Assessment
As the module is focused on a team development project, it is important that individual students are encouraged to contribute to the overall team effort while being able to 'shine' on an individual basis. The assessment structure adopted attempts to strike just this balance. Students should ensure they fully understand how all elements of the project are assessed.
It is worth pointing out that in careers beyond university, most students will be required to be able to work in groups or teams. It is in these group projects at University that students can best develop their interpersonal skills, leadership skills and indeed “followership” skills.
The table below shows the assessed deliverables for the development project and their associated value. Each of these parts will be described in more detail below. The development project accounts for 60% of the total module marks (the remaining 40% was attributed to the Infrastructure Report, Research Report and First Semester Diary).
The following table details an assessment profile for the module.
Element of assessment |
Percentage |
Group/Individual |
Type of Assessment |
Interim Report |
40% |
Group,Individual |
Tutor |
Group Presentation & System Demonstration |
15% |
Group |
|
Final Report & System Produced |
30% |
Group |
|
Development Diary |
15% |
Individual |
Tutor |
It is important that the groups are assessed accurately and fairly to ensure that the learning outcomes of the project are met. In doing so, it is important that a combination of assessment styles are appropriate. The LTSN report “A Briefing on self, Peer and Group Assessment” states that “It is recognised that Group-based assessment can extend the range of assessment to include cooperative and collaborative skills, teamwork, and so on, and increase assessment validity by bringing into the assessment framework skills and competencies which are more closely connected to real-like vocational situations than are traditional exams and essays”.
A balanced approach has been taken to ensure that the moderation processes are sufficient to guarantee an acceptable level of reliability, but without the moderation being so intrusive that the benefits of involving students in their own assessment are undermined.
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 8:05 AM