EILA2 Dr Simon Sneddon Senior Lecturer in Law Institutional Teaching Fellow

1. EILA2 Dr Simon Sneddon Senior Lecturer in Law Institutional Teaching Fellow University of Northampton What Works Conference University of York 28th March 2012 Project funded by: University of Northampton Office of Educational Partnerships & Lifelong Learning University of Northampton Department for Enhanced Learning, Teaching, Achievement and Employability

2. Background – Scoping Study • Two-part project • Quantitative: based on all LL.B results (yrs 1-3) from 2002-3 to 2006-7. Nine types of assessment in total, 25,000+ assessment included. • Qualitative: based on interviews and focus groups with LL.B students in 2007-8 cohort. • Students split by: • Age (at time of enrolment) • Ethnicity (White / BME) BME students not disaggregated • Gender • Declared Disability

3. Age (under 21 versus 21 or over) • Numbers: 76% under 21 24% 21 or over • Biggest Difference: Group Work 2.30 (C+/B)* • Smallest Difference: Presentations 0.07 (B/B) • Average Difference: 0.70 (C/C+)

4. Ethnicity (white versus BME) • Numbers: 61% White • 39% BME* • Biggest Difference: Time Constrained Test 2.20 (C+/C-) • Smallest Difference: Seminar Based 0.02 (D+/D+) • Average Difference: 1.68 (C+/C-)

5. Gender (male versus female) • Ratio:32% Male 68% Female* • Biggest Difference: Short Answer Test 2.52 (D/C-) • Smallest Difference: Long Assignment 0.10 (C+/C+) • Average Difference: 0.76 (C-/C)

6. Declared Disability • Numbers: 9% Declared Disability • 91% No Declared Disability • Biggest Difference: Group Work 4.80 (D/B-) • Smallest Difference: Short Assignment 0.20 (C/C) • Average Difference: 0.30 (C/C)

7. Conclusions from Quantitative Data • Age: • Overall difference is small • Ethnicity: • Biggest gap in 3rd most common assessment type • Significant overall gap needs investigation • At Level 4, this difference was even greater (D+ v C) • Gender: • Overall difference is small • Declared Disability: • Average is lowest difference of all four groups

8. Intervention • Year 1 (Level 4) Compulsory LLB modules: • Law of Contract • Criminal Law • Legal System • Introduction to UK and EU Constitutional Law • Common assessment strategy adopted from 2008/9: • Time Constrained Assignment (Problem-Question based) • Essay • Formal examination (2 hours)*

9. EILA2 • Small funding just to look at results for these modules in 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2010/11 • 2,300+ pieces of assessment • Results 1: • 2008/9 No statistically significant difference between white and BME students • 2009/10 Small difference between white and BME students (smaller than pre-intervention) • 2010/11 No statistically significant difference between white and BME students

10. EILA2 • Small funding just to look at results for these modules in 2008/9, 2009/10 and 2010/11 • 2,300+ pieces of assessment • Results 2: • Overall grade for BME students pre-intervention: C-* • Overall grade for BME students post-intervention: C • Overall grade for White students pre-intervention: C • Overall grade for White students post-intervention: C Better grades means better overall progression

11. Publications • Crofts, M., & Sneddon, S. T., Equality in Legal Assessment: A Scoping Study, [2009] 3 Web JCLIhttp://webjcli.ncl.ac.uk/2009/issue3/crofts3.html • Crofts, M., & Sneddon, S. T., 2009, Equality in Legal Assessment: A Scoping Study, Northampton: University of Northampton Office of Educational Partnerships and Lifelong Learning. Available online at http://www2.northampton.ac.uk/portal/page/portal/AEP/Document%20Store/ED/equality-in-legal-assessment-report11-08(pdf614kb).pdf