Assessment and feedback FAQs
What is assessment?
Assessment is about showing you have learnt what you should have done in a module. Assessments can include projects, essays, exams, presentations, portfolios and practical tests.
My lecturer has given me some formative work - what is this?
Formative work or assessments are trial tasks that you are given so that you can get feedback that will help you to do better. They do not count towards your final mark for the module but if you do them and use the feedback your marks will improve.
What is summative assessment?
Summative assessments are those that count towards your final mark for the module.
What is feedback?
Feedback on your progress comes in many different forms, including written comments about your work, verbal comments from your tutors, discussions with peers, electronic discussion, emails, feedback grids and generic feedback. Receiving and acting on feedback is a continuous part of your learning experience and will help you to develop knowledge about your strengths and weaknesses and improve your learning and performance.
Will my lecturer read my draft work and give me feedback before I hand it in?
Whether or not lecturers will read draft work and give you feedback depends upon the type of course you are on and you should be told about this in either your School, programme or module handbook.
When can I expect feedback on my work?
Feedback should be given to you normally within 20 working days of the hand-in date, but this feedback is unratified or unconfirmed and the marks may be changed. This is because it has not yet been to an assessment board.
How will I get my feedback?
Your feedback will normally be made available to you electronically. This might be using Blackboard, email or by other online systems and you will be told about this in your handbook.
Why can’t I get my feedback quicker?
For summative work, before feedback can be given to you the standard of marking has to be checked. This is called moderation and might involve work being marked twice. A sample of work is looked at by someone to confirm that marking has been fair and the marks for all students are agreed. At this point feedback can be released. This process can take a while to work through which is why 20 working days is allowed to make sure there is time to do this properly.
Why should I read my feedback – isn’t it just the mark that’s important?
Your feedback should tell you what you have done well, so you can keep on doing it, and how you can improve. If you look at your feedback from all your modules you can decide what things you need to focus on in the future to keep improving your marks. Even if you are getting good marks, you can always improve.
How do I know my mark is fair?
Following your work being marked by a first marker who is usually your module lecturer, the fairness of marking is then checked. For some work, such as your dissertation, this will involve having a second independent person marking your work usually without knowing what the other lecturer thinks, and agreeing with your lecturer the mark to be given. For work that is not double marked, then a sample of work is looked at by someone to confirm that marking has been fair and the marks for all students are agreed. Following this, a sample of work is seen by an external examiner, someone who doesn’t work at the University, who checks that marking has been fair and that the correct processes have been followed. These processes help to make sure that regardless of which lecturer marks your work, the mark should be about the same.
My lecturer has said that resubmission of work is available following unratified feedback - what does this mean?
Where resubmission is available this means that before your marks go to an assessment board you are given a chance to make changes to and resubmit your work based on the feedback you have been given. This is only available if your mark is below the pass mark and once it is remarked, your final mark can be no higher than the pass mark. Although you don’t have to resubmit if you don’t want to, it is usually better to do so rather than waiting until the end of the academic year when you may be given another chance to retake the assessment but this may involve doing a new piece of work from scratch.
When can I get my final mark?
Your final marks are confirmed (ratified) by a module assessment board. You should be told the dates of the assessment boards and when and how to access your results.
What happens if I don’t pass all my modules?
A Progression and Award Assessment Board consider all of your marks and decide if you can continue on your course. If you haven’t passed everything you may be given a chance to do a reassessment on the module you have failed but whether this is done depends upon how many modules you have failed and whether you have submitted work for all of your modules. If you have not submitted work, this means that you may not be given a chance to reassess and you may be withdrawn from your course.
What is an Assessment Board?
The Assessment Board is the formal body that confirms module results (Module Assessment Board) and looks at all of your module results (Progression and Award Board) to decide if you can continue on your course or where you have not passed a module, decide if you can be offered reassessment. The Progression and Award Board also awards the qualification you have studied for at the end of your course. The Board is chaired by a senior manager in your school and normally has an external examiner, someone from another university, present.
What do I do if I think that the assessment and feedback policy is not being followed?
If you think that you have not been given the information you should about assessment or received appropriate feedback then if it relates to one module, you should bring it to the attention of the relevant lecturer. If your concern relates to more than one module then you should raise it with the programme/course leader. Your course representative may be able to help you with this and the Students’ Union can also provide advice and support.
More about the complaints procedure (pdf - 850kb)
