INSCAPE DESIGN COLLEGE
Student Assessment Policy and Procedures
R1.5
2010/06/11
“It is
the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and
knowledge”
Albert Einstein
Student Assessment Policy
The overriding objective at Inscape is to
develop our students into responsible, creative, successful, practicing
practitioners with a passion for their profession.
Integrated assessment of integrated assignments
is employed (as opposed to examinations) as the internalisation and application
of theory and skills in context is appropriate to learning in the creative disciplines.
Inscape employs criterion-referenced assessment
in preference to norm-referenced assessment as it I a more reliable instrument
for gauging learning in a diverse population in the creative industries.
Formative assessment is used for progress
marking and summative assessment for marking of completed assignments.
The assessment instrument must also accommodate
a diverse student population. In a
‘transformed’ education situation, an authentic assessment system that measures
the true competence of its students must also be developmental and formative in
nature. Inscape constantly explores the
use of alternative assessment methods to help measure true student competence.
National
Qualifications Framework
Inscape subscribes to the principles of the
National Qualifications Framework. These
principles are implemented in our curriculum development process so that they
may be implemented at assessment.
Exercise and project assignments are assessed in accordance with the
internationally accepted assessment principles of the NQF.
validity and reliability of assessment
Inscape employs the NQF Principles of
Assessment which are:
·
Appropriateness:
the
method of assessment is suited to the performance being assessed.
·
Fairness:
the
method of assessment does not present any barriers to achievements, which are
not related to the evidence.
·
Manageability:
the
methods used make for easily arranged, cost-effective assessments that do not
unduly interfere with learning.
·
Integration into work or learning:
evidence
collection is integrated into the work or learning process where this is
appropriate and feasible.
·
Validity:
the
assessment focuses on the requirements laid down in the Standard; i.e. the
assessment is fit for purpose.
·
Direct:
the
activities in the assessment mirror the conditions of actual performance as
closely as possible
·
Authenticity:
the
assessor is satisfied that the work being assessed is attributable to the
person being assessed.
·
Sufficient:
the
evidence collected establishes that all criteria have been met and that
performance to the required Standard can be repeated consistently.
·
Systematic:
planning
and recording is sufficiently rigorous to ensure that assessment is fair.
·
Open:
students
can contribute to the planning and accumulation of evidence. Assessment
candidates understand the assessment process and the criteria that apply.
·
Consistent:
the same
assessor would make the same judgement again in similar circumstances. The
judgement made is similar to the judgement that would be made by other
assessors.
formative
assessment
The college employs continuous assessment as this is a useful developmental tool for
students in the creative industries.
Progress marking of projects (marking student work at key stages of its
development) also assists the student with time management: implementing an
effective preparation and planning regime.
Assessment tools should include group critique
and verbal feedback. A moderator may
present to provide an additional perspective.
Group critiques (discussed below) are usually more beneficial. Results and comments are communicated to the
students there and then to facilitate the learning process.
Marks are assigned to the appropriate Specific
Outcomes categories: skills, knowledge, creativity and values, allowing the
student to evaluate their own achievement in relation to the expected outcomes
and associated assessment criteria specified in the brief.
summative
assessment
Summative assessment of projects captures the
holistic appreciation of an assignment by evaluating an inter-related body of
work.
Completed work is critiqued and marked as soon
as possible after work is submitted to ensure it is still fresh in the
students’ minds. Once again, group
critiques (discussed below) are usually more beneficial and a moderator may
present to provide an additional perspective.
Results and comments are again communicated to the students there and
then.
Student Assessment Procedures
Work must be submitted for assessment to
the lecturer no later than (the time and) the date stipulated on the course
outline.
deadlines,
extensions and penalties (Design Programmes)
Normally, extensions for work submission are
not granted, however,
·
a lecturer
may, at his/her discretion and with good reason (evidence must be provided),
grant an extension on a hand-in deadline of a maximum of 24hours, without
applying a late submission penalty;
·
thereafter,
an extension may only be granted, under critical circumstances, with the
permission of the Programme Co-ordinator, after receiving a written request
from a student and convincing motivation (including a police docket number or a
doctor’s letter);
·
if the
Programme Co-ordinator decides not to grant the extension s/he must indicate
reasons therefore on the application letter;
·
if the
Programme Co-ordinator grants an extension, that decision and the penalty (if
applicable) is to be written on the application letter;
·
where the student has a valid
reason for a late submission (like a doctor's note or a police case number),
submission must be made two days after the last sick day on the note;
·
in all
other circumstances, if work is not submitted on or before the specified
deadline, the work will be accepted, marked and a 100% penalty shall be applied.
late- and resubmissions of work (Design Programmes)
The following conditions apply:
·
a student may make a maximum of one late- or resubmission for
every ten (or part thereof) assignments per subject during each academic year without
having to furnish reasons or be granted permission, and without attracting a penalty, and may earn a
maximum mark of up to 50% for each late- or resubmission. The higher of the two marks awarded for that assignment shall apply;
·
the late- or resubmission must submitted within the same academic
term in which the original deadline of that project occurred. Assignments
submitted thereafter, will not be accepted, and thus not assessed;
·
the student must arrange with the relevant lecturer for
submission of the work on the due date specified in the course outline. If the
student fails to submit the work on that date, the original mark remains, and
the work may not be submitted on any other date;
·
when a student
resubmits an assignment, s/he may choose to either redo or improve the
assignment;
·
when not submitted to the relevant lecturer, late- and resubmissions
must be made to the college receptionist in person no later than 16:00 and the
students must sign a submission register.
The student must advise the lecturer of the submission. The lecturers must sign the register upon
collection of the project.
Exceptions to the rule:
Oral Presentations:
No
provision is made for a late or re-submission of the oral presentations.
Group Projects:
No provision is made for a late or
re-submission of the group projects.
Portfolios, Research Papers, Final
Project and Seminars:
Late or re-submission of a portfolio will
only be permitted where the student meets all other requirements for promotion
or graduation. A written application
together with supporting documentation and signed by the coordinator must be
submitted to the Academic Manager for approval. The coordinator will then
arrange an alternative date and new externals examiners/moderators.
If the student fails the final project, a date will be allocated for a
re-submission. The maximum mark that may
be awarded for the re-submission is 50%. Where a valid reason for a non- or
late attendance (like a doctor's note or an affidavit) is furnished, the
student may submit on the supplementary date; however, if the student fails, a
second opportunity to present will not be granted.
Where a valid reason for a non- or late attendance of a seminar (like a
doctor's note or an affidavit) is furnished, a new time slot will be allocated.
The
student must follow the procedure set out below:
1.
Late and re-submissions must be made to the college
receptionist in person,
2.
The student is responsible for ensuring that the
receptionist signs their Assignment Submission Form as proof of submission,
3.
The assignment must be ACCOMPANIED by the relevant Late/Re-submission
form which is available on the internet (www.inscape.co.za).
4.
The assignment will be given to the Academic Manager
in Gauteng or the Principal in Cape Town. The Academic Manager / Principal /
coordinator will instruct the relevant lecturer to assess and process the
assignment,
5.
The student must advise the lecturer of the submission.
Internal procedure:
1.
The receptionist receives the late- or resubmission,
2.
The receptionist ensures the submission includes a Late/Resubmission
form and the assignment,
3.
The receptionist emails the student and acknowledges receipt
of the assignment and form. The receptionist captures a note on ICAS regarding
the receipt of the late submission,
4.
The form is signed by the Academic Manager or Cape Town
Principal and the date of receipt is noted,
5.
The receptionist emails the lecturer and informs them of the
late submission and places it in a designated area / cupboard / shelf with a
copy of the signed Late/Re submission form,
6.
The lecturer receives the assignment and the form and assesses
it accordingly,
7.
The results are recorded on the form and are then captured on the
ICAS system by the Assessor,
8.
Assignments are placed in the collection shelves in each
campus. The student is notified by email / sms / telephonically to collect the
assessed assignment by the receptionist. Assignments will be kept till the end
of the current term, after which they will be discarded,
9.
The submission form is filed in a central and accessible point
alphabetically by surname.
late- and resubmissions of work (Draughting
and Decorating Programmes)
A student may make a late- or resubmission
of any assignment in any module provided they meet the following conditions:
1.
Students may only make late or re-submissions of work if
a.
their fees are up to date; and
b.
they have attended at least 50% of the classes, and have
been marked as present on the attendance register;
2.
Students must have submitted all assignments and have passed
all modules within 24 months of course commencement to pass the course. Failure to do so will result in the student
having to re-enrol for the outstanding module/s;
3.
A six week lead time is allowed from submission of the
late/resubmission to the completion of assessment;
4.
In the case of resubmissions, the final result awarded
is the result that applies.
5.
The student must follow the procedure set out below:
6.
Download the Late/Resubmission form from www.inscape.co.za and complete it,
7.
Make the relevant payment (by credit card or by EFT) per
assignment and attach the proof of payment to the completed form,
Please note: The payment due is the amount specified
on the Late/Re-Submission form, payable per assignment (NOT per module). Each individual assignment code is an
individual payment.
8. Make a work pack by placing all work in clear plastic
sleeves of appropriate size,
9.
Fix to the sleeves, a label with:
course name ‚ assignment name or number ƒ
original lecturer’s name „ submission date and a copy of the
signed Late/Re-submission application form with proof of payment,
10.
Give the work pack to the college receptionist between 8:30
am and 4:30 pm on a college day. Sign the
receptionist’s Assignment Submission form.
Internal procedure:
1.
The receptionist receives the Late/Re-submission pack. (Lecturers
may NOT accept late- or resubmissions),
2.
The receptionist must NOT accept the work if it is not
accompanied by the submission form and relevant proof of payment,
3.
The receptionist places the work (together with submission
form and relevant proof of payment) in the lecturers’ work-in shelf,
4.
The receptionist emails the student and acknowledges
receipt of the assignment and form. The receptionist captures a note on ICAS
regarding the receipt of the late submission,
5.
The submission form is signed by the Academic Manager (in
Gauteng) or Cape Town Principal and the date of receipt is noted. Fees status is checked and confirmed before
assessment may be completed. If fees are in arrears, an email / sms or
telephone call is made to the student to inform them that the assessment cannot
be processed until fees are brought up to date,
6.
The Academic Manager in Gauteng and the Principal in
Cape Town assess the late or re-submission work or instructs a lecturer to do
so. (Lecturers DO NOT assess their
students’ late or re-submitted assignments, unless otherwise instructed by the
Academic Manager or Cape Town Principal),
7.
The results are recorded on the form and are then
captured on the ICAS system by the Assessor.
8.
The Assessor places the assignments in the collection
shelves in the campus,
9.
The Assessor advises the receptionist to notify the
student to collect the work. The receptionist
notifies student by email / SMS / telephone to collect the assessed assignment.
Assignments will be kept till the end of
the current term, after which they will be discarded.
10.
The form is filed in a central and accessible point
alphabetically per surname.
validity and reliability of assessment
To ensure that lecturers and
moderators remain as objective as possible and that the assessment is reliable,
all briefs include the desired outcomes and the associated assessment criteria
[aligned with the subject matter] in the SAQA specified format. The work is assessed against the criteria to establish
the extent of the students’ applied competence.
The mark sheet is structured to allow the
analysis of exercises and projects into the Specific Outcome categories:
Knowledge, Skills, Values and Creativity.
The lecturer reflects the component marks against the different aspects
of the exercise or project so that students can see where their efforts are
bearing fruit or where improvement is needed.
Critical Cross-field Outcomes are naturally integrated into design
assignments.
Another lecturer, where
appropriate, moderates projects.
Provision is made for moderation mark on the Inscape mark sheet. The average of all the marks is awarded.
The following are some of the instruments that
may be used to monitor student progress:
·
continuous
project-based assessment,
·
continuous
evaluation of students' progress during interactive class critique,
·
peer
assessment during interactive class critique of students' work,
·
self
evaluation - students critique their own work,
·
internal
and external moderation …
In most cases, work is marked as soon as
possible after submission and is conducted in the form of a 'group crit' giving
the students an opportunity to learn from one another.
Lecturers return assessed work and marks to
students as soon as possible after assessment.
This is done because Inscape views assessment as a development tool and
students need to appreciate how and where there work can be improved as soon as
possible. (Certain items may be
temporarily retained for display purposes but as it is the intention to assist
students to develop a Portfolio of work, the work is returned to the student in
good condition as soon as reasonably possible.)
assessment
marks
Exercises usually relate to a single subject
and take the student between one day and one week to complete. A mark of between 10 and 100 is allocated.
Projects measure knowledge, skills, values and
creativity across a range of integrated subjects in a meaningful whole. They typically take between a week and a term
to complete and are usually allocated between 100 and 250 marks.
Mark sheets have been specially developed for
assessing both exercises and projects.
As projects may be expected to carry a greater weight, the marks awarded
may have to be analysed in greater depth than those for an exercise.
All marks are filed in a secure place
accessible to the academic staff and Programme Co-ordinators as soon as
possible after assessment.
In the case of projects, the critical outcomes
are analysed, where appropriate, within the specific outcomes. Example sheets are provided to assist
lecturers.
Just as exercises and projects will be weighted
differently according to their importance in the scheme of work for that year,
so the individual outcomes within exercise or project the may be weighted
according to their importance in that particular exercise or project.
Lecturers evaluate the extent to which the
student has successfully met the requirements of the brief (achieved the
desired associated outcomes). The
lecturers then digitally record the marks awarded on the appropriate mark sheet
and where necessary the marks are moderated.
The mark sheets are then uploaded into the college database so that
academic reports may be produced.
Once the mark sheets have been uploaded into
the college database, this will be used to generate an overview schedule of
marks awarded to the class for all work done in that year for evaluation by the
lecturers. A more detailed report is
also generated for each student, which is forwarded to the student at midyear,
at the end of the third quarter and at the end of the year.
Portfolios
(Design Programmes)
Portfolios are assessed at the end of each
year.
At least two lecturers and two competent and
impartial external moderators, one of whom is a respected academic and the
other a recognised practitioner in the relevant industry, are appointed to
assess final year portfolios.
·
The
moderators are briefed on the requirements of the assignment and on the
assessment criteria by the final year lecturer. Each moderator assesses
examples of work at each end of the mark spectrum and at midrange without
consulting with one another, and awards marks in accordance with the assessment
criteria. The average of the marks is
awarded for each portfolio. If there is
a less than 10% discrepancy between their marks and those the Inscape
lecturers, the lecturers’ marks are not changed. Otherwise, the assignments must be remarked
by alternate Inscape lecturers.
This document should be read
in conjunction with
Policies and Procedures for Moderation
end
proposed amendments
in red
changes since previous
release in blue