This document discusses assessment in higher education. It provides an overview of topics related to balancing information and content, distributing assessments, using peer review, and staging assessments. The document then introduces the key topic of what marking criteria should look like and how they should be used. An example activity is provided to assess students' knowledge of ant anatomy. The document provides sample student submissions and includes three criteria to mark the submissions out of 9 total points. It discusses approaches to marking criteria at different universities and ways to help students understand and engage with the criteria.

1. Assessment in HE Webinar 4

2. Review of Topic 3
• Balance of information vs content
• Balance of information vs creativity
• Timing and format of information distribution
• Using peer review to provide support and
encouragement
• Staging assessments
• Ground-rules around assessment (part of information
decision-making?)
Key issues from discussions
Image by Sepehr_Ehsani on Flickr (cc licensed)

3. Introduction to Topic 4
Question: What should marking criteria look like and how
should we use them?

4. Activity 1
The basic anatomy of an ant?
Acknowledgement:
Based on Phil Race’s Cat Activity

5. Learning Outcome
On completion of the activity the students should be
able to draw an anatomically correct diagram of an ant.
Assessed Task – Draw an anatomically correct diagram
of an ant

6. Student Submission 1 – Criteria 1
Based on your knowledge of ants give this work a
mark out of 9 points based on the following criteria
Category Mark
Most Excellent 9
Excellent 8
Very good 7
Good 6
OK 5
Poor 4
Very Poor 3
Poor 2
Shoddy 1
Abysmal 0
Enter your mark into the Criteria 1 Poll on the left

7. Student Submission 2 - Assessment Criteria 2
Characteristic Score
Total 9
Has three main body parts 3
Has six (three pairs) of jointed
legs
2
Legs joined to body at the
alitrunk
1
Has pair of compound eyes 1
Has a pair of antennae 1
Has a pair of mandibles 1
Enter your mark into the Criteria 2 Poll on the left

8. Student Submission 2 Assessment Criteria 3
Criteria 3 3 marks 2 marks 1 mark 0 marks
Realism Looks like a real ant
sitting on the paper.
Anatomically correct
and drawn in
perspective.
Looks like an ant but is
more cartoon like than
realistic.
Has the main
anatomical features but
does not look realistic.
Is basically ant like in
shape but not at all
realistic.
Anatomically
inaccurate and/or
incomplete.
Does not look like an
ant
Creativity An original and unique
interpretation of a ant
Competently drawn but
lacks artistic prowess
and originality
Poorly drawn
functional
representation of an
ant
Does not look like a
ant
Standard Ant Better than the
standard ant
As good as the
standard ant
Not as good as the
standard ant
Does not look like an
ant
Maximum mark = 9
The standard ant
Enter your mark into the Criteria 3 Poll on the left

9. Assessment Criteria 1
Characteristic Score
Total 9
Has three main body parts 3
Has six (three pairs) of jointed legs 2
Legs joined to body at the alitrunk 1
Has pair of compound eyes 1
Has a pair of antennae 1
Has a pair of mandibles 1

10. Marking criteria - QUB
• Very generic grade descriptors for each level
undergraduate study and a set for postgraduate taught
against % bands

11. Marking criteria - QUB
• Local practice varies – some use the QUB descriptors,
some have more specific marking criteria, some have
generalised but subject specific, others are clearly
aligned to the learning outcomes – rarely are these then
differentiated by standard
• Whatever approach is taken – do students understand
either the generic grade descriptors or the marking
criteria used locally?

12. Marking criteria - MMU
• MMU-grade descriptors based on graduate outcomes
• One set for each taught level

13. Marking criteria - MMU
All in the language?

14. Ways to get students to
understand/engage with marking
criteria
• Write the criteria themselves
• Apply the criteria to example pieces of work
• Apply criteria to their own work
• Involve staff and students in discussion to reach a
common understanding

15. Task 4
Either
a) Develop marking criteria for an assignment task you are
familiar with
Or
b) Critique existing criteria for an assignment task you are
familiar with