Approval of Assessments Involvement of Module External Examiner in approval of assessments

Key features of process Assessments for whole academic year prepared by Module Tutor; All assessments which contribute to an award* undergo a three stage approval process: Includes coursework questions as well as examinations. *In some cases may include assessments which do not contribute to the final award Assessments for the whole academic session (Semester 1 and Semester 2) are to be prepared for the start of the academic session. An Assessment Cover Sheet (for coursework as well as examinations) should be completed for each assessment (in the case of coursework it may be more practical to use a single coversheet for a number of assessments with the actual coursework question(s) attached to the coversheet.

Preparation of assessments 1 Module Tutor prepares assessment questions / tasks and marking schemes; Checks (input from Programmes Director and/or Assessment Officer): Academic suitability & relevance of questions/tasks; Instructions; Mark allocations; Suitability of images used. Prior to the beginning of the academic session individual Module Tutors will have prepared assessment questions/tasks and marking schemes. In so doing, Module Tutors should ensure that questions/tasks are suitable and relevant to the Learning Outcomes of the module. Instruction rubrics should be checked to ensure clarity and accuracy – particularly with regard to number of questions to be answered from each section where this is relevant. Mark allocations for individual questions (or part of questions) should be clearly indicated. Any additional information, such as examples of business cases or graphics, is clear and coherent (and any IPR issues are clarified). The questions/tasks for re-sit assessments, whilst measuring the same Learning Outcomes, must be suitably distinct from the original questions/tasks (unless there is justifiable reason for either using the same questions/tasks for re-sits or it is not practical to have re-sits). Module Tutors may wish to liaise and seek advice on these matters from the Programme Director or the Assessment Officer where appropriate.

Preparation of assessments 2 Assessment Approval Form completed: One for each examination; Multiple coursework questions/tasks could be covered by a single approval form All assessments which contribute to an award* submitted for approval process *In some cases may include assessments which do not contribute to the final award

Three stages of approval By Assessment Officer *; By Module External Examiner; By relevant Dean Assessment Officer is used throughout the process as a generic term - in practice this may be a role undertaken by the Head of School, by a nominated Assessment Officer or by several members of staff within the School.

Approval Stage 1 Assessment Officer Verifies that: questions/tasks are at appropriate level; questions/tasks are clear and free of basic errors; instructions are clear; there is general equity across the School with regard to choice & numbers of questions; any additional information (e.g. business cases or graphics) are clear and coherent; questions for re-sits are suitably distinct from the original questions

Approval Stage 2 Module External Examiner Assessment Officer ensures that all assessments which contribute to the award* are sent to Module External Examiner Module External Examiner asked to confirm that the design and structure of assessments are appropriate May request that revisions be made: Module Tutor informed of any requested revisions; Assessment Officer verifies revisions made.

Learning Outcomes & Assessment Learning outcome and assessment must be at the level of the module; Assessment strategy should have formative function; Assessment process must enable learners to demonstrate achievement of the relevant learning outcomes.

Assessment criteria Assessment criteria should enable examiners to: Decide whether a student has achieved a threshold level for the module; Distinguish between categories of achievement.

Approval Stage 3 Dean of Faculty Confirms that: there is consistency across the Faculty with regard to choice and numbers of questions; there is consistency across the Faculty with regard to the interpretation of academic level; all required assessments have been prepared in accordance with the list of assessments

End of approval process Examinations - the questions (with instruction rubrics and mark allocation) are entered into the appropriate examination template after approval by the Module External Examiner. All assessments forwarded to Registry

Electronic or hard copy? Examination papers and coursework may be sent by electronic mail as long as appropriate steps have been taken to ensure that they could not be accessed by a third party, for example by password protection and/or electronic encryption.