Academic Support - Educational Development

Conference 2009

Continuing to Enhance the Student Experience: Improving Assessment and Feedback

Thursday 21st May 09:30-16:00, Talbot Campus

Imagine not having first year undergraduate exams. What impact would that have on student learning and staff workload? Attend the conference to hear Professor Stephen Hill talk about the University of Gloucestershire’s radical approach to assessment that includes this strategy. Professor Hill is the giving the morning keynote with the title: Radical Approaches to Assessment and Feedback: The University of Gloucestershire Experience”.

What do students think about assessment and feedback? According to the NSS, they rate these as the poorest areas of the academic experience. Aaron Porter, Vice President of the National Union of Students, our afternoon keynote speaker, will be talking about the 10 Principles for Assessment recently published by the NUS to help Students’ Unions and their institutions work together to support effective change in assessment.

These two speakers will offer contrasting but complementary perspectives on an academic activity that is at the heart of learning at any level.

The call for contributions to the conference is now closed and a range of exciting presentations on the two themes, Lightening the assessment workload (for staff) and Implementing e-assessment and feedback have been submitted by colleagues for the parallel sessions in the morning and afternoon. Posters from holders of the 2008 round of BU Awards for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning will be on display during the day.

Bookings for the conference can be made online.