Assessment Review
Context and background
Goldsmiths undertook this review at the same time as a number of initiatives were influencing Higher Education assessment policy:
- The Burgess Group and its proposals on undergraduate classification.
- The report of the Scoping Group, published in November 2004, recommended several modifications to the UK classifications system, some of which - such as the student Progress File - have been adopted. Measuring and Recording Student Achievement [full text .pdf] See pages 4-6 of the report for the executive summary, with key conclusions and recommendations.
- The full report, Beyond the Honours Degree Classification [full text .pdf], published October 2007.
"...we intend that the existing degree classification system will decline in importance until it should no longer be considered necessary, but we cannot and do not assume this will be easily achieved." (p43) - Goldsmiths response to the report [Word].
- The Scottish Funding Council's evaluation of assessment arrangements, which found many assessment practices to be out-dated and insufficiently supportive of student learning
- The Higher Education Authority identifying "assessment" as one of four areas on which to focus its support to HEIs.
- The revised QAA Code of Practice on Assessment.
These initiatives arise from a broader trend in higher education nationally to address the quality and criteria for assessment and integrate it as a part of the students' learning and teaching experience - assessment for learning, rather than assessment of learning.
Goldsmiths specific context also includes an increase in undergraduate students formally requesting feedback following their results. The National Student Survey shows this is a country-wide concern.
Context documents
- Memo on the review of assessment [Word] outlines these issues and describes the scope of the review (July 2006).
- Paper on assessment [Word] by Andrew Brett, Head of Learning and Teaching Office (presented to the Learning and Teaching Committee on 26th October 2005 for general discussion).
- Paper on feedback [Word] by Andrew Brett and Simon Cohn (May 2007)
- Paper from the Skills and Employer Engagement Working Party [Word]
- Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy 2006-07 to 2010-11
[web version] [pdf document] [Word] - Paper on assessment and complex learning [Word] by Professor Peter Knight of the Open University, author of Assessment for Learning (London, Kogan Page 1994). Professor Knight Goldsmiths assisted Goldsmiths in the early stage of the assessment review.
- Briefing on key concepts in formative and summative, criterion & norm-referenced assessment [.rtf], also by Professor Knight.
- Professor Lewis Elton spoke on complex achievement at Goldsmiths (Thursday 15th March 2007) - lecture clips here.
Contemporary research
The following texts outline and discuss the pedagogic research which underpins the above context documents.
All texts are available from Goldsmiths library.
- Assessment, Learning and Employability
Peter Knight, Mantz Yorke (Open University Press, 2003) - Assessment in Higher Education
John Heywood (Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2000) - Assessing Student Learning in Higher Education
George Brown, Joanna Bull, Malcolm Pendlebury (Routledge, 1997) - Assessment for Learning in Higher Education
Peter Knight (Routledge, 1998) - 500 Tips on Assessment
Phil Race, Brenda Smith, Sally Brown (Routledge Falmer, 2004)