Harmonising the Marking Criteria and Assessment Feedback across the PALS programme

Case study by Manuela Sadik

What was the aim of your project?

Our project had two interrelated aims. The first aim was to harmonise the guidelines and marking-criteria for lab-based assessments across the BSc Psychology & Language Sciences (PALS) programme. As the PALS programme draws from various disciplines, e.g. psychology, linguistics, speech science and neuroscience, the expectations for lab-based assessments differ from module to module. We wanted to create consistency in the guidelines and marking criteria, in order to create clear expectations for the final-year dissertation project.

The second aim was to create a guide that students could use to effectively utilise any staff-given feedback of their assessed work. We were uncertain whether students understood how they could apply feedback from previous work to other assessed pieces.

What did you do?

We conducted separate student and staff focus groups through which they could communicate their issues and develop separate project outcomes. Both of the finalised outcomes will be implemented in the next academic year.

Outcome 1:  To streamline the marking guidelines and criteria using a standardised marking criteria (e.g. a rubric) across all lab reports and a guiding cover sheet. This sheet will be used by module tutors to emphasise areas of importance and where their module’s lab report will differ from others.

Outcome 2: To give students a form to fill out upon receiving feedback for assessed-work. This form will allow students to reflect on their performance according to their feedback - e.g. by identifying areas that were well done and areas that need improvement. By acknowledging this, students will be more likely to make changes that impact their future work. The forms can also be used to guide tutorial discussions and aid in bridging the gap between Sixth Form/College and university. 

What were the main successes of the project?

The focus groups were a brilliant success! The insightful exchange with students and staff, who gave us their honest and constructive opinions, really helped in designing the project outcomes. Through the experience we also learned how to effectively organise successful focus groups.

What difficulties did you face during your project? What would you do differently?

The main difficulty we faced revolved around the recording of the focus groups. A technical issue with one of the recording devices during a focus group session meant that we initially lost some useful footage. However, this incident highlighted that it was an issue that could reoccur so we took precautions to ensure that it did not (e.g. by duplicating copies of recordings). 

What impact has your project had? On whom?

This project has increased staff and student awareness of the issues that surround BSc Psychology & Language Sciences assessments and feedback. This could possibly lead to a new initiative related to the topic and further investigation and improvement.

The project outcomes have not yet been implemented so they have not yet had an impact. However, we hope that through the standardization of the marking criteria for lab-based projects, students will have a better understanding of what is expected of them when completing lab-based assessments. This will make it easier for them to apply received feedback to their future work ensuring consistent improvement.