modules: • Law of Contract • Criminal Law • Legal System • Introduction to UK and EU Constitutional Law • Common assessment strategy adopted from 2008/9: • Time Constrained Assignment (Problem-Question based) • Essay • Formal examination (2 hours)*
EILA2 • Small funding just to look at results for these modules in 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2010/11 • 2,300+ pieces of assessment • Results 1: • 2008/9 No statistically significant difference between white and BME students • 2009/10 Small difference between white and BME students (smaller than pre-intervention) • 2010/11 No statistically significant difference between white and BME students
EILA2 • Small funding just to look at results for these modules in 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2010/11 • 2,300+ pieces of assessment • Results 2: • Overall grade for BME students pre-intervention: C-* • Overall grade for BME students post-intervention: C • Overall grade for White students pre-intervention: C • Overall grade for White students post-intervention: C Better grades means better overall progression
Publications • Crofts, M., & Sneddon, S. T., Equality in Legal Assessment: A Scoping Study, [2009] 3 Web JCLIhttp://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/2009/issue3/crofts3.html • Crofts, M., & Sneddon, S. T., 2009, Equality in Legal Assessment: A Scoping Study, Northampton: University of Northampton Office of Educational Partnerships and Lifelong Learning. Available online at http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/portal/page/portal/AEP/Document%20Store/ED/equality-in-legal-assessment-report11-08(pdf614kb).pdf