Introducing the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision

1. Introducing the Academic Regulations for Taught Provision Staff Development Symposium September 2013 Malcolm MacLean Associate Dean, Quality & Standards

2. What we’re talking about • Principles underpinning the University’s approach to assessment • Key issues • agreeing assessment briefs, • marking, second marking and moderation • mitigating circumstances • Pressing current issues • breaches of assessment regulations • assessment of disabled students

3. Principles • Underpin UoG assessment • Cover key elements of assessment activity • Apply to all courses, including collaborative partnership • Developed in line with UK Quality Code • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/assessment/Pages/AssessmentPrinciplesandProcedures.aspx • Staff ‘interface’ via Student Records on Line (https://infonet.glos.ac.uk/staff/pages/default.aspx)

4. Agreeing assessment briefs • All assessment briefs must be peer reviewed and agreed for • Consistency with published module descriptor • Suitability of assessment task • Clarity of assessment instructions • New system for Sem 2 modules being developed • Shift from scrutiny process to peer-based developmental process (details to follow)

5. Marking, second marking and moderation • Samples of all assessment tasks are to be second marked and moderated • Goal is to ensure that marking is consistent with assessment criteria and that criteria are consistently applied • Moderation within modules through second marking process • Moderation between modules via external examiners and boards of examiners • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/assessment/Pages/AssessmentProceduresMarkingBoards.aspx

6. Mitigating circumstances • Centrally recorded (via Student Records) and managed • MC1: 48 hour extension, no evidence needed, one per year • MC2: up to three weeks, via Helpzone, specific criteria must be met, third party evidence required • MC3: longer than 3 weeks, via Senior Tutor, criteria less specific, third party evidence • More serious cases, affecting a semester or more, decision-making with Mit Circs Review Panel • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/assessment/Pages/AssessmentAndMitigatingCircumstances.aspx

7. Breaches of assessment regulations • 6 forms of breaches of assessment regs • Plagiarism, unauthorised collusion, fabrication, impersonation, cheating in exams, representation • Strong development underpinning • Set range of penalties • Assessment decision, so determined on balance of probabilities • If suspect one has occurred, report via Module Tutor to Academic Conduct Officer who will investigate on basis of evidence provided by Module Tutor • Must enter SB grade (suspected breach) • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/assessment/Pages/AssessmentOffencesPrinciples.aspx

8. Assessment of disabled students • Managed through Student Services, do not make local arrangements • Students must self-declare to Disability Advisers (Student Services) within specified times, with provision of adequate evidence • Reasonable adjustments made to assessment arrangements, depending on the form and extent of disability • Adjustments made prior to submission, so there are no adjustments to assessment criteria, e.g., for dyslexic students • Adjustments may not be backdated, and there is no retrospective adjustment of assessment arrangements or marks • Arrangements for disabled students distinct from mitigating circumstances provisions • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/assessment/Pages/AssessmentofDisabledStudentsPrinciples.aspx

9. Other useful resources • Assessment information • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/quality/assessment/Pages/default.aspx • Quality and Standards homepage • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/registry/Quality/Pages/default.aspx • Student Services • http://insight.glos.ac.uk/departments/ss/Pages/default.aspx