INSCAPE EDUCATION GROUP
Student Assessment Policy and Procedures
R1.5.2
2011/09/26
“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 (inscape 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 (inscape 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. A student may earn a maximum mark of up to 50% for each late submission;
· In the case of a 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 (olearn courses)
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 (inscape 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.
Reporting
Procedures for the generation and distribution of academic reports.
inscape design reports:
1. Open the Learner Management System (ICAS)
2. Check that all results have been captured
3. Capture zero’s where results have not been captured and inform the responsible lecturer
4. Add a comment at bottom of the report (in the design view of reports) informing students of date of commencement of the next term and that they should consult www.inscape.co.za to view changes to the timetable
5. Print detailed reports (Assessment Group Student Report)
6. PDF detailed reports and email to logistics@olearn.co.za for archiving
7. Stamp and post reports
olearn reports:
3. Open the Learner Management System (ICAS)
4. Check that all results have been captured
2. Capture zero’s where results have not been captured and inform the responsible lecturer (including creativity mark for AD)
3. Include a comment at bottom of the report (in the design view of reports) informing students of date of commencement of the next term and that they should consult www.olearn.co.za to view changes to the timetable
4. Print detailed reports (Assessment Group Student Report)
5. PDF detailed reports and email to logistics@olearn.co.za for archiving
6. Stamp and post reports
This document should be read in conjunction with
Policies and Procedures for Moderation
end
proposed amendments in red
changes since previous release in blue