This document discusses grade-based assessment (GBA), a system used to provide clearer assessment criteria and faster feedback. GBA was piloted in the Department of Art and Design starting in 2013. It uses a graduated marking scheme that separates marks into grade bands aligned with descriptors. Staff and student feedback was generally positive, finding it provided clearer grade boundaries and expectations while saving time. Analysis of student performance found mean scores and standard deviations were consistent with previous years, indicating grades were not inflated.

1. Grade-Based Assessment
Simon Clark, Helen Kay, Caroline Heaton, Alan Donnelly
and Roger Eccleston

2. Grade-Based Assessment (GBA)
• What is it?
• Why use it?
• How do you implement it?
• Outcomes?
Pilot in Dept of Art and Design, from Sept 2013

3. What is it?
Degree class Grade Numerical equivalent Indicative mark range
First Perfect 1st 100 100
Exceptional 1st 96 99 - 93
High 1st 89 92 - 85
Mid 1st 81 84 - 78
Low 1st 74 77 - 70
Upper second High 2.1 68 69 - 67
Mid 2.1 65 66 - 64
Low 2.1 62 63 - 60
Lower second High 2.2 58 59 - 57
Mid 2.2 55 56 - 54
Low 2.2 52 53 - 50
Third High 3rd 48 49 - 47
Mid 3rd 45 46 - 44
Low 3rd 42 43 - 40
Fail Marginal fail 38 39 - 35
Mid fail 32 34 - 30
Low fail 18 29 - 1
Zero Zero 0 0
A Graduated Marking Scheme: marking range is
separated into a number of bands or grades

4. These grades are aligned to generic descriptors -
aiming to make assessment criteria clearer

5. Why use it?
GBA aims to....
• provide clarity to students
• streamline marking - faster feedback
• achieve clear differentiation at grade boundaries
(e.g., a low first = 74%, a high and 2.1 = 68%)
• recognise excellence and poor performance.....

6. .... through wider use of marking range......
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Numericalequivalent
Grade awarded

7. How do you implement it?
With students:
• Clear communication and management of expectations
• Written guidance, with FAQs
• Info of course Blackboard site
• Briefing at induction from Course leaders
• Introductory animation
With staff:
• Written guidance, workshops

8. Mechanical aspects:
• All work at task and subtask level awarded grades.
• Students received grade as part of feedback
• Each grade has a numerical equivalent
• Grades can be aggregated by weighted averages of
numerical equivalents (to combine subtasks, if used)
• Numerical equivalents of task marks entered into SI
(grudgingly!)
How do you implement it?

9. Outcomes?
Pilot in the Department of Art and Design, ACES:
2013-14: Introduced to entrants at L4
2014-15: L4 and L5
2015-16: all years at undergraduate level
Evaluation through staff surveys, focus groups,
evaluation of student performance.

10. Staff feedback
Question Positive
response
Clear distinctions at grade boundaries? 82%
Greater use of the 'full marking range'? 56%
GBA easier than numerical system? 75%
Impact on holistic assessment of students'
work?
63%
Saves time? 69%
Overall impact on assessment practice? 75%

11. Student feedback
1.a. I have had information
which explains how Grade-
Based Assessment works
1.b. I have a good
understanding of how
Grade-Based Assessment
works
1.c. The Grading
Descriptors help me to
understand what I need to
do to get a good grade
1.d. Grade-Based
Assessment helps me to
understand how well I have
done on my modules
1.e. Grade-Based
Assessment helps me to
understand how well I am
doing on my course
Not Applicable 0.0% 0.0% 2.9% 0.0% 1.5%
Disagreed 4.4% 7.4% 14.7% 8.8% 14.7%
Agreed 95.6% 92.6% 82.4% 91.2% 83.8%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
ResponseOutcome(%)
Responses to the 'Grade-Based Assessment'
questionnaire items

12. Student performance
Level 4
Mean Max Min St Dev %>70 %<40
Weighted average
of modules 57.7% 79.6% 15.5% 13.8% 15.6% 8.5%
Level 5
Mean Max Min St Dev %>70 %<40
Weighted average
of modules 57.1% 78.1% 19.1% 13.4% 18.3% 9.4%
Are we inflating or deflating grades?

13. Concluding remarks
GBA has the potential to provide benefits including:
• Use of the full marking range
• Differentiation at grade boundaries
• Clear student expectations
• Grade feedback matches final outcome
• Expediting feedback

14. Thanks - any questions?