Overview

Background

This project is a continuation of the work completed in SAC034 - Assessment and Progression which delivered the communication of progression decisions to students and a pilot of Assessment and Progression Tools (APT) in 7 Schools and a Deanery during 2015/16.

This phase of work is to roll out APT across the remaining Schools and Deaneries, develop further functionality to support Assessment and Progression business processes and enhance the tools developed during the pilot. SMART, the current corporate assessment tool will be decommissioned by the end of 2016 as part of this project. 

In 2016/17 17 Schools/Deaneries and the Centre for Open Learning will use APT with the remaining Schools/Deaneries using APT in 2017/18.

This project supports the Assessment strand of the Student Systems Roadmap and supports the 'Oustanding Student Experience' Theme in the University's Strategic Plan. 

The project has an established Steering Group which will continue to provide governance through 2106/17.

Scope

This phase of the project can be split into 3 main themes: 

1. Embedding the use of tools in the Schools and Deaneries in 2016/17 through training and support 
2. Preparing the remaining Schools and Deaneries for the use of the tools in 2017/18
3. Development of new software to provide further support to the Assessment and Progression business processes.

The following is out of scope for this project:

• Comprehensive tools to support Special Circumstances and coursework extensions. A business case for this is currently under review in the Service Excellence programme.

Objectives

1. 17 Schools and Deaneries and the Centre for Open Learning using APT to administer assessments, exam boards and progression/classification boards during 2016/17 without recourse to other systems
2. Marks for in year assessment and exam marks on courses adminstered within APT able to be viewed by students through EUCLID in a timely manner.
3. Remaining Schools and Deaneries ready to use APT in 2017/18 with any additional software required developed to support them
4. SMART decomissioned by the end of 2016.

Deliverables

Software deliverables:

1. Provision of barcode labels
2. Double marking & marker identification
3. Publication of component (in-course assessment) marks
4. Student view of component marks
5. PT view of component marks
6. DPT maintenance
7. Management of course enrolments
8. Standard setting/scaling
9. Integrate exam information from CCAM
10. Enhanced Reassessment functionality
11. Enhancements to current assessment setup, mark entry and course board processing
12. Enhancements to Progression and Classification processing
13. A simplified, standardised set of course and progression & classification board reports

Other deliverables:

1. Agreed set of progression and award/classification rules to support the programmes offered across the University
2. Transition plans for schools adopting APT for 2017/18
3. Operational support delivered to support schools using the tools throughout 2016/17
4. Handover of the technical support of APT to IS Applications management
5. University key dates for ratification and publication of marks to support progression and award/classification boards

Benefits

By the end of this phase of the APT project the following benefits will have been realised:

Student Experience

1. Students can view the assessment structures for all their courses in one place.
2. In-course assessment results are available to both students and members of staff (through EUCLID student hub) in a timely manner. This allows for better informed discussions between Personal Tutors (and other staff) and students relating to academic performance. Students don't have to access different systems to get an up-to date view of their progress.
3. Programme-specific progression requirements for all a students courses (e.g. must pass at 50% to progress) are clearly defined available to students in EUCLID. Students will have a clear understanding of their progression requirements.
4. The DRPS more accurately and clearly reflects the programme requirements.

Administration efficiencies

1. Course marks that have been ratified at a board can be ratified quickly in EUCLID and be available for progression and classification boards, eliminating the vast majority of 'off system' communications between administrative staff in different schools ahead of exam boards. This reduces the time required to prepare for exam boards. 
2. The status of overall course marks is clear to staff administering exam boards, reducing risk of error in the preparation of exam boards.
3. DPTs can be more accurately defined to include agreed elevated hurdles (e.g. passing courses at 50% at first attempt).
4. Student-specific course enrolments can be easily defined, maintained and viewed, enabling any staff looking at the student record to understand what must be achieved in individual courses for the student to progress. 
5. Staff have the ability to control the timing of the publication of in-course assessment, overall course and progression & award/classification decisons.
6. There is a small number of standardised set of business processes and reports for administration of assessment and exam boards across the University, enabling adminstrative staff to:
   • spend less time preparing for board meetings
   • move more easily between subject areas and Schools

Management information

1. Comprehensive information will be held centrally in the student record system and will be available to relevant staff for a range of processes, from the processing to assessments to considering appeals. This includes:
   • marks for individual items of assessment
   • an audit of changes of marks for individual items of assessment
   • notes against course results as presented to exam boards and any notes made as a result of exam boards
   • notes to students relating to course results including outcomes of Special Circumstances applications
   • audit of marks given by individual markers (enabling auditing for consistency of marking)
    

Success Criteria

During 2016/17

1. Students view assessment marks and overall course marks through EUCLID.  
2. Marks are successfully shared with Schools not using APT to support the relevant exam boards in summer 2017.
3. Participating schools use APT to administer course assessment and exam boards without recourse to external systems
4. Award, progression decisions and course marks are ratified in the system in a timely manner using APT.
5. SMART is successfully decommissioned
6. Student Systems Operations have a suitable support structure in place to support the users of the system
7. The Schools adopting APT in 2017/18 have transition plans in place

In 2017/18

1. Remaining Schools and Deaneries adopt APT in 2017/18
2. Dissemination of best practice information and support for to move towards a standardised practice