Assessment Procedure 1 15 November 2012
Assessment Procedure
SCOPE
This policy applies to all assessment of subjects and levels conducted in all UTS College courses.
DEFINITIONS
Assessment Event Forms part of the overall assessment of achievement of learning outcomes within a subject or level. Assessment Task What a student is required to do for the Assessment Event.
Course
The sequence of Academic subjects or ELT levels.
The term “course” is used throughout this document to refer to UTS College diploma courses, UTS Foundation Studies programs and ELT levels.
Feedback
Feedback is a process whereby Academic Staff and peer learners provide information to students about their performance on learning tasks. In general, feedback serves to confirm whether the learners’ understanding is right, correct where a learner has something wrong, explain where there seems to be a lack of understanding, diagnose in order to direct teaching and learning, or elaborate where performance on a task lacks comprehensive coverage.
Progressive Assessment Notification (PAN)
The software system that allows for input of assessment by teachers for the primary purpose of notifying students of assessment grades and monitoring student progress.
Special Consideration
Special Consideration is the exercise of academic discretion to provide equitable treatment to students whose performance in an assessment item or items is affected by illness or misadventure.
Special Needs Special Needs is the appropriate support for students with a disability or ongoing medical condition that may affect their studies.
Study Period One semester in a diploma course, up to two semesters in a UTS Foundation Studies course, and one term in an English Language course.
Procedure Statement
The procedures described in this document apply to the handling of assessment at UTS College and should be read in conjunction with the Assessment Policy.
These procedures are designed for use by all who play some role in assessment and should be freely distributed to students, their advisers and academic staff that have a need for knowledge of assessment and appeal matters.
STEPS
Action Description Responsible
Preparation of Subject Outlines or Course Books
1. Subject Outlines and Course Books (ELT) are prepared in compliance with the Assessment Policy.
2. Plan assessment events to ensure that student workload is reasonable and there are no undue clusters of work at any particular time during the semester or term, and assessment events allow for early intervention for students at risk in the early part of the semester or term.
3. Seek approval from the Program Manager or Level Coordinator for any changes to the number of assessments or the weighting applied to each one and once approved notify Executive Assistant - Education for upload to PAN.
4. Specify material or equipment that is permitted to be brought into an examination room.
Subject or ELT Level Coordinator.
Update PAN 5. Update PAN with approved changes and notify Subject or Level Coordinator.
Executive Assistant, Education Distribution of Subject Outlines or Course Book
6. Hard copies are available to all students.
7. Any changes to the Subject Outline or Course Book (ELT) after the end of the first week of the teaching period require the approval of the Education Manager or ELT Curriculum Manager.
Subject or ELT Level Coordinator
Assessment 8. Group work must be assessed by means that allow the genuine contribution of each member of the group to be determined. The primary purpose of group work is to assess the process aspects of a task.
9. Detailed criteria for assessment are provided in writing to students at the commencement of each assessment event.
10. Grading shall follow the Fail, Pass, Credit, Distinction, High Distinction method. Detailed grade descriptors for assessment are provided in writing to students at the commencement of each subject or level.
11. Apply penalty for late submissions of one grade level and continue to deduct this penalty for each two days (or part thereof) the assessment is late. 12. Assessment items other than examinations are
submitted at the time and place determined by the Subject or Level Coordinator and advertised
Lecturer or teacher
Lecturer or teacher
Lecturer or teacher
Lecturer or teacher
Assessment Procedure 3 15 November 2012 Special Consideration 13. Contact the Academic Adviser to discuss your
case.
14. If advised to do so, apply for special consideration using the Request for Special Consideration form supplied by the Study Success Adviser, attach relevant supporting documentation and return to Study Success Adviser.
15. Attach student record and forward to Education Manager.
16. Assess the application and return the application to the Study Success Adviser.
17. Notify the Program Manager or Level Coordinator and the teacher of the outcome.
18. Notify the student within 5 days of the request being lodged of the application outcome.
19. Determine how special consideration can be applied using the guidelines in the Assessment Policy.
20. Notify the student.
Student
Student
Study Success Adviser Education Manager Study Success Adviser Study Success Adviser Teacher
Teacher Feedback 21. After each assessment event, other than final
assessments, students receive their graded assessment and constructive feedback specific to the learning objectives using the Grading and Feedback template, within two weeks of the assessment event.
Formal Examinations 22. Specify material or equipment that is permitted to be brought into an examination room on the exam paper.
23. Get any variation to the approved material or equipment for examination approved by the Program Manager or ELT Level Coordinator and notify all students enrolled in the subject or level at least two (2) weeks before the commencement of the examination period.
24. Advise the Exam Coordinator of any changes to authorised material.
25. Advise the Exam Invigilators of any changes to authorised material.
26. Prepare for examinations. This includes ensuring knowing the correct time and place of examinations; not reading, misreading or misunderstanding the exam timetable cannot be accepted as grounds for application for a special examination.
27. Do not bring any unauthorised material into the examination room as per the Assessment Policy. 28. Advise the Student Centre within two working days
of the release of the examination timetable if the student considers that he or she has a serious individual scheduling difficulty with the examination timetable.
29. Follow the instructions of the examination supervisors.
30. On entering the examination room, students must get their random seat numbers and proceed directly to their seats. Students are not permitted to turn over or read the examination question paper until instructed to do so. Students must place their student ID card on the top right-hand corner of the desk.
31. Students must produce their current student identity (ID) card for entry into the examination room. No student will be admitted without their student ID card. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that their ID card is current and signed. Students are required to go to the Student Centre to replace out-dated or lost student cards prior to the examination.
32. Students cannot communicate with any person except authorised supervisors during an examination. To communicate with a superviser raise your hand and wait for the supervisor to attend to them.
33. The examination timetable will be published on the
Subject or ELT Level Coordinator.
Program Manager or ELT Level Coordinator Exam Coordinator Student Student Student Student Student Student Student
Assessment Procedure 5 15 November 2012 Request for Special
Examination
36. If a student has been prevented from attending a formal examination due to illness, misadventure or religious commitments the student must submit a Request for Special Examination form at the Student Centre within one working day of the missed exam except under special circumstances. 37. Assess the application and forward approved
applications to the Program Manager or ELT Level Coordinator.
38. Notify the student.
Student
Student Centre Student Centre Moderation
Moderation
39. Arrange moderation meetings and the exchange of student papers with teaching staff.
Subject or ELT Level Coordinators
40. For assessment events that involve a subjective judgement, organise tutorial groups and/or of individual graders to monitor and moderate grade distributions and report on this to the Program Manager or ELT Curriculum Manager.
41. Arrange double marking of final examinations and final assignments awarded high distinction or fail grades (D grades and anomalies for ELT).
Program Manager or ELT Level
Coordinator 42. Report moderation practices across subjects or
levels to demonstrate comparability of assessment within programs across multiple markers and student to the appropriate Results Ratification Committee.
Results Ratification 43. Review and ratify Student grades.
44. Consider students for the award of Conceded Pass as per the guidelines in the Assessment Policy. 45. Consider students for the award of Withheld (W as
per the guidelines in the Assessment Policy.
46. Consider students for final stage supplementary assessment as per the guidelines in the Assessment Policy.
47. Inform Student Centre of student results.
Results Ratification Committee (RRC) or ELT RRC for ELT
Withheld Result 48. Students must contact the Subject or ELT Level Coordinator to ensure they understand what is required to complete subject or level requirements. Students who fail to submit all the subject or level requirements within two weeks after the beginning of the following semester, or within one week after the beginning of term for ELT, will receive the result of Fail.
Student
Results 49. Publish student results on eStudent and post transcript to students.
Appeals against grades
50. Speak to the Tutor or Subject Coordinator in academic programs and the Teacher in ELT programs.
51. If a student believes procedural or factual errors have affected their results, they should lodge a written appeal with the Education Manager within 5 working days for academic programs or by the Thursday of week 4 of the term for ELT programs. 52. Investigate and remedy any procedural or factual
error that has occurred.
53. Inform the student of the result within 5 days of the appeal being lodged.
Student
Education Manager
Withdrawal without academic penalty
54. If circumstances beyond a student's control have resulted in affecting the student’s performance, see the Academic Adviser, and where appropriate fill in the Request for Withdrawal Without Penalty form and lodge it with Student Centre.
55. Forward to the General Manager, Education. 56. Assess and advise student.
Student Student Centre General Manager, Education
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS
• Assessment Policy• Request for Special Consideration • Request for Special Examination • Request for Special Needs
• Request for Withdrawal Without Penalty • The National Code 2018
ADMIN USE ONLY
APPROVAL
Signature:
Name: Tim Laurence,
Dean of Studies
Date: Procedure Title Assessment Procedure
