More Than Just a Grade: Personal Qualitative Reports on Student Achievement Using Assessment Data, for the Purpose of Enhancing Learning and Employability

• In Event: Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: Designing Effective Methods and Tools for Assessing Higher Education Student Learning Outcomes

Abstract

This paper explores the idea of providing individualised qualitative reports on student achievement in Higher Education. These reports can be generated by using assessment data (written judgements about students’ achievements in relation to strategic attributes) that is collected and stored digitally over the course of a degree program. The individualised reports can augment the information that grades provide and can be used in supplements for University academic transcripts (the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement and the United Kingdom Higher Education Achievement Report). The paper proposes how a personalised qualitative report can help to address the shortcoming of relying solely on grades to report student learning and achievement and suggests how it can benefit students and employers.

Author

• Glen O'Grady, The Australian National University