1. Assessment updates Andrea Davies Assessment and Awards Manager
Chris Griffiths
Student Administration Manager (Campus based)
April 2016
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2. Agenda Five day rule – administration
Repeat and Resit – next academic year
Assessment Board Paperwork
Chair’s Action Process Review
Appeals and Graduation
Exit Award changes
Transfer award changes
Classified Intermediate award – Integrated Masters
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3. Agenda continued…. Intermediate award – grading
Top up course administration
New overall grades – repeat
Professional awards
Edexcel & exit awards
Use of dates – Quercus
Other changes for June
The future
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4. Five day rule - administration
What are we changing?
Why are we changing?
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5. Five day rule - administration
Why are we changing?
We do not record this information
Unable to identify how many students take advantage of the five day rule
Unable to analyse impact / effectiveness
Allow management reporting
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6. Five day rule - administration
What are we changing?
Record at assessment level on Quercus
Introduce a new results status at assessment level, called ‘Five day rule’
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7. Resit and Repeat – next academic year Why do we need to administer?
What will change?
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8. Resit and Repeat – next academic year Why do we need to administer?
Regulation change for 15/6 – all repeat modules capped at 40%
Currently no easy method to identify and administer
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9. Resit and Repeat – next academic year What will change?
For each resit or repeat module – select appropriate subject registration status
Identify all with the amended subject registration status
Amend all pass marks to 40%
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10. Assessment Board Paperwork
Why the need to review
Process of review
New paperwork:
Subject Assessment Board
Progression / Award Assessment Board
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11. Assessment Board Paperwork
Process of review
Liaison with colleagues across departments including ASAQS, USO, SAS
Best practice within SAS identified
Standardised documents agreed and issued
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12. Assessment Board Paperwork
Why the need to review
Academic colleagues attending multiple Boards across campuses
External examiner experience
OIA! - Student complaints – image of USW
Consistency and standardisation
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13. Assessment Board Paperwork
New Paperwork:
Subject Assessment Board
Progression / Award Assessment Board
Draft Agenda
Chair & External Signature
Draft attendance list
Running order template
Draft Minutes – include a list of all Chair’s Action since the last meeting
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14. Chair’s Action Process Review
Why the need to review
Process of review
Findings & conclusions
What is changing
The future
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15. Chair’s Action Process Review
Why the need to review?
Varying practices and inefficiencies have been identified throughout both the hub and spoke levels over the years
Improve efficiency, standardise process and share best practice
Some common questions: Can we remove the need for forms? How much of paperless office are we? Are the forms user friendly?
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16. Chair’s Action Process Review
Process of review
Led by Delyth Jones (Cardiff Campus spoke)
Timeframe: December to March
Liaison with all campus spokes and hub
Summarise findings and draw conclusions
Group discussion and agreement with hub and spoke managers
Roll out!
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17. Chair’s Action Process Review
Findings & conclusions
Many staff not aware there is a guide on how to administer Chair’s Action on Quercus, also - complex cases not so easy to describe in a 'how to' process
Agreed process not followed by hub and spoke - Understanding of how campus work impacts on the hub and vice versa?
Variations across campus and within campuses on how administered
Two forms needed review
Considered use of spreadsheet to record changes, but agreed that could be a future improvement
Retention – where is our master record?
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18. Chair’s Action Process Review
What is changing for 15/16
New single form to incorporate Subject and Progression / Award Assessment Board changes for current year - one form for USW regulations and one for UWN regulations
New single form for all prior year Subject and Progression / Award Assessment Board changes
Changes to how Chair’s signature is gathered and recorded
Changes to multiple module changes on one student, multiple students on same module and multiple students on same course
All forms completed electronically
All forms saved in one location – Sharepoint (not just awarded students)
All Chair’s Action to be reported to the next Assessment Board meeting
Date of award – will always be date of original Assessment Board!
New user friendly guide!
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19. Chair’s Action Process Review
The future
Review success of 15/16 changes, and consider further improvements in the process
Review the whole assessment process, to include the Guides and How to processes
Review the USW Retention document in line with above
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20. Appeals and Graduation
Why the need to change?
What is changing?
The future
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21. Appeals and Graduation
Why the need to review?
Students should not be in graduation brochure if they appeal
Certificates are currently issued to those that appeal
What if someone fails a resit following an appeal?
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22. Appeals and Graduation
What is changing?
Final year and non final year awarded students will need a change of grade
New grade ‘AppealPending’
Change of decision - admin
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23. Exit award changes
Non completion of qualification aim of course studied – different course title on exit
Why the need to change?
What are we changing?
An example
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24. Exit award changes Why the need to change
Students exiting from courses with professional accreditation exit with a different award title
Currently manual intervention to produce Certificate
Alternate exit award is not clear on student record
Risk with replacement documents
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25. Exit award changes What are we changing?
Student will remain on original award and an NOP will be added to the record (NOPDiscontAW, NOPWNAW or NOPAW as appropriate)
A second record will be created in the appropriate academic year and the student will be RPL’d credit and awarded on this record (student status ‘For_Award’)
Therefore student would receive:
Transcripts from original course with actual credit achieved
Certificate and transcripts from new course showing RPL’d credit and award achieved
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26. Exit award changes An example
A student enrolled on a BSc Health and Social Care Management, exiting with a CertHE or DipHE in Health and Social Care .
Add overall grade of NOP to the BSc record (NOPDiscontAW, NOPWNAW or NOPAW as appropriate) – record remains enrolled
Register student DipHE in Health and Social Care with a student status of ‘For_Award’
Add 120 Level 4 RPL credit
Add overall grade as appropriate, if achieved CertHE select appropriate Inter, if DipHE, pass in first / sitting, pass in award sitting.
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27. Exit award changes Courses affected
Bachelor of Midwifery - no interim awards. Students receive a transcript.
Bachelor of Nursing - no interim awards. Students receive a transcript.
BSc Social Work - exit awards are CertHE/DipHE Social Welfare Studies – to be created
BSc Health and Social Care Management –exit awards are Cert HE/DipHE Health and Social Care – to be created
Master of Chiropractic – exit awards are CertHE/DipHE/BSc Human Science – to be created
BA Primary Studies with QTS – exit with CertHE/DipHE in Primary Studies – to be created
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28. Transfer award changes
Transfer (progression) to a course with a different qualification aim from original course studied (where credit contributes)
Why the need to change?
What are we changing?
Examples
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29. Transfer award changes
Why the need to change
Production of certificates & transcript is problematic
Often early year transcripts are missing
Progress not clear on student record
Risk with replacement documents
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30. Transfer award changes
What are we changing?
Student will remain on original award and overall grade of InterP will be added to the record
Roll student (using EOY rollover) to the new course in next academic year
Intermediate award credit achieved to be added as RPL’s on new record
Therefore student would receive:
Transcript(s) and Certificate from original course with actual credit achieved
Certificate and transcripts from new course showing RPL’d credit, further credit achieved (if applicable) and award
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31. Transfer award changes
An example - 1
A student progresses from year 1 BEng to year 2 MEng
Add overall grade of InterP to the BEng record – exit CertHE
Use EOY rollover to create pre-registered record on MEng in next academic year
Register student on MEng with a student status of ‘Enrolled’
Add 120 Level 4 RPL credit to the MEng record
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32. Transfer award changes
An example - 2
A student progresses from year 2 MEng to year 3 BEng having completed year 1 previously on BEng
Add overall grade of InterP to the MEng record – exit DipHE
Use EOY rollover to create pre-registered record on BEng in next academic year
Register student on BEng with a student status of ‘Enrolled’
Add 120 Level 5 RPL credit only to the MEng record
In this scenario the 120 Level 4 are already recorded on the same qualification aim, and do not need to be re-entered
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33. Transfer award changes
An example - 3
A student progresses from year 2 MEng to year 3 BEng having completed year 1 and 2 on MEng
Add overall grade of InterP to the MEng record – exit DipHE
Use EOY rollover to create pre-registered record on BEng in next academic year
Register student on BEng with a student status of ‘Enrolled’
Add 120 Level 4 and 120 Level 5 RPL credit only to the BEng record
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34. Classified Intermediate award – Integrated Masters
Why are we changing?
What are we changing?
Example
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35. Classified Intermediate award – Integrated Masters
Why are we changing?
Certificates produced incorrectly
Classification not clear on student record
Risk with replacement documents
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36. Classified Intermediate award – Integrated Masters
What are we changing?
New suite of overall grades introduced – inter1, inter 2.1, inter2.2, inter3
Only to be used for integrated masters programmes
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37. Classified Intermediate award – Integrated Masters
An example
A student requests to exit the MEng on completion of the 3rd year.
Add overall grade of Inter (select appropriate classification, or standard Inter if pass degree)
In the statistics screen, update the grade (select Inter) to display the classification
In the statistics screen, update the award to display BEng
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38. Intermediate award – grading
INTERDISCONTD
Discontinue – Intermediate Award with Distinction
Student has been discontinued from their programme of student and is eligible for an Intermediate Award – with Distinction
INTERDISCONTM
Discontinue – Intermediate Award with Merit
Student has been discontinued from their programme of student and is eligible for an Intermediate Award – with Merit
INTERWND
Withdrawn – Intermediate Award with Distinction
Student has withdrawn from their programme of student and is eligible for an Intermediate Award – with Distinction
A student can only withdraw to the end of teaching therefore will generally be in first sitting
INTERWNM
Withdrawn – Intermediate Award with Merit
Student has withdrawn from their programme of student and is eligible for an Intermediate Award – with Merit
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39. Top up course administration
Types of Top up
How do we administer?
Example
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40. Top up course administration
Types of Top up
One / two year “true” top up course
Three / four year course – direct entry
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41. Top up course administration
How do we administer?
One / two year “true” top up course
The student enrols on that course, studies the modules and achieves the Award.
There is no RPL credit required.
Three / four year course – direct entry
Student is direct entry onto an advanced year of a course
Add prior year RPL credits to the record, ensure that the RPL process is followed and the subject registration status for the module is amended.
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42. Top up course administration
An example
A student completes a HND Computer Forensics then enrols directly onto the BSc Computer Forensics Year 2
Register student on BSc with a student status of ‘Enrolled’
Add 120 Level 4 RPL credit to the BSc record, it does not matter where the credit was studied
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43. New overall grades Why are we changing? What are we changing?
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44. New Overall grades - Repeat
Why are we changing?
Currently only one Repeat grade to cover many scenarios
Online results not providing meaningful information to student
Student record is not clear
Finance issues – difficult to define fees
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45. New Overall grades - Repeat
What are we changing?
REPEAT
Continue on programme at same level, repeat failed modules
Student fees: All repeat modules are chargeable
REPEATFA
Repeat Year – first attempt
Student Fees: No fees
REPEATFF
Repeat Year - First attempts and referrals
REPEATFAR
Repeat Year - First Attempts and Repeats
Student Fees: Mixed fees, only all repeat modules are chargeable
REPEAT RFAR
Repeat Year - Resits, first attempts and repeat
REPEATRR
Resits and repeats
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46. Professional Awards Overall grade Module grade PNonComp
Professional Non Completion
USW has not received marks from the Professional body and are unable to make an appropriate decision on progression for that academic year.
Only to be used for courses where Professional body provides marks to the University.
Module grade
PCompw
Professional completion –marks withheld
For professional awards, where they have elected not to release marks to the University, and we are aware they have completed
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47. Edexcel & exit awards HNDs and exit awards – no longer in Regulations
HNC not a valid exit award, ASAQS advise CertHE exit
USW award, Pearson credit
Queries: direct to Campus Managers
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48. Use of dates - Quercus Importance of correct date – Award sitting
Impact of incorrect date
Script will populate incorrect date
Manual intervention
Increased unnecessary work
Certificates issued with incorrect date
Wastage
Change of decision date
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49. Other changes for June Reviewing the reports produced for the Boards
Use of Assessment Board notes
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50. The future Saving of Assessment Board paperwork
Chairs Action – further work
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51. Any questions?
Nothing hard 
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