Assessment tasks for a course provide opportunities for students to demonstrate achievements of the expected student learning outcomes. In reviewing the assessment plan, Course Convenors are encouraged to seek peer review and moderation to ensure that the assessment is appropriate to the learning outcomes of the course.

This section should include details of all the assessment items used to measure the attainment of the learning outcomes of the course.

In section 5.1 Convenors are required to:

  • provide a summary of both formative and summative assessment items in the course, including the number, type, weighting, the due date and the assessment criteria and processes to be applied in marking each item of assessment, students must not be advised that a course has  pre-determined grade cut-offs;
  • map the assessment items to the Learning Outcomes specified in section 2.2;
  • ensure that the total assessment weighting total 0* or 100% (*0 may be used for the first part of multi-component courses, except the final component which must have a weighting of 100%);
  • specify the method for the submission and the return of each assessment item, including the use of text matching software, for either formative or summative purposes;
  • specify an assessment item/s, with a due date prior to week 8, that is used for the Tier 1 Assessment process as outlined in Section 3.1 of the Academic Standing, Progression and Exclusion Policy. This assessment item/s is to identify students at risk of failing the course and losing their good academic standing status of green. The Tier 1 assessment items are to provide opportunities for academic recovery using either resubmit or reattempt;
  • ensure that where there is a final examination, no major assessment items fall due after Week 11 of the trimester (the definition of 'major assessment items' is one worth 20% or more of the total assessment); any deviation from this requirement must be approved by the Dean (Learning and Teaching);
  • ensure that an end of trimester centrally organised exam is of standard duration (120 minutes and 10 minutes perusal) or request an exemption that must be approved by the Dean (Learning and Teaching);
  • ensure that school based exams or ‘test or quiz’ assessment tasks that have a submission date within the official exam period are organised as school based activities for which the School/Department is responsible.

Notes:

  • A 10 credit point course is required to involve more than a single assessment item, and normally includes 2 - 4 summative assessment items.
  • In the Course Profile System the Student View of the Profile will present this information as 2 separate items: 5.1, Course Assessment Plan and 5.2, Assessment Detail.

Course Convenors are required to submit proposals to alter the assessment requirements of a course (constituting a major change) to the Dean, Learning and Teaching for approval. The Dean shall determine whether the proposed revised assessment requirements are consistent with those originally approved in terms of their relationship to learning outcomes and its overall demands on the students.

After commencement of the course only in exceptional circumstances can the Dean (Learning and Teaching), on the advice of the Course Convenor, approve a variation of details in the assessment requirements of a course, providing any such variation maintains the relationship between the assessment methods and the learning outcomes expected for the course. Notification of the change must be provided to students in written and/or electronic form. In giving approval for the change, the Dean (Learning and Teaching) must be satisfied that students are not disadvantaged by the change or the timing of it.

When preparing your Course Profile please refer to the 10 Steps to Finalising Your Marks Entry Spreadsheet (MESS) document.

New functionality and other changes - Set of Tasks and Mandatory Pass Component  (with effect from Trimester 3, 2019)

With the implementation of the new Grade Management module in Trimester 3, 2019 there have been a number of changes in the course profile system in support of this new solution.

The following information provides an overview of these changes:

Set of Tasks

Where an assessment item which has multiple components for which separate marks are awarded and where the possible marks to be awarded are of equal value (eg:  Test or Quiz, Lab Reports etc..) these items should be configured as a Set of Tasks in the assessment plan.

The new functionality allows you to include the number of sub-tasks, how many sub-tasks will contribute to the overall mark for the task, indicate the 'best of' number of tasks to be completed and the marks which can be awarded for each sub-task.

Using this functionality will ensure the application and calculation of the marks for the item will be less complicated.  It will also make the 'mapping of assessment' in the Grade Management module easier and most importantly the information provided to students will be much clearer.

Where the 'marked out of' value for the sub-tasks are not the same, a separate row should be configured for each sub-task. Configuring these tasks as a one-line item will make the calculation of the final grade complex.

Guidance Note for setting "Mandatory Pass Components" within Courses across Programs

Why would you choose to set a 'mandatory pass component' in a course?

Mandatory Pass Components (MPCs), or 'assessment hurdles', are most often applied in summative assessment tasks, they usually mandate a minimum level of performance as a condition of passing the course and are often used to ensure students can demonstrate the learning outcomes of a course.

The purpose of having a range of assessment tasks in a course is to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge in a range of ways over the duration of the course.  The rationale is that students can often demonstrate their learning outcomes some types of assessment tasks better than others due to personal circumstances. Multiple assessment items spread over the course allows for these variations. This is the way an employee's performance in professional life is assessed by managers, ie. over time and in a range of ways. So, an authentic assessment regime should allow for these kinds of variations in skills and peaks/troughs in performance. This is not possible when an MPC becomes a 'make or break' hurdle.

In some disciplines mastery of a particular skill(s) can be argued as essential for a qualification to be awarded, and that a particular assessment task is required to assess this skill, in which case a MPC may be justified. MPCs are also often implemented in courses on the grounds of professional accreditation requirements. Similarly, it is sometimes argued that a MPC is the only way that the achievement of certain learning outcomes can be assured.

Guidelines for mapping Mandatory Pass Components across a Program

Program Directors need to be aware of the MPCs in effect across their Programs and the implications of these MPCs for student progression. Where MPCs are used within Programs, Program Directors should take a program view and work with Course Convenors to ensure there is consistency in the application of MPCs or they are only used in specific courses where they may assist in ensuring Program Learning outcomes.

What are the implications of setting Mandatory Pass Components in a course?

The implications of setting MPCs in courses can be severe for the student. For example, if a student achieves an overall mark of 50 or above but does not meet an MPC, the student will either:

  1. fail the course if the MPC was a 'must submit' or
  2. achieve a Grade of 3 or 4 if the MPC related to obtaining a minimum threshold which was not met in the case where a Supplementary Assessment is offered.

The more MPCs set within a course the higher the risk to the student of not passing. MPCs that include a 'must submit' component are the most severe as students who do not meet this MPC are unable to sit Supplementary Assessment (if offered) as per Assessment Policy.

Guidelines for using Mandatory Pass Components in a course

Assessment Policy does not provide information about the MPCs in general or types of MPCs. Cognisant of the background information above, these Guidelines are provided to assist Course Convenors in making decisions when choosing to implement MPCs in courses.

If setting MPCs, Course Convenors should consider the following broad principles:

  1. MPCs are typically used to meet minimum competency standards or to demonstrate 'fitness to practice' for courses related to professional practice
  2. The use of MPCs should be minimised. For example, it would generally not be appropriate to have an MPC on the final exam AND on any weekly knowledge quizzes.
  3. MPCs should be avoided where possible for assessment tasks weighted at less than 20% of the total assessment.
  4. Any summative assessment task specified as a MPC should be clearly identified as such within the Course Profile.
  5. The consequences of not meeting a MPC should be made explicit to students/

Other:

Assessment Groups:

With effect from Trimester 3, 2019 the assessment plan in your course profile will interface with the new grade management module, as will the student marks recorded in the mark centre - Learning@Griffith.

Whilst the assessment group functionality is available in the course profile system, the new grade management module does not accommodate assessment grouping, as it adds complexity to the calculation process and as such requires one assessment plan per profile.

Therefore we ask where there are no differences in the assessment groups - please remove all redundant assessment groups OR where there are differences in offerings of the same course code, configure the assessment plan for the relevant profile ie: include the Nathan assessment plan in the Nathan iteration of the profile, Logan assessment in the Logan profile etc..

Submission Guidelines

The course profile and course site should clearly indicate the method of submission for all relevant assessment tasks.

How individual assessment tasks should be submitted is indicated for each assessment task in the Submission Guidelines field. Choose one or more of the following submissions methods by selecting the relevant check box:

  1. via the 'Assignments' tool in Learning@Griffith
  2. Text Matching Tool - Turnitin
  3. Text matching tool - SafeAssign
  4. Submitting in person at the School/Department
  5. via Australia Post

Further details around the submission of assessment tasks, please refer to the Assessment Submission and Return Procedures document.

Add a new assessment item

Assessment Types in Use at Griffith University are outlined in Schedule A of the Assessment Policy.

Adding a non-exam type

Choose (Add Assessment)
The Assessment Summary: Add Task window will be displayed.
Select the required assessment type from the drop-down list.
Choose (Next).
The Assessment Summary: Add Task window will be displayed
The assessment type selected on the previous page will display on the current page
Select whether the item is a group or individual activity.
Select if there is a self-assessment activity included in the assessment item.
Indicate whether the item can be resubmitted or reattempted - where yes is selected for either of these please ensure the conditions under which the task is to be resubmitted or reattempted are provided in the free text field provided.
Add an appropriate assessment title
Add the weighting of the task
Select an appropriate mark type*  (score is standard); Pass/Fail; Complete/Not Complete; Competent/Not Competent)
Indicate what the assessment task will be marked out of (NB:  where the Mark Types of Pass/Fail; Complete/Not Complete; Competent/Not Competent have been selected the Marked out of field will automatically populate with the value '1'.
Configure Task Description details in the free text field provided
Provide the Due Date details - these include Start due date, time, finish due date, time, and/or other due information and the maximum period for an extension
Map the activity to the appropriate Learning Outcomes by selecting the required check-boxes.
Provide the criteria and marking details for each piece of assessment
Indicate whether the task includes a set of subtasks (eg: set of quizzes, labs, presentations etc) - where 'Yes' is selected you will need to indicate the number of sub-tasks in the task; how many sub-tasks will contribute towards the overall mark for the task and how many marks will be allocated for each sub-task.  The system will automatically calculate the marks to be awarded for the task overall.   Where there are no sub-tasks included please continue  to complete the details for the assessment task.
Mandatory Pass Component - A mandatory pass component (hurdle) is an additional requirement mandating a minimum level of performance as a condition of passing a course. This requirement is in addition to achieving a pass overall for the course.
Where required Select 'Yes' to the question 'Does this assessment task have a mandatory pass component?'
If 'Yes' is selected, indicate whether this assessment task is required to be submitted to pass the course by selecting one of:
1. Yes, all tasks
2. Yes
3. No (standard practice)

Where 'Yes' has been selected in response to 'Does this assessment task have a mandatory pass component?' select Yes or No to 'Is a minimum percentage mark required for this task to pass the course?  If Yes, indicate the minimum percentage mark in the field provided as well as indicating how the min. percentage mark is to be applied - either to the Overall Task Mark or to the Individual Sub-Task Mark.
Each selection will generate a standard statement which will populate in section 5.4 of the Assessment Plan.
Choose (Save) to save your changes.
Check the Student View of the profile to ensure the item displays as required.

Adding an exam type (also refer to the details above)

Choose  (Add Assessment).
The Assessment Summary:  Add Task window will be displayed.
Select the required assessment type from the drop down list.
Choose (Next).
The Assessment Summary:  Add Task details window will be displayed.
Select whether the item is centrally organised or a school based activity.
Selecting the school based activity values will display including additional timing of the exam, whether the exam will be proctored and due date fields.
Selecting the centrally organised activity values will display additional standard duration or exemption required fields.
Complete the required fields.
Map the activity to the appropriate Learning Outcomes by selecting the required check-boxes.
Choose  (Save) to save your changes or
Choose  (Cancel) to close the screen without saving the changes.

Edit Assessment Task

Choose  (Edit Assessment Item) for the required assessment item.
The Assessment Summary: Add Task window will be displayed.
Make the required changes.
Choose (Save) to save your changes or
Choose (Cancel) to close the screen without saving the changes.

Delete an Assessment Item

Choose (Delete Assessment Item) for the required assessment item.
The confirmation dialog box will be displayed.
Choose (OK) to confirm the deletion.

Assessment Views

The numbering in staff view will skip 5.2.
In student view, assessment is renumbered.

Displaying assessment

Assessment should be displayed in chronological order.

Displaying assessment tasks in groups

If this course has more than one content areas and is taught by more than one person you can group the assessment tasks according to person or area.

Add group

  1. Choose
  2. The Assessment summary: view groups window will be displayed
  3. Choose
  4. The assessment summary: view groups window will display the Add/edit group field
  5. Enter the required group title
  6. Choose

Student streams

This feature must be set up by the Academic Support Officer.