Assessment literacy (AL) empowers teachers (Grabowski & Dakin, 2014) by helping them make better decisions about the development, administration, and use of assessments (Harding & Kremmel, 2016; Popham, 2009). This is crucial because when teachers make erroneous interpretations, which lead to incorrect decisions, students can suffer…

In this study, we analysed survey data from 386 third year undergraduate students on 14 programmes within three UK universities. The universities are characterised as teaching-focused or research-intensive: a 'plate-glass' and 'red-brick' research-intensive; and a 'new' teaching-intensive university. We used the Assessment Experience Questionnaire…

Research comparing continuous assessment (e.g. coursework) with examinations generally reveals a student preference for the former. The perceived increased use of continuous assessment periodically captures media attention, with claims of greater numbers of higher degree classifications being awarded. This paper takes a case-study approach to…

This research paper explores the processes and outcomes of a peer review system which was introduced to 74 first-year students on a BA Education programme in 2016-17. In this one-year action research study, students completed a series of tasks linked to both their academic work and professional teaching placements. The scaffolded nature of these…

There is a widespread consensus about the need for accreditation systems for evaluating post-graduate medical education programs, but accreditation systems differ substantially across countries. A cross-country comparison of accreditation systems could provide valuable input into policy development processes. We reviewed the accreditation systems…

The quality assurance 'regime' that spans the higher education sector internationally is underpinned by a number of unchallenged assumptions. Nowhere is this more apparent than within the external examiner system in the UK, an instrument for the professional self-regulation of higher education. One such assumption is that external examiners are…

While traditionally the viva voce examination had a central role in student assessment it fell out of favour as higher education expanded. This paper describes the development of a digital video viva examination to promote a more authentic and lower stakes method of assessment for students in their final under-graduate module. The paper presents a…

In this paper, we explore the improvisations made in examination practices in higher education during the pandemic of 2020. Drawing on STS, we start from the theoretical assumption that examinations constitute an obligatory passage point in universities and colleges: a sacred point which students need to pass if they want to gain recognized…

Background: Debates about evidence-based policy (EBP) were revived in the UK in the 2010s in the context of civil service reform and changing practices of policy making, including institutionalisation of public participation in science policy making. Aims and objectives: This paper aims to explore this revival of interest in EBP in the context of…

This paper reports on what has happened since Elliott ("Dynamic Assessment in Educational Settings: Realising Potential," 2003) in those applications of dynamic assessment that he considered. There continues to be two broad applications, one, largely researcher led, and the other, largely practitioner led, although there are examples of…

It is well documented that the impact of assessments on students' learning is profound. There have been initiatives to incorporate innovative assessments in accounting and finance education to enhance students' learning experience in various ways. However, there is limited research investigating whether and how the students' learning experience is…

L2 student writers in UK universities often seek the services of a 'proofreader' before submitting work for assessment, and the proliferation of freelance proofreaders and online proofreading agencies has led to debates about the ethics of the proofreading of student writing in publications such as "Times Higher Education". This study…

Foundation Years (FY) have proliferated within UK Higher Education in recent years, and their benefits and successes have been well documented (e.g. the enhancement of opportunities for underrepresented students, second-chance education, skills and confidence enhancement, and a pipeline into STEM. However, when managed centrally, their…

This project report describes using MasteryPaths in the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment as a method of helping improve the information literacy (IL) competence for undergraduate science students studying in their first year at university. The MasteryPaths incorporated a series of formative quiz assessments on referencing and finding and…

This research reports on the second phase of a project exploring the effectiveness of tutor to student assessment feedback. It highlights the dynamic interaction of interpersonal and intrapersonal contexts in effective feedback processes. It proposes a holistic conceptualisation of feedback that considers the academic buoyancy and attributes of…