Assessment and Feedback

Students often voice concerns over the amount, timeliness and helpfulness of feedback on their assessment (see the Undergraduate Students Experience Questionnaire Executive Summary and Report from link on the right). This is true nationally, and led the Higher Education Academy to make this a major area of study in 2006. Their website (see links on the right) has a wide range of resources on the issue, including a video of student views of feedback. Some of the HEA subject centres have looked in detail at feedback specific to disciplines (see for example the Bioscience centre website). In addition, there are CETLs (Centres of Excellence in Learning and Teaching) which focus on aspects of the issue. The CETL on Assessment for Learning is based at the University of Northumbria and their website has a wide range of reports and resources. Another CETL, the Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange (ASKe) is based at Oxford Brookes, again their website has a wide range of materials.

The Assessment Review Working Group, led by Rosalynd Jowett (Associate Dean (Education) MHLS and University Director of Education) was convened to address the issues raised. The Group carried out an audit of assessment and feedback practice in Schools, which resulted in a paper highlighting and sharing good practice and points for action. Rosalynd Jowett also ran a session on the work of the group at Learning and Teaching Week in 2007. The working group reconvened in November 2007 to review progress and make further recommendations.

There is a Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fund project involving a number of Schools to consider student perceptions of feedback. LATEU offers advice and CPD opportunities on assessment and can arrange tailor-made sessions for Schools or groups of staff. If you would like to know more please contact LATEU.

One of our workshops, Key Issues in Assessment, includes many useful links on assessment and a short bibliography.