Sink or swim? Using assessment criteria to help students reach their potential

Chapman, Amanda ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9867-3040 (2006) Sink or swim? Using assessment criteria to help students reach their potential. In: 3rd Education in a Changing Environment conference, 12-13 January 2006, University of Salford, UK.

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Abstract

St Martin’s College is a small higher education college that has effectively embraced the widening participation agenda. Many of our students are first generation higher education users and come from low socio-economic backgrounds. The culture and ‘habitas’ of an academic institution is one that is often unfamiliar and alien to them. Understanding assessment criteria is one of the many key skills that students have to acquire quickly. Knowing what is required is a vital step to producing assessments that showcase ability. However, the language often used in grade descriptors and marking criteria can be a barrier to some. This research attempts to address some of these issues using active research methods in a multi-disciplinary cross-college project. This paper looks at the results of a year of strategic interventions for a first-year economics group. A variety of interventions were used in both semesters including tuition with marking criteria and grade descriptors, the use of exemplars, feedback analysis and formative peer review analysis. These different approaches will be evaluated and a successful model to help students reach their potential will be proposed. This paper will be of interest to anyone who teaches first-year students from diverse backgrounds.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Paper)
Journal / Publication Title:	Education in a Changing Environment 12th-13th January 2006 Conference Proceedings
Publisher:	University of Salford
ISBN:	1905732074
Related URL(s):	Organisation
Departments:	Academic Departments > Business, Law, Policing & Social Sciences (BLPSS) > Business
Depositing User:	Insight Administrator
Date Deposited:	01 Feb 2012 15:11
Last Modified:	11 Jan 2024 19:15
URI:	https://insight.cumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/1060

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