Year
2018
Institution
University of Southampton
Researching Assessment Practices (RAP) is a vibrant, creative, and supportive assessment and feedback community of practice. The RAP team are passionate about enhancing assessment practices through the use of a research-informed, inclusive, and integrated self-regulatory assessment framework (EAT), working with students as partners to support staff and student agency in assessment.
The RAP team led by Professor Carol Evans comprises a RAP think-tank, RAP discipline representatives, and a RAP research hub. Collectively, this team has worked to develop, co-ordinate, implement and research the RAP assessment and feedback strategy. The team includes academic and professional services staff, and students.
Think-tank Faculty strategy leads include: Sarah Dixon, Neil Ford, Mary Gobbi, Laura Grange, Ian Harding, Martina Johnson, Judith Lock, Emmanuela Lotti, Cleo Padovani, Vesna Perisic, Sharon Pettit, Julie Price, Jenny Skidmore, Veronica Spencer, Debbie Thackray, Keir Thorpe, Ian Williams, Samuel Dedman (Vice President, Education, SUSU); website development leads: Tom Davidson and Tom Rowledge; research projects lead: Xiaotong Zhu; research support: Sharifa Al'Adawi (PhD lead), Elizabeth Hernandez Lopes; Chris Chiorean (UG lead); student ambassadors; research team leads and their teams; admin support: Linda Edwards; conference support/editorial assistants: Abdulsalam Almanthari, Nic Fair. Discipline research staff/student representatives.
Impact of work
RAP has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning through its innovative university-wide assessment and feedback strategy. Extensive work between students and staff to translate principles of effective assessment and feedback into practice has positively impacted curriculum development, student/staff satisfaction, and engagement across the University.
Key successes include: development and implementation of a research-informed sustainable assessment framework and associated resources and networks; establishment of a thriving assessment research community; innovative deployment of research funding to support development of self-regulatory, sustainable, and scalable approaches to assessment; an extensive tailored programme of support to teams across Southampton including the annual conference; promotion of interdisciplinary working across the University; co-creation of an innovative ambassador scheme to promote student voice and ownership; creation of a dedicated website, and digital resource base to promote staff and student agency. All delivering significant impact beyond Southampton in supporting scaling up assessment initiatives across HEIs. Most importantly, it has created a genuinely collaborative, dynamic, and sustainable community.
Plans for the future
RAP are continuing to embed the EAT Assessment and Feedback Framework across the university at Southampton and partner institutions. RAP working with Advance HE, is also leading the development of a high quality research-informed national assessment network (INRAP) (Interdisciplinary Network for Research-Informed Assessment Practices).
The RAP team led by Professor Carol Evans comprises a RAP think-tank, RAP discipline representatives, and a RAP research hub. Collectively, this team has worked to develop, co-ordinate, implement and research the RAP assessment and feedback strategy. The team includes academic and professional services staff, and students.
Think-tank Faculty strategy leads include: Sarah Dixon, Neil Ford, Mary Gobbi, Laura Grange, Ian Harding, Martina Johnson, Judith Lock, Emmanuela Lotti, Cleo Padovani, Vesna Perisic, Sharon Pettit, Julie Price, Jenny Skidmore, Veronica Spencer, Debbie Thackray, Keir Thorpe, Ian Williams, Samuel Dedman (Vice President, Education, SUSU); website development leads: Tom Davidson and Tom Rowledge; research projects lead: Xiaotong Zhu; research support: Sharifa Al'Adawi (PhD lead), Elizabeth Hernandez Lopes; Chris Chiorean (UG lead); student ambassadors; research team leads and their teams; admin support: Linda Edwards; conference support/editorial assistants: Abdulsalam Almanthari, Nic Fair. Discipline research staff/student representatives.
Impact of work
RAP has had a demonstrable impact on teaching and learning through its innovative university-wide assessment and feedback strategy. Extensive work between students and staff to translate principles of effective assessment and feedback into practice has positively impacted curriculum development, student/staff satisfaction, and engagement across the University.
Key successes include: development and implementation of a research-informed sustainable assessment framework and associated resources and networks; establishment of a thriving assessment research community; innovative deployment of research funding to support development of self-regulatory, sustainable, and scalable approaches to assessment; an extensive tailored programme of support to teams across Southampton including the annual conference; promotion of interdisciplinary working across the University; co-creation of an innovative ambassador scheme to promote student voice and ownership; creation of a dedicated website, and digital resource base to promote staff and student agency. All delivering significant impact beyond Southampton in supporting scaling up assessment initiatives across HEIs. Most importantly, it has created a genuinely collaborative, dynamic, and sustainable community.
Plans for the future
RAP are continuing to embed the EAT Assessment and Feedback Framework across the university at Southampton and partner institutions. RAP working with Advance HE, is also leading the development of a high quality research-informed national assessment network (INRAP) (Interdisciplinary Network for Research-Informed Assessment Practices).