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Quality Frameworks for Assessment
The QAA Quality Code identifies a set of assessment quality standards (opens in new window) for the Higher Education sector.
These standards are articulated through four expectations which have been identified and contextualised below.
They have been used to inform Ulster’s core assessment policies and practice.
QAA Expectation 1: Course assessment determines whether each student has achieved the specified learning outcomes. Outcomes and standards will be consistent with the relevant national qualification framework’s descriptors.
QAA Expectation 2: The value of qualifications awarded to students at the point of qualification and over time is in line with sector-recognised standards.
QAA Expectation 3: Courses will be well-designed, provide a high-quality academic experience for all students and enable a student’s achievement to be reliably assessed.
QAA Expectation 4: all students will be provided with the support that they need to succeed in and benefit from higher education.
To meet these expectations:
- Assessment processes will ensure that learning outcomes are consistent with the requirements of the relevant national qualifications frameworks. (opens in new window)
- Assessments will measure accurately and consistently the extent to which students achieve the learning outcomes both at, and beyond, the threshold level.
- Courses will be designed so that curricula, learning outcomes and assessment are aligned, enabling reliable assessment and an effective learning experience.
- Assessment will support students’ learning and will be designed to enable students to learn through preparing for and undertaking the assessment and from feedback on their performance in the assessment.
- Assessment will be tailored appropriately to different environments (e.g. workplace learning).
- Measurement and representation of student achievement will be reasonably comparable with those of other UK providers.
- The standards of Ulster awards will be credible and secure across the University and its academic partner organisations.
- Student achievement will be measured reliably, fairly, and transparently. External examiners will also be deployed to ensure qualifications have been awarded equitably and in accordance with national standards.
- Course teams will consider and act on External Examiner reports and will focus on assessment within annual course reviews. Teams will also engage students in the development, assurance, and enhancement of the quality of their student experience.
- Assessment policies, procedures and processes will be reviewed and enhanced regularly to ensure they are fit for purpose.
- Recruitment, progression, and development of staff involved in teaching and assessment will include consideration of their knowledge and expertise in assessment.
Validity: assessment is aligned to and measures the associated learning outcomes of the module or course
Reliability: the measurement of learner performance is consistent, repeatable and accurate, to include inter-assessor and intra-assessor reliability.
Rigour: Assessments will aim to measure performance at the level of the module or course and defined procedures, processes and standards should be adhered to strictly.
Assessments should enable assessors to accurately distinguish authentic performance between candidates across the full marking range. Assessment strategies should aim to safeguard against the risk of academic misconduct.
Transparency: The design and delivery of assessment must align with approved methods/schedules and as published in course specifications and course/module handbooks. Variations must be approved in a timely way through the Course Revision process and relevant documents updated accordingly.
Assessment briefs must be clear about why an assessed activity has been chosen as the method to best measure the learning outcome(s). They must communicate clearly the purpose and details of the task, and methods of marking to all students and other relevant audiences.
Fairness: Assessments should be reasonable in the expectations placed on candidates and be demonstrably conducted in an equitable and consistent manner. Assessment tools must be understood and seen to be fair by all candidates, assessors and moderators.
Students should have equivalence of opportunities to succeed across diversified assessment methods. The assessment result should be dependent only on measures of the intended learning outcomes of the module or course and should be free from bias.
Practicality: As well as being fair in the overall workload placed upon students and staff, the assessment should aim to achieve the maximum valid information for the minimum cost and effort.
Jisc’s Principles of Good Assessment and Feedback (opens in new window) have been incorporated into QAA guiding principles (opens in new window) of assessment and QAA Inclusive Assessment Attributes (opens in new window), to shape the design of assessments at Ulster.
These principles are values-driven and are well aligned to our values (opens in new window) of inclusion, collaboration, integrity and enhancing potential.
These design principles have been combined and are identified below:
- Assessment methods and criteria will be aligned to the relevant learning outcomes and associated teaching activities.
- Assessment will be reliable, consistent, fair, and valid.
- Assessment design will be approached holistically. Assessment designs will be diverse, will develop over stages and will offer an element of student choice where feasible. Assessment strategies will enhance learner employability by assessing authentic tasks as appropriate for the discipline, and by promoting ethical conduct. Additionally, strategies will support staff to critique and develop their own practice.
- Assessment will support the personalised needs of learners by being accessible, inclusive, equitable and compassionate.
- Assessment will be explicit and transparent. Assessment strategies will help learners understand what good looks like by engaging them with the requirements and performance criteria for each task.
- Assessment and feedback are purposeful and support the learning process. Assessment strategies will aim to develop autonomous learners by encouraging self-generated feedback, self-regulation, reflection, dialogue, and peer review.
- Assessment and feedback will be timely to promote student learning and facilitate improvement.
- Assessment will aim to be efficient and manageable. Strategies will enable staff and students to manage their workload effectively by having the right assessment, at the right time, supported by efficient business processes.
- Students are supported and prepared for assessment. Assessment strategies will foster active learning by recognising that engagement with learning resources, peers and tutors can all offer opportunities for formative development.
- Assessment will encourage academic integrity and will minimise opportunities for students to commit academic misconduct.
