Understanding Assessment

Assessment is conducted with the purpose of improving learning and teaching. According to the UWC Assessment Policy, it is ‘the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences’ (2021). Assessment is, therefore, associated with what is expected to be learnt, developed and communicated. This can be demonstrated in various observable approaches. At UWC, assessments usually consist of formative and summative assessments and include a number of different assessments including tutorials, tests, portfolios, assignments, group work and an array of other formative assessments and finally the exam, known as the summative assessment. 

Alignment of assessment, outcomes and graduate attributes

To ensure the validity of assessment in relation to what is intended from a course, it is necessary that the outcomes measured by the assessment tasks are the same as the ones expressed in the learning outcomes' (Gil-Jaurena and Softic, 2016). It is imperative to include the words used in the learning outcomes also in the assessments, such as describe, understand, explain and so forth. The student should be able to address the learning outcomes (at least some) by answering the assessment questions. Below is the document reflecting the alignment in the module Law of Contract. 

Application of Policy and Protocols

The Covid pandemic forced us to go completely online which resulted in policy amendments to suit the needs of the lecturers and the students in the online environment. The assessment policy of the University and the Law Faculty's protocols guided us to create a fully fledged online assessment space. The University also provided extra support for students in 2020 and allowed students to enter the final exams even if they did not qualify for the exam (attainment of a 40% Course Assessment Mark, CAM). We were also encouraged to have as many additional exam preview sessions with the students as possible. Generally, some modules at the Law Faculty also had guidelines for at-risk students which provided assistance to students who obtained a CAM below 50%. It is submitted that we needed to provide additional support during the pandemic as many students endured difficult environments at home which makes writing an assessment a stressful exercise. For example, many students informed me that they had intermittent load shedding; insufficient data; and unstable internet connections. My advice to students are to contact me immediately when they encounter problems or to contact me in advance if they foresee a problem so that I can make alternative arrangements like emailing the assessment to the student on the day.

Feedback

Feedback is considered as a vital approach to facilitate students’ development as independent learners in order to monitor, evaluate, and regulate their own learning (Al-Bashir, Kabir and Rahman, 2016). 

The feedback I employ in my module is that I will send a brief memo and essay guideline document a week or two after the test. This document provides guidelines on how to answer the essay questions. Thereafter, I avail myself to students if they require personal feedback, for example, one on one consultations via google meets. I encourage the students to email me directly and I provide specific feedback to the student. 

Sample of assessments and questions 

Moderation

The moderation of student work such as coursework and examination scripts, ensures: 

• the use of agreed marking criteria; 

• comparability and equity of standards; and 

• consistency and fairness of marking.

The External Moderation processes contribute to the maintenance of academic standards through the annual appointment of, engagement with, and responding to External Moderators. Below are examples of the External Moderator's communication and report.