Assessment Strategy

Assessment is a process in which student performance can be evaluated against the learning outcomes of a module in accordance with our published marks schemes. Robust and reliable assessment processes are central to teaching and learning in the Department, and to the academic and personal development of students over their course of study.

Across our Undergraduate and Postgraduate Taught modules, the Philosophy Department uses diverse assessment methods, including written essays from 500-5000 words, dissertations and independent projects, seminar participation, and presentations. Assessment methods are selected in order to enable students to demonstrate achievement of the learning outcomes of the module. Assessment methods are diverse to ensure that all students have the opportunity to develop a range of skills over the course of their programme, and in order to meet the needs and assessment styles of a diverse cohort. Alternative assessment methods ensure that our assessment processes are inclusive of all our students. Assessment across modules is developmental, with higher-weighted units of assessment building on knowledge and skills acquired in smaller-weight assessment. As far as possible, assessment deadlines are set in order to spread assessment load across periods of study to ensure that assessment is manageable for students.

Students are appropriately prepared for assessment through detailed information in the module catalogue, on moodle pages and by assessment-focussed briefings from staff during the module. Preparation for assessment includes not only information about how assessments will be marked, and how to perform well, but also why particular assessment methods are being used.

Feedback on assessment should be timely, constructive, and encouraging. All feedback on essays should be given within the University’s 20-day turnaround time. In addition, rather than individualised feedback, feedback on first year exams will be in the form of an examiners report, and for Logic modules solutions will be provided.Feedback will make it clear to students why their assessment received the mark it did, and how their work can be improved. The aim of feedback is to be supportive of students, and to contribute to their academic development.

The Department has clear policies on Academic Misconduct, including plagiarism and the unauthorised use of Generative AI. Students are briefed on these policies on induction and returners meetings. The Department has fair and robust processes for detecting plagiarism and for managing cases of suspected academic misconduct. These processes are central to our confidence in the reliability of assessment as a measure of student achievement.

The fairness and reliability of assessment is ensured through processes of moderation, second marking, and through the input of External Examiners at programme level. All staff involved in assessment in the Department receive training in marking. The Department carries out regular marking calibration exercises for staff in order to ensure fair and accurate assessment across modules. Education Committee reviews all proposed changes to assessment on existing modules, and the proposal of diverse assessment methods on new modules, through annual processes of module review.

Our assessment policy is based on meeting the needs of students, and we actively elicit student feedback on assessment policies and practices through Staff-Student Liaison Committee meetings, module evaluation forms, and the input of UG and PG student representatives on Education Committee.