Assessment Policy and Guidance

A key feature of Induction is a focus on the start of each Student’s academic journey on their chosen programme. So, as part of the induction week all programmes will include an academic project woven into the timetable of other school and university activities, and forming the academic back-bone for the induction week. The academic project aligns with the threshold expectations for Level 4 induction, which provide clear guidance about the desired outcomes of the induction process, without seeking to constrain the creativity of teams to achieve these in the most appropriate way for their context. Projects can be used flexibly with other activities at programme or School level to allow you to offer the most inclusive and engaging programme.

Whilst the term “project” is used to describe the induction activity, this term can be applied loosely to accommodate a wide range of academically focused practices, and several examples from a range of subject disciplines are provided below. There are some key features that all project activities should seek to achieve: the project activity should:

1. Be collaborative, allowing students to work in small groups and have an opportunity to meet and engage with other members of their cohort.

2. Be programme-related, introducing students to key knowledge, skills, concepts and practices that will be important to their first year study.

3. Stretch and challenge students and capture their interest, but not so much so that they present barriers to achievement.

4. Help familiarise students with the key services, systems, processes and places that will facilitate their success during the first few weeks on the programme.

5. Lead to the creation of a meaningful end product, which can be presented in a variety of ways.

6. Include formative feedback given at the end of the activity, which might be generic, from tutors and/or peers, which will encourage student reflection on their learning.

7. Be structured such that it requires learner engagement on at least two days, and is supported by academic colleagues in all time-tabled sessions.