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Assessment Principles Policy

This is not a current document. It has been repealed and is no longer in force.

Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy applies to all course and subject offerings from 2013.

(2) The Policy sets a framework of minimum quality standards for assessment within which Faculties/Schools will devise procedural guidelines for assessment and grading that are consistent with the intent and directions of this University Policy.

(3) This Policy should be read in conjunction to the Moderation Policy and the Assessment Policy - Coursework Subjects.

Introduction and Background

(4) Charles Sturt University (the University) is committed to providing a variety of learning environments to meet the different needs of students drawn from diverse educational, social, ethnic and economic backgrounds.

(5) Assessment is an exercise of professional judgment by staff and others, and takes place in a variety of contexts including classrooms, online and distance learning, work placements and other settings.

(6) Assessment is widely thought to be the single most important determinant of learning behaviour. It is an integral part of the teaching and learning process that contributes significantly to learning outcomes. What is assessed and how it is assessed give clear messages to students about what the University considers to be important.

(7) Assessment at the University must cater to the needs of several stakeholders:

  1. Students, who need a fair assessment process that does not place unreasonable demands on their time or competence, contributes to their learning and gives them a reputable qualification;
  2. Staff, who have a concern for students and a commitment to professional integrity;
  3. The University, which has a reputation to maintain and a budget to consider;
  4. The community, which must have confidence in the University's qualifications;
  5. Potential employers and accrediting bodies, which must be able to trust the reliability and validity of the University's qualifications;
  6. Government bodies, such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency;
  7. External parties, including colleagues in workplace learning locations, who assist with the assessment and grading of the University's students.

(8) Assessment is the process of attributing value to the examined outcomes of any task (examination, assignment, practical and other) that a student is required to undertake and complete in order to satisfy the requirements of their studies. The application of this value may be summative (part of the official system of recording performance and grades) or formative (which provides feedback to help students to evaluate, develop their skills and improve their performance).

(9) At the University, assessment and grading are based on a criterion-referenced standards-based approach where assessment is aligned to pre-determined and defined criteria and related standards of skills, knowledge and competencies. Criteria and standards-based assessment practices require specific criteria and performance standards to be identified and stated so that students understand clearly the level of performance required for each assessment task. In this context, criteria are defined performance attributes to which the assessor refers when forming a judgment about the student's response to the different aspects of the assessment task. Standards describe the quality of student performance in relation to the criteria in any assessment task. The use of assessment criteria enhances transparency and consistency because expectations about student performance are made clear to students and staff. This enables students to develop better judgments about their own, and others', performances.

(10) Standards established must be aligned to the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level of the award and to the year of study. Students must graduate with appropriate standards of achievement.

(11) At the University, there are no pre-determined failure rates for subjects, and there are no given guidelines specifying what percentage of students in a specific cohort will achieve each passing grade.

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Section 2 - GLOSSARY

(12) For the purpose of this Policy:

  1. Assessment - is the process of ascribing value to the outcome of any work that a student undertakes whilst engaged in a course of studies.
  2. Assessment tasks - include, but are not limited to: essays, tests, examinations, laboratory, clinical or field practicum, projects, compilations, productions, presentations, performances, web-based discussion.
  3. Cohort - refers to all students correctly enrolled in a subject.
  4. Criteria - are specific performance attributes or characteristics that the assessor takes into account when making a judgment about the student response to the different elements of the assessment task.
  5. Criterion - referencing is the assessment of the extent to which a student achieved the stated learning outcomes of a subject. This assessment is carried out against previously specified benchmarks ('criteria'). Where a grade is assigned, it is assigned on the basis of the standard the student has achieved on each of the criteria. It provides a focus for teaching and learning and specifies for the lecturer and student what is required from the assessment task. In criterion referenced assessment, judgments about the quality of students' performance are made by reference to predetermined criteria and standards and not by reference to the achievement of other students. Criterion referenced assessment differs from norm-referenced assessment in which grades are determined by reference to other students' performance with only a certain percentage of students able to attain each grade. At the University, assessment is not norm-referenced.
  6. Formative assessment - a single assessment task is formative when it provides feedback to students on how their work can be improved. In this way, the intent is to help students to monitor and reflect on their learning progress and determine where improvements can be made.
  7. Moderation - is the process of reviewing subject assessment tasks and learning materials to achieve appropriateness and constructive alignment with learning outcomes. It is also the process of reviewing and checking the marking and grading of individual assessors to achieve consistency in the application of subject learning outcomes, performance standards and marking criteria. At the University, moderation has three phases: pre-delivery moderation; moderation during delivery; and post-delivery moderation.
  8. Norm referencing - means awarding marks and grades by reference to the performance of other students in the cohort, according to a prescribed distribution of grades.
  9. Reasonable adjustment - refers to a measure or action taken to assist a student with a disability to participate in studies on the same basis as other students without a disability. An adjustment is reasonable if it does this, while taking into account the student's barriers to study and balances the interests of all parties affected, including those of the student with the disability, the education provider, staff and other students. (Disability Standards for Education 2005).
  10. Standards - are statements describing the level of the quality of student performance in relation to the stated criteria in an assessment task. In standards-based assessment, specific criteria are established and standards (which are specified levels of the qualities of performance) are developed for those criteria for each assessment task. A student's achievement (and marks awarded) can then be assessed by reference to their standards of performance in various aspects of the assessment task. In this way, comparisons can be made between students based on their achievement of the standards. To achieve this, staff will need to identify and articulate clearly the different levels of performance that are connected to the grade and communicate those standards to students and other staff.
  11. Summative assessment - Assessment is summative when it forms part of the final grade in a subject. The student's work is assessed in terms of pre-determined standards so that it can be classified in terms of levels of achievement (grades).
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Section 3 - Policy

Part A - The Purposes of Assessment and Charles Sturt University (the University)

(13) The purposes of assessment are to:

  1. guide, encourage, evaluate and assign grades to student learning, fairly and reliably, by ensuring that assessment tasks are aligned to the desired learning outcomes which in turn reflect course and subject learning outcomes;
  2. discover areas of strength and weakness in a student's knowledge and to provide positive and informative feedback designed to help them improve their future understandings and performances;
  3. encourage students to focus their efforts on developing appropriate knowledge, understandings and skills;
  4. prepare students for life-long self-assessment and the professional judgment of others;
  5. select students on a competitive basis, for example in determining winners of scholarships, and prizes;
  6. measure and certify performance at the end of a course against established criteria and standards so that the level of competency is communicated externally, including to employers and accrediting bodies;
  7. ensure that the University's courses comply with the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), and assessment practices are consistent with the level of attainment required before the qualification is granted by the University.

Part B - Principles of Assessment

(14) The Assessment Policy is founded on the following principles:

  1. assessment at the University is criterion-referenced and standards-based where students' work is assessed against stated criteria that reflect the expected learning outcomes of the course and subject;
  2. the level of difficulty/complexity of the assessment tasks will align with, and be consistent with, the AQF requirements for the qualification level of that course;
  3. all assessment tasks and practices will be developed from a whole-of-course perspective using assessment mapping and overall the assessments must be aligned with the approved course standards;
  4. assessment will be sequenced and scaffolded to enable students to build progressively their capabilities and skills;
  5. assessment requirements in subjects, including the weighting of assessment tasks and the criteria against which tasks are assessed and marked, will be communicated to students before the subject commences;
  6. rules and expectations about assessment will be made clear to students;
  7. in the same subject offered across different courses, modes and sessions, assessment tasks will be equivalent, and assessment processes will be fair, and consistently applied, for all students. In relation to students with disabilities, reasonable adjustments will be made to ensure fair and equitable practice in accordance with policy and legislation, for example the University's Policy on Disability and Work/Study Adjustment and the Federal Disability Standards for Education (2005);
  8. students will be encouraged to engage in their own education, where students manage their own learning and develop as active partners in the learning process through undertaking challenging responsibilities and making choices;
  9. assessment will be conducted within a framework and context of academic integrity and minimises the occurrence of academic dishonesty;
  10. the responsibilities of both staff and students should be stated clearly and unambiguously;
  11. wherever possible, especially in first year undergraduate subjects, students will be required to complete an item of assessment with low weighting early in the teaching period, the purpose of which is to provide feedback to students;
  12. each course will include an identified subject(s) in which to place early assessment tasks used to identify students in need of additional English language and numeracy proficiency support;
  13. students will receive constructive adequate and timely feedback on their performances in assessment tasks;
  14. assessment will be complemented by appropriate and approved moderation processes;
  15. the University will ensure that student achievement in individual subjects is graded in accordance with the Assessment Policy — Coursework Subjects;
  16. assessment tasks and marking will allow students to demonstrate their level of capability where differentiation between the performances of students is required.

Part C - Students' Responsibilities

(15) Students are responsible for their own learning and for reaching appropriate standards in their studies. Students should ensure that reasonable measures are taken to satisfy assessment requirements. These include:

  1. ensuring that they have the necessary assumed knowledge, skills and experiences for enrolment in the subject;
  2. ensuring that they understand what is expected of them for each subject of enrolment (by reading carefully the online subject outline);
  3. ensuring they understand the requirements, including timetables, for examinations and other assessment tasks;
  4. completing all assigned activities, as well as preparing for those activities;
  5. becoming familiar, and complying, with the University's academic policies regarding academic misconduct;
  6. completing and submitting assigned tasks by the due date and in the required manner;
  7. keeping a copy of submitted assignments, where appropriate;
  8. collecting all marked assignments in sufficient time to learn from the feedback provided;
  9. obtaining assistance, including but not limited to academic and general support, as soon as it becomes clear that assistance is necessary.

Part D - Staff Responsibilities

(16) Staff have the following pre-assessment responsibilities:

  1. developing assessment items with colleagues in subject and course teams to ensure that assessment tasks are peer-reviewed before they are adopted for use;
  2. establishing valid criteria and standards of performance that are consistent with the assessment item and are aligned to the relevant learning outcomes and experiences as specified in the subject outline;
  3. situating assessment regimes for a subject within the assessment map for the course;
  4. ensuring that, once set and communicated to students, assessment tasks will not be altered, unless approved by the Head of School;
  5. communicating to students the assessment criteria and performance standards in the subject outline no less than two weeks before the subject offering commences. Students will be informed about: the expectations and requirements of assessment tasks; the marking criteria and standards for each assessment task, including the levels of performance required to achieve each passing grade in each task; and, the submission dates and presentation requirements of each task;
  6. ensuring that assessment tasks enable all students to demonstrate their knowledge, skills or competencies. This includes assessment situated in field trips, clinical or work placements and other subject requirements;
  7. when developing assessment tasks and subject requirements, ensuring that consideration is given to the diverse backgrounds of students, including indigenous, low socioeconomic status, first-in-family to attend university, mature age, and access through alternative entry programs such as TAFE etc; and
  8. ensuring that consideration is given to the provision of reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities.

(17) Staff have the following during-assessment responsibilities:

  1. providing relevant feedback on all items of assessment. In providing feedback to students, staff will:
    1. ensure that the feedback is timely, informative and supportive;
    2. outline what the student did well, what they did not do well and how the work could be improved;
    3. ensure that marks are justified against the stated assessment criteria and standards; and
    4. refer relevant students to appropriate academic and support services;
  2. ensuring that the University timelines and deadlines for the submission of examination papers are met;
  3. ensuring that Gradebook is used for recording students' marks. Staff will submit assessment marks in Gradebook and release marks to students progressively through the teaching session, and submit final grades for processing within the required timeframe;
  4. ensuring that assessment processes and grading are consistent with the Moderation Policy and guidelines and that:
    1. examination papers and assignments have been checked independently and contain no errors;
    2. the allocation of final grades in their subjects has suitable moderation checks that help to eliminate errors.

(18) Staff have the following post-assessment responsibilities:

  1. ensuring that adequate and accurate records, of marks and grades of individual student performances in their subject, are maintained and are accessible by relevant School staff;
  2. reviewing assessment tasks for their effectiveness in the assessment and grading processes;
  3. recommending grades to relevant School committees.

Part E - The Role of Faculties and Schools and Assessment Committees

(19) The Executive Dean is responsible for applying this Policy.

(20) The Faculty Assessment Committee is responsible for determining the grades of students in each subject.

(21) Course Directors or equivalent should ensure that a "whole of course" approach is adopted for assessment tasks, including the alignment of criteria and standards to the AQF level of the award, the level (year) of study, and the subject and course learning outcomes and learning experiences.

(22) The Executive Dean, or nominee will be responsible for the assessment tasks and processes of courses and subjects taught by the University's teaching partners, in consultation with Heads of School.

(23) The Head of School, or nominee, with the support of Course Directors, will ensure that assessment methods and practices of all staff, including sessional staff, comply with this Policy and the Moderation Policy.

(24) With a view to continual improvement, School and Faculty committees regularly will review and monitor the outcomes of subject assessment and will facilitate appropriate action plans to address issues of concern.

(25) For the responsibilities of relevant staff refer to the Delegations and Authorisations Policy, Schedule 9 — Academic and Course Delegations.

(26) In extraordinary circumstances, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), or nominee, in consultation with the relevant Executive Dean and with appropriate disciplinary input may determine the grades of individual students or of a cohort of students, and these grades will be reported to Academic Senate, along with the reasons for the determinations.

Part F - The Role of the Academic Senate

(27) Academic Senate is responsible for:

  1. approving and amending this Policy; and
  2. with the assistance of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), monitoring the implementation and regular reporting on the outcomes of this Policy.
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Section 4 - Procedures

(28) Nil.

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Section 5 - Guidelines

(29) Nil.