C/5.1 Assessment and feedback
Policy Owner | Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education) |
Approval Date | 21/07/2017 |
Approval Authority | University Academic Board |
Date of Next Review | 30/11/2021 |
5.1.1 Purpose
5.1.2 Application
5.1.3 Roles and responsibilities
5.1.4 Assessment and feedback framework
5.1.5 Typical unit-based assessment pattern
5.1.6 Standards-based approach to assessment
5.1.7 Assurance of achievement standards in assessment
5.1.8 Communication to students about assessment and feedback
5.1.9 Student submission of assessment items
5.1.10 Access to assessment results
5.1.11 Procedures made under this policy
5.1.12 Definitions
Related Documents
Modification History
5.1.1 Purpose
Assessment is an integral part of student learning at QUT. Assessment and feedback at QUT are purposefully designed to be challenging, realistic and meaningful to promote learning outcomes and employability, consistent with the graduate capabilities and learner experiences set out in the Real World Learning 2020 Vision (QUT staff access only).
This policy sets out the principles and essential characteristics of assessment and feedback, and the requirements for the implementation of assessment and feedback for courses and coursework units.
5.1.2 Application
This policy applies to all courses involving coursework units (including as part of a postgraduate research program) offered by QUT, and to all staff and students involved with assessment and feedback processes.
5.1.3 Roles and responsibilities
Position |
Responsibility |
---|---|
Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education) |
|
Chief Information Officer |
|
Director, Curriculum Quality and Standards |
|
Executive Dean |
|
Course Coordinator (or equivalent) |
|
Subject Area Coordinator (or equivalent) |
|
Unit Coordinator (or equivalent) |
|
Unit staff (teaching and marking) |
|
Head of School |
|
Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) |
|
Students |
|
Faculty academic boards |
|
5.1.4 Assessment and feedback framework
Assessment and feedback at QUT must comply with the principles and design values outlined below. The processes through which assessment and feedback are implemented should comply with the Assessment and Feedback Procedures developed under this policy.
Assessment and feedback principles
Assessment and feedback at QUT are based on the following principles:
- QUT adopts an authentic, whole-of-course approach to assessment. All assessment in units is linked to the course aims, content, experiences, and outcomes.
- Feedback builds learner capabilities within units and across a course to make judgements about the progress and quality of their work and the work of others. Effective feedback (via formative tasks and summative assessment items) assists learners with meeting specified learning outcomes. It enables their transformation from dependent to independent learners, and develops their abilities to become confident self-evaluators.
Assessment and feedback design values
- Authenticity
Authentic feedback and assessment engage learners with developing skills and capabilities relevant to the contexts of work and employment.
- Manageability
A Whole-of-Course Assessment design carefully balances student and staff workload within and across teaching periods. The quantity of assessed work per unit of credit point is consistent within and across courses. Assessment is manageable for students to complete and for staff to assess within the timeframe of the relevant teaching period and is timed to maximize opportunities for developmental feedback.
- Integrity
Assessment and feedback promote academic and professional integrity and develop students’ capability in ethical practices (professional, research and communication). Assessment is conducted in such a way as to assure and sustain the integrity of the assessment process.
- Connectedness
Unit-based assessments are conceived in meaningful relationship to each other, and to assessment in related units, and to course learning outcomes.
- Sustainability
Assessment and feedback promote deep learning, building learners’ capability for self-evaluation and independent and lifelong learning.
- Fairness
Assessment and feedback are equitable and inclusive of all intended participants, enabling all learners to demonstrate, to the best of their ability, their achievement of learning outcomes, and take account of reasonable adjustments for individual students where appropriate. Information about assessment processes (such as moderation and grading) is transparent and plainly communicated to students.
- Validity
Assessment and feedback are valid, aligned and reliable in enabling and confirming the achievement of standards and stated learning outcomes by learners.
Course Assessment Blueprint
Courses must have a whole-of-course assessment strategy illustrated as a Course Assessment Blueprint. The approved Course Assessment Blueprint:
- ensures unit assessment is directly connected to the course learning outcomes
- specifies the requirements for assessment and feedback types and patterns enacted within and across units, informed by graduate and course learning outcome reference points
- includes the academic rationale for any part of the framework which varies from this policy
- is approved in accordance with the Curriculum development, approval and accreditation policy (C/4.1), at the time of course accreditation or reaccreditation.
5.1.5 Typical unit-based assessment pattern
In the absence of an approved Course Assessment Blueprint and if specific requirements for a unit are not prescribed, assessment must be designed in a way that ensures assessment in individual units complies with a typical unit assessment pattern. For a 12-credit point unit:
- the maximum weighting of an assessment item is 60% of the total summative assessment for the unit
- the minimum weighting of an assessment item is 10% of the total summative assessment for the unit
- the maximum weighting for examinations is 60% of the total summative assessment for the unit
- the maximum weighting for the collective component of team work is 50% of the total summative assessment for the unit
- two or three summative assessment items for a 12-credit point unit.
Further guidance on assessment patterns, including exceptions, is provided in Procedures: assessment and feedback (QUT staff access only).
5.1.6 Standards-based approach to assessment
Assessment at QUT is conducted with reference to learning outcomes and clearly defined standards of performance.
Assessment criteria for assessment items reflect what students are expected to learn through those assessment items. Performance descriptors reflect the expected standards of performance for the assessment criteria relative to the level of assessment (i.e. introductory, developing, mastery, capstone).
Standards are differentiated to transparently and consistently calibrate to the achievement descriptors of the QUT grading (C/5.2). Assessment and feedback procedures provide further guidance on development of standards-based assessment.
5.1.7 Assurance of achievement standards in assessment
Achievement standards refer to the quality of learning demonstrated by a student, with respect to knowledge, skills and abilities, through the summative assessment they complete in units and courses. QUT monitors the quality of student learning in units and courses by assuring achievement standards.
Assuring achievement standards is a scheduled cyclical practice conducted according to QUT’s Assuring achievement standards guidelines (QUT staff access only).
Internally, it involves course teams interacting and collaborating to:
- validate assessment tasks and the standards and criteria by which they will be assessed, and
- calibrate and moderate results, in the process of marking and grading, including ensuring the comparability of the application of standards across multiple markers.
Externally, it involves independent and knowledgeable peers or recognised authoritative groups (such as professional and industry bodies) in the review and calibration of QUT’s standards in comparison to other institutional settings and professional contexts.
5.1.8 Communication to students about assessment and feedback
Students are entitled to:
- timely, complete and accessible information about assessment, including examinations, through publication of unit outlines (C/4.5.3) and additional unit information (C/4.5.5)
- timely access to feedback on, and the results of, their own individual assessment items, including examinations.
5.1.9 Student submission of assessment items
QUT requires students to submit assessment work via the specified means by the due date and time set for submission so that it may be marked against assessment criteria, with feedback returned in a timely manner to support future learning. Students must meet assessment timeframes unless special circumstances prevent this occurring and an academic concession is granted.
5.1.10 Access to assessment results
The release of assessment results supports the objective of providing timely feedback as a support to future learning and also promotes administrative release of information under right to information and privacy legislation.
Access to grades
Students are entitled to timely access to the grades of their own individual assessment items. During the course of a teaching period students should discuss their progress in all assessment tasks with relevant teaching staff, and can expect to be provided with a clear indication of the extent to which they have or have not achieved the criteria and standards set for each assessment item. Since this step may constitute a significant component of the learning outcomes for the unit, this should be undertaken as soon as possible (normally within five working days) after the release of the grades and/or return of the assessment item.
Access to examination scripts
A student may request access to their own examination scripts, written answers to examination questions or other forms of written assessment. The request must be made within three months of the release of final grades in the unit, as this is the minimum period for which examination scripts or other written materials must be retained. Unit coordinators must make appropriate arrangements for students to obtain access to these materials. Access is generally in the form of perusal of the examination script under supervision, which may incorporate individual feedback on performance where possible.
If a student requests a photocopy of their examination script, a fee is levied under the Student User Charging policy (G/8.4).
However, where examination question papers or other forms of assessment will be re-used in successive examinations, unit coordinators must arrange for students to receive advice on their performance with reference to their own examination scripts in a way which does not prejudice the examination mode. In this case, the student is not entitled to obtain a photocopy of the examination script.
Assignments
Assignments are generally returned to students following completion of marking, with appropriate general and specific feedback. This is done in a manner which does not breach other students’ privacy and protects their work from tampering or unauthorised access.
5.1.11 Procedures made under this policy
Procedures made under this policy provide further guidance to staff on assessment requirements and design of assessment at course and unit level. The Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education) approves the procedures.
5.1.12 Definitions
Assessment means work (for example, an examination, written task, project, practical, performance) which a student is required to complete for educational purposes, including to permit grading.
Formative assessment (or assessment for learning) is used to monitor student learning and provides feedback to students to assist them in improving their learning outcomes.
Summative assessment (or assessment of learning) evaluates student learning outcomes against specified standards or criteria, providing the basis for grading and reporting student achievement.
Related Documents
MOPP B/8.1 QUT Staff Code of Conduct
MOPP C/4.1 Curriculum design, approval and accreditation
MOPP C/4.3 Capabilities for QUT graduates
MOPP C/4.4 Work integrated learning
MOPP C/4.5 Unit and module information
MOPP C/4.6 Course quality assurance
MOPP C/4.7 Evaluation of courses, units, teaching and student experience
MOPP C/5.2 QUT grading
MOPP C/5.3 Academic integrity
MOPP C/5.5 Student academic concessions
MOPP E/2.1 Student Code of Conduct
MOPP E/6.1 Examinations
MOPP E/6.7 Academic progress
Assessment and Feedback Procedures and Guidelines (QUT staff access only)
Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency Act 2011 (Cth)
Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2021
Modification History
Date |
Sections |
Source |
Details |
30.09.19 | All | Provost | Approved position title change for Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) to Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Education) |
13.03.19 | C/5.1.3 | Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) | Revised responsibilites resulting from organisational structure changes |
09.01.19 | All | Director, Governance and Legal Services | Policy revised to include approved position title change from assistant dean/s to associate dean/s |
25.05.18 | C/5.1.12 | University Academic Board | Revised policy to include consequential changes from the repeal of the Student Rules - effective 01.07.18 |
21.07.17 | All | University Academic Board | Revised policy – effective 01.01.18. Incorporates rescinded policy E/6.6 Access to assessment results |
20.09.13 | All | University Academic Board | Periodic review – policy revised |
19.02.11 |
All |
Vice-Chancellor |
Policy revised to include approved name change for Office of Teaching Quality to Learning and Teaching Unit and position title for Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Teaching Quality) to Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) |
13.08.10 |
All |
University Academic Board |
Revised policy - minor editorial changes only |
29.05.09 |
All |
University Academic Board |
Revised policy, effective from 01.01.10 for new courses and units, and from 01.01.11 for existing courses and units |
14.11.08 |
All |
University Academic Board |
Policy renumbered to C/5.1 (formerly C/9.1) |
11.03.05 |
C/5.1.11 |
University Academic Board |
Revised to include new policy on assessment of workplace learning (C/5.1.11) - remaining sub-sections renumbered accordingly (endorsed by Teaching and Learning Committee 01.03.05) |
19.03.04 |
C/5.1.13 |
University Academic Board |
Revised policy to include a statement on eligibility to undertake assessment (endorsed by Academic Policy and Procedures Committee 12.03.04) |
26.09.03 |
All |
University Academic Board |
New assessment policy (endorsed by Teaching and Learning Committee 09.09.03) - effective 01.01.2004 |