ELEMENT
Element refers to how you are going to be assessed and it will be either coursework, practical, exam, test, or an open book.
The element is written at the top of your assessment brief, this provides you with the basic premise of the assessment. UCSD follows inclusive practice and this happens at the point in design to ensure that the ways we assess do not exclude anyone.
Your course will use a range of assessments across the year, and you can view these in your programme quality handbook (PQH). Typically, you will not see tests as an assessment at L4, unless you are on programme that has a professional, statutory, and regulatory body (PSRB) and requires it.
Typically, you will have two elements per module, both assessments are added together to produce a single percentage mark. However, some modules will have pass or fail assessments.
Practical
A practical element enables you to demonstrate your capacity to synthesize, arrange, and present information in a clear, coherent, and effective way.
Group work can be an effective way to engage you and your peers, and lead to rich learning experiences. Group work can encourage participation, peer learning, development of team-working, analytical and cognitive skills, as well as collaborative and organisational skills.
You will be provided with an opportunity to discuss expectations and practice in a safe environment, for example, building short group presentation activities with discussion and feedback within your class time.
You will be provided with clarity about how group marks are allocated, collectively, individually, or both, and whether the process (element) or the product (mode) is being assessed, or both.
Coursework
Coursework enables you to demonstrate interrelated knowledge, skills, and understanding in modes that are authentic to expectations within professional environments.
Assessment submission points are within your course page and are uploaded to Turnitin, which is an originality checker.
Coursework is an inclusive assessment, therefore no additional time allowances are needed for reasonable adjustments.
Exams
Exams are usually externally set and/or marked.
Where PSRBs require exams (or tests) in a particular format, there is little flexibility for development by UCSD teaching staff.
If you have a disability your lecturer will meet with you early in the course to agree on reasonable adjustments for assessments that are not inclusively designed.
Tests
Tests are internally set and marked.
Consideration has been given to the appropriateness of tests of knowledge and understanding. Tests are only used when needed and appropriate for assessing the Learning Outcomes.
Tests are typically designed to be inclusive for all.
Open-book
Open-book assessments enable students to use their learning resources to complete novel assessments under timed conditions. You will be set the task and given a set period to complete it without prior knowledge of the assessment. Assessments are typically designed so that they can be completed in one working day. However, students are typically given 48 hours to complete the open-book assessment. This inclusive assessment design means that no additional time allowances are needed for reasonable adjustments.