The students made visual records of their experiences of assessment and created posters which recorded their negative and positive experiences of assessment.
Views of the students
The students praised some forms of assessment, speaking in depth about 'practical' forms of assessment - examples of these included coaching skills, event management and video production (McCafferty et al, 2005). An overall summary of the main points raised by students can be seen in Table 1. These findings were mirrored by the staff focus groups.
Table 1. Students' views of written assessments
|
| Positive |
Negative |
Students' Suggestions |
Forced them to study
Proof that they had earned a degree
Proved basic competence in all areas
|
Too much pressure
Poor performance despite good performance during the year
Takes a long time to revise
Unsure how to structure papers
Dyslexic students need more time,
difficulty concentrating,
disturbed by other students leaving.
Stigmatised by needing 'extra time'. Will avoid courses with exams. |
Put less weight on examinations
Prefer ongoing in class assessment/in class tests
Prefer revising in small chunks/gives better perspective on learning
|
Essays/Reports
|
| Have more time to structure work and express ideas clearly |
There are too many of them |
|
Next Results - Non written Assessments |
