The University for the Creative Arts,

Student Engagement Project Group

Summary

Student Experience Conference 2014: Feedback and Assessment

On the 21st of November, 64 students and staff of UCA gathered at the Coin

Street Neighbourhood Centre, London, to understand how students at UCA are

assessed and how this information is fedback to the Students.

After being welcomed, badged and offered a warm beverage, Students were

welcomed by a speech by Mark Little (Executive Dean). Marianne Mckie (from

learning and development) opened proceedings with a discussion on what

students think about feedback and assessment based on research from students

at UCA and across the country.

Following this, staff and students were given a number of statements about

feedback and assessment, and asked to discuss how true these were is a group.

This fed in to the Panel on feedback and assessment. Where student, staff as

well as a speaker from the QAA talked about they different points of view on

assessment.

After a terrific lunch, students were asked to have a go at marking an example of

students work itself, using a marking matrix.

Towards the end of the day, the new updated Student Charter was

ceremoniously signed by the University and Students’ Union executives. Staff

and Students were asked who they believed were responsible for different parts.

Finally the Vice-Chancellor summed up the day and there was a raffle where a

number of university mechanise and an I-pad was won

What did we learn from the day?

You should be given information on coursework and projects as early as possible, in an easily understood way.

The work that you do should help you learn, not sum up what you already know.

It should be explained how your assessment will help you learn, and that it should feel more planned and not feel like it is up to the whim of your tutor.

The level and quality of feedback from on your work should feel consistent. It

should explain why you received the grade that you did.

Tutors should be encouraged to speak to students earlier, if they think you might be going off track. There needs to be more encouragement of staff and students to talk to each other more often and more honestly in a safe environment.

Related to the point above, students reported the view that although contact time with tutors within creative arts subjects were necessarily high in comparison to other subjects, the increase in tuition fees meant that there was an expectation that students should receive more time from their tutors;

The conference provided an opportunity for open discussion between students

and teaching staff which was well received. Requests were received for these to

be provided more frequently and embedded into the normal academic cycle

rather than staged as one off conference events.

A Selection of posters filled in on the day