june 2008 sacwg self-help and institutional research the student assessment and classification...
TRANSCRIPT
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
The Student Assessment and Classification Working Group
Marie Stowell and Harvey Woolf
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
Context
What we’ve done –
SACWG’s research
SACWG’s sustainability
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
Context
• Who we areAcademics and administrators with professional and personal interest in assessment
• Chance beginning1994 prompted by a conference paper on comparative student performance across subjects
• Targeted ‘membership’ Involvement in modular schemes with access to data
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG’s Research
• Subject and institutional marking practices
• Undergraduate degree classification
• Undergraduate and postgraduate regulatory frameworks
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
Subject and institutional marking practices
• Subject variations in mark distributions
• Use of percentage versus grading marking scales
• Grade inflation and assessment strategies
• Learning outcomes and assessment criteria
• Summative assessment methods
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
Undergraduate degree classification
• Inter-institutional variations in award algorithms and impact on degree class
• Subject and institutional variations in degree class awarded
• Impact of discounting some module marks in calculating degree class
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
Undergraduate and postgraduate regulatory frameworks
• Complexity, variety and inconsistency of classification assessment regulations
• Rules for dealing with ‘weak’ and ‘failed’ student performance
• Structure and differentiation in postgraduate awards
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG’s research themes
• Benchmarking assessment practices• Mining datasets• Problematising academic standards and
‘graduateness’• Variability versus equitability
Our current work on assessment of Work-based Learning reflects these themes
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG’s research methodologies
• Comparative statistical analysis of institutional
data-sets• Analysis of institutional
regulatory frameworks and assessment documents
• Small-scale surveys
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG is sustainable because we have…
• Continuity of membership BUT frequent renewal
• Members who can access institutional data
• A mix of skills, expertise, experience: administrators, academic managers,
researchers, writers
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG is sustainable because we have…
• Remained informal – e.g., no constitution, standing orders, committee, decisions by consensus
• Low cost administration – sharing of tasks, e.g., note taking; accommodating personal assistants
• Some external income is available
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG is sustainable because we…
• Work across institutions• Focus on issues
- of continuing practical and academic interest for members and their institutions - of current concern
• Explore largely uncharted areas• Have specific outcomes
- publications - annual national workshops
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG is sustainable because…
National workshops• have confirmed that the
work is of value to the sector
• have provided an external and public forum for SACWG’s work
• generate a small surplus
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
SACWG is sustainable because…
Projects are- Circumscribed- Feasible- SMART- Of significance for institutions and the
sector
June 2008 SACWG
Self-help and Institutional Research
David Turner’s summary
Shared leadership
Active participation
Communality of interest
Welcoming atmosphere
Group working