Assessment planning and assignment writing for the Access to HE Diploma

1. Assessment planning and assignment writing for the Access to HE Diploma

2. Aim • to provide key guidance on assessment practice and translate this into writing assignments

3. Topics • Key aspects of assessment planning • Diploma assessment strategy • Diploma assessment plans • Unit assessment plans • Grade descriptors • Translation of the above into assignments

4. Key documents • Access-Grading-Scheme Handbook Index 2013.pdf • Guide to the Assessment and Grading of the QAA Access to HE Diploma

5. Key points on assessment • There is a 'lifecycle' to the assessment process - emphasising that designing assessment comes first rather than last. • Providers ensure that everyone involved in the assessment of students is competent to undertake their roles and responsibilities. • Providers develop and implement principles and procedures for assessment that are explicit, valid and reliable.

6. Definition of assessment • One Awards - Assessment is the consideration of evidence in order to make a judgement about what learning has taken place and the standard of student achievement

7. Types of assessment • Formative assessment has a developmental purpose and is designed to help learners learn more effectively by giving them feedback on their performance and on how it can be improved and/or maintained. • Summative assessment is used to indicate the extent of a learner's success in meeting the assessment criteria used to gauge the assessment criteria of a unit.

8. Key quality criteria • Validity • Reliability • Consistency • Fitness for purpose • Inclusivity • Authenticity • Currency

9. Diploma assessment strategy Provides consistency of approach in each diploma and underpins the diploma and unit assessment plans. • how to develop academic knowledge and skills required in preparation for their HE courses • how to respond to different types of learning • any differences in approach related to the level being assessed • how to ensure authenticity of the student’s assessed work • policy on draft assignments • numerical grade boundaries for merit and distinction • criteria for differentiating merit and distinction in GD7. • policy on managing extensions, late submissions, resubmissions and referrals

10. Diploma assessment plans • The need to build an overall assessment strategy into the design of a programme or unit cannot be too strongly emphasised. Form AP1 - Diploma Assessment Plan Template Example of Diploma Assessment Plan - AP1

11. Unit assessment plan • Does the assessment process enable learners to demonstrate achievement of all the intended learning outcomes/assessment criteria? • Are there criteria that enable internal and external examiners to distinguish between different categories of achievement i.e. pass, merit and distinction? • Does the assessment strategy have an adequate formative function in developing student abilities? Form AP2 - Unit Assessment Plan Template Example of a Unit Assessment Plan - AP2

12. Unit assessment plan (2) In practice this is where you state, for each assignment, • Which LOs are going to be assessed • Which grade descriptors and components are going to be graded • What assessment methods you will • What evidence you will expect from the students. You could also include hand out and hand in dates for example.

13. Unit assessment plan (3) There are no hard and fast rules but • A 9 credit unit would typically be assessed with three assignments. • Each student response would be approximately 1500-2000 words or equivalent.

14. Choosing the method of assessment. The 'traditional' vehicles for the assessment of students' achievement have been essays and examinations, with practical examinations in areas such as the sciences. However, a much greater range of assessment modes is now being employed. Guide to the Assessment and Grading of the QAA Access to HE Diploma

15. Assignment brief • It is strongly recommended that the One Awards assignment brief template is used. • It must be clear to students what they have to do, how it will be assessed and how grades can be achieved (if appropriate). • Form AP3 - Assignment Brief Template • Examples of Assignment Briefs - AP3

16. The following information must be included in all assignment briefs. • Access Diploma title • Unit title and code • Assignment title (and number if used) • Assignment briefing (assessment task information) including word count and format expected e.g. essay, report etc. • Assignment hand out date • Assignment hand in date • Drafts permitted (One Awards Drafts Policy) • Mapping to unit (Learning outcomes and assessment criteria) • Grading information i.e. grade descriptors for the assignment, wording of the chosen components and any additional guidance. • Section for declaration by student (confirming authenticity)

17. Assessment task information • This must be specifically written to meet the assessment criteria and QAA grading system and not be recycled from other sources. • In other words, the task information and hence the tasks, should be “valid”. • Each task, should therefore, be linked in writing to a learning outcome or assessment criteria.

18. Validity Verbs used in the assessment criteria of unit specifications:-

19. Information given to students • do not give the assessment criteria as tasks, they are not assessment activities. • to show learning, the assessment criteria should be incorporated into tasks with a context appropriate for the unit • the link though, between the tasks and the requirements of the assessment criteria e.g. analyse, evaluate etc. must be maintained.

20. Grade descriptors (GDs) • Only those GDs assigned to the unit can be used (see the relevant One Awards approved unit specification document) • All of the assigned GDs for the unit must be used in the assessment process and, therefore, appear in the unit plan. • At least two GDs, including GD 7, must be used in each assignment i.e. GD7 must be used in each assignment . • The same GD may be used for more than one assignment in a unit. • Different components for a GD can be used in different assignments. http://www.oneawards.org.uk/access-to-he/ahe-faqs/how-is-the-access-to-he-diploma-graded-15/

21. Using GDs Tutors must ensure that:- • Students can be rewarded for performance which exceeds the standard required for a pass. • The components used are appropriate to the content and format of the assignment. • The selection of components can allow varied and developmental grading judgements to be made during the assessment cycle.

22. Example: GD 7 : Quality • Is structured in a way that is generally /consistently logical and fluent. • Puts forward arguments or ideas which are generally/consistently unambiguous and cogent. (modified) • Taken as whole demonstrates a very good/excellent response to the demands of the brief/assignment.

23. Numerical marking • Numerical marking can only be used for grade descriptors 1 and 3. • The marks allocated in the tasks must be specifically linked to the assessment criteria. • Marking which is not linked to the assessment criteria is not acceptable, as the students will not know for what the marks are being allocated. • All assignments must include grade descriptor 7, which cannot be numerically marked. No assignment, therefore, will be graded exclusively by numerical criteria.

24. Numerical marking continued • Numerical grade boundaries for merit and distinction must be clearly stated on the assignment brief (these should be agreed as part of the diploma startegy). • A Pass is always awarded for the achievement of the assessment criteria, only merit and distinction grades are determined by numerical marking.

25. Summary • Assessment planning – working as a team. • Diploma assessment strategy- key decisions affecting all units • Diploma assessment plans – a students eye view of the diploma assessment profile • Unit assessment plans – translating the diploma plan into the assessment of each unit • Assignment briefs – translating the unit plan into individual assessments.