1. Setting the Standard to
Support Retention
Mairin Nicell
Heather Sayers
Derek Woods
Jennifer Hyndman

2. • In-TUNE
▫ Investigating Transition to UNdergraduate
Education
▫ September 2009-June 2010
▫ Investigating factors affecting academic
performance of Year 1 students

3. • STIR
▫ Socialisation To Improve Retention
▫ September 2010-June 2011
▫ Team-building and social activities to improve
social integration among Year 1 students

5. • Teaching Facilitated Learning Development
Programme
▫ April – September 2012
▫ Theme: Assessment and Feedback for Learning

6. • Creative Workshop
• Brainstorming suitable ideas
• Concentrate on Year 1 initially
• Visual framework which can be extended to
cover all year groups

7. • Student Consent Given or
Withheld

8. Audit of Year 1 Assessment Practice
• 5 Degree programmes
▫ BSc Hons Computer Science
▫ BSc Hons Information and Communication
Technologies
▫ BSc Hons Creative Computing
▫ BEng Hons Electronics and Computer Systems
▫ BEng Computer Games Development
• 9 Modules

9. Audit of Year 1 Assessment Practice
• Written Assessments
• Reports
• Class Tests
• Group work
• Software Demonstrations
• Presentations
• Portfolios/Lab Books
• Examinations

15. Evaluation
• Student Focus Groups in December 2012
• Video record student responses

16. Evaluation
• Sample of Questions
▫ Which modules did you use?
▫ Were you able to distinguish the different categories of
exemplars?
▫ Were you able to understand where and why marks
were allocated?
▫ Did you find the feedback comments helpful?
▫ Did you make use of the model solutions provided?
▫ Do you have any suggestions for improvements to the
grid?

18. Findings
• Initial feedback has been very positive
• Break down of categories
• Written feedback comments

19. Findings
• Need to alter the location of the grid in the
Course Support Area
• Need to provide instructions for use
• Need to consistently promote the use of the tool

20. Semester 2 2012-13
• Roll out semester 2 modules
• Monitor use of exemplars
• End of semester evaluation