Quality Enhancement projects
Assessment Criteria Initiative
Results from the National Student Survey indicate that assessment and feedback are key areas of concern for Loughborough University students. Specifically, students have commented on:
- lack of clear assessment criteria causing uncertainty about what is required when presenting work for assessment
- limited constructive feedback indicating areas for improvement.
As part of the reponse to these issues, Programme Quality Team tasked the Quality Enhancement Officers with auditing the assessment criteria* associated with undergraduate dissertation/project modules.
Assessment criteria are invaluable as a means of informing students what they must do in order to demonstrate that they have met the intended learning outcomes for an assessment. The same assessment criteria can also be used to provide structured feedback on student performance.
Teaching Centre staff are pleased to work with Programme Teams, Departments or Schools in reviewing current assessment practice. If you would like support in developing assessment criteria for a specific assessment task (other than dissertations/projects) or if you would like advice about assessment in general, please contact:
Caroline Smith
Quality Enhancement Officer
c.smith3@lboro.ac.uk
Ext. 223720
*The following definition is taken from QAA documentation:
Assessment criteria: Based on the intended learning outcomes for the work being assessed, the knowledge, understanding and skills markers expect a student to display in the assessment task and which are taken into account in marking the work.
QAA (September 2006) Code of practice for the assurance of academic quality and standards in higher education (2nd edition) found online March 09 at
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Pages/Code-of-practice-Section-6.aspx
Enhancing Student Engagement
Project report submitted
The final report on a University-wide Quality Enhancement project examining the issue of student engagement was submitted to Programme Quality Team on 8 March 2010, with various recommendations from that report either being currently implemented or being used to inform strategic considerations.
Working closely with students (in particular their Loughborough University Students' Union representatives), academic departments and support services, this project seeks to improve the collective student learning experience at this institution by involving students ever more deeply in the development of quality processes and in the shaping of institutional policies.
Encompassing two main areas of focus – firstly, student induction and, secondly, student attendance and performance – the main findings and recommendations of this study, as well as related resources, are now available on Learn at http://learn.lboro.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=4555; they centre on: (1) induction; (2) personal tutoring; (3) students and student representation; (4) peer support; and (5) learning and teaching community.
Various outputs have been made available to staff and students during the course of this project, and the process of mainstreaming these resources continues; for example:
- one output piloted at the beginning of academic year 2009-10 was an Essential Induction Information 2009 leaflet for new undergraduate students – this initiative is in the process of being incorporated into the University’s online and paper induction resources as a series of Frequently Asked Questions to become available from 2010-11 onwards;
- another resource which has been made available to colleagues is the CLEAR: Department/School audit tool which allows Staff-Student Liaison Committees to consider how, as constituent parts of a concerted approach, considerations such as curriculum, learning, environment, affiliation and resources might be used to enhance student engagement.
For further information contact:
Dr Maurice FitzGerald
Quality Enhancement Officer
m.fitzgerald@lboro.ac.uk
Ext. 228379
Online Module Feedback
Overall results of the three online module feedback questionnaire pilots
Following the mixed results of the first 2 pilots operated during Semesters 1and 2 of 2008/9, a more extensive third pilot was run during Semester 1 of 2009/10. The results of this third pilot (reported to Programme Quality Team on 8 March 2010) were:
- 73 modules within 4 departments (Chemistry, Civil & Building, PHIR and English & Drama) utilised an online feedback questionnaire between 27 November 2009 and 22 January 2010
- response rates varied from nil to 55%
- the free text sections of the questionnaire were well used by respondents to offer both positive and negative comments. These comments were sent electronically to Teaching Co-ordinators within 3 days of the questionnaire closing
- with the support of IT colleagues, numerical data (acquired via Learn) was imported into LUSI and therefore available for viewing in the usual way by departments for selected pilot modules
After considering these results (and the results of the previous 2 pilots), Programme Quality Team agreed:
- that electronic questionnaires should not be routinely used for the collection of module feedback at present. The low questionnaire response rates caused significant concern and were the main factor in reaching this decision. In the future, as technology evolves (particularly the use of hand held or mobile devices), electronic submission of questionnaires may be feasible but the low response rates recorded in all 3 pilots would need to be addressed.
- that further discussion was needed about the use of electronic questionnaires in certain circumstances, for example, for distance learners. It was felt that the E Learning Advisory Group meeting in April would be the appropriate forum for these discussions.
The 3 pilots have only been possible with the encouragement of Programme Quality Team, IT Services and the generous and continued support of many staff within the 4 pilot departments.
Caroline Smith
Quality Enhancement Officer
c.smith3@lboro.ac.uk
Ext. 223720
December 2009