Grading
The University of South Australia has a comprehensive policy framework that shapes assessment practices. There are guidelines for graded and non-graded assessment for assignments and examinations, remarking and resubmission, and information on specific assessment themes, such as marking peer assessment, online discussions and group work.
Principles
While assessment practices may vary across disciplines, student performance in a course’s assessment is reported using a grading notation, rather than a number, as explained in the Assessment Policy and Procedures Manual. The manual also specifies assessment processes, including the Code of good practice: Student assessment for designing assessment that is inclusive, equitable, valid, reliable and formative, designing assessments using a variety of assessment models, scheduling assessment and the use of marking criteria.
The UniSA Context
- Extra Course information: Assessment of courses presents information on graded and non-graded assessment, dealing with failed assessment, examinations and academic misconduct.
- Assessment Policies and Procedures Manual
- The new online environment (implemented in 2010-2011) has a grade book that collates grades from all assessments.
Case Studies & Exemplars
- Martin Freney is developing an excel-based grading program called Computer Aided Feedback & Assessment System (CAFAS) which is funded by the Australian Learning and Teaching Council and supported by the Learning and Teaching Unit at UniSA.
- Assessment feedback sheets and rubrics at UniSA
- Examples of rubrics from the Educational Research Group of Adelaide
- "How will I be assessed" in Working in Teams
- Assessment criteria, and Assessing group work, The University of Technology Sydney Assessment webpage.
- Guides to preparing assignments:
- Essay assignment - Aboriginal Health and Culture
- Criteria for evaluating educational multimedia
Reading & Resources
Search these sites for the latest about grading assessment
- Assessing Learning in Australian Universities
- Higher Education Academy – Assessment
- Journal Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education (search through UniSA library catalogue)
- USA assessment web-sites