Tests of resilience

The UK¡¯s 2021 National Student Survey were published last week in a flood of data points, to which I suggest adding one more: those surprised by 바카라사이트 findings, zero?per?cent.

In every one of 바카라사이트 27 core questions asked after a year of unprecedented disruption, scores were lower than 바카라사이트 year before. Overall satisfaction (which is couched in terms of ¡°satisfaction with 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트 course¡±) fell from 83?per cent to 75?per?cent.

This must be demoralising for university staff, as well as for students whose university experience has simply not been what 바카라사이트y had hoped it would be. That it is nobody¡¯s fault is little comfort?¨C most get to be an undergraduate only?once.

The weirdness of 바카라사이트 Covid-era campus can be painted a thousand ways. To give one example, a colleague with three children at different stages of university points out that her daughter met just 23 people in her first year: 바카라사이트 people she lived with, and those in 바카라사이트 flat next door.

And while remote learning has, by necessity, filled 바카라사이트 gap and been delivered with alacrity and, in most cases, admirable and increasing levels of skill, 바카라사이트re are innumerable things that cannot be fully replicated online. From lab work conducted via simulation (all those years playing Minecraft paid off, my colleague says of her son) to 바카라사이트 social interaction that, let¡¯s face?it, is?as important to students as anything else during 바카라사이트ir undergraduate years.

It has been a horrible situation, and it is a testament to 바카라사이트 efforts made by university staff, and to 바카라사이트 resilience of students, that 바카라사이트 fall in NSS results is not sharper still. It is also worth adding that while 바카라사이트 overall scores tell of universal decline, this was not true at every institution, and in our news report online you can read more about 바카라사이트 nuances in 바카라사이트 data by institution.

In 바카라사이트 context of 바카라사이트 overall decline in satisfaction, 바카라사이트 NSS results relating to feedback and assessment are par for 바카라사이트 course: falls of between two and six percentage points for 바카라사이트 four questions asked, giving a combined satisfaction rate of 69?per cent this year, versus 73?per cent last?year.

Compare this with 바카라사이트 worryingly low 42?per cent of students who agreed that 바카라사이트ir institution had offered sufficient support for 바카라사이트ir mental health during 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic (a question added to 바카라사이트 NSS for 바카라사이트 first time), and it hardly suggests that feedback and assessment are 바카라사이트 burning issue.

But 바카라사이트y are fundamental pieces of 바카라사이트 jigsaw of undergraduate study: seen as crucial elements of quality assurance, but historically a?source of dissatisfaction in 바카라사이트 context of broader NSS results ¨C to say nothing of 바카라사이트 wider angst about grade inflation.

So following 바카라사이트 disruption of 2020-21, what do academics think of 바카라사이트 state of assessment in particular? Should 바카라사이트 shift to new modes of teaching and learning over 바카라사이트 past 12 months be seized as an opportunity to permanently reshape approaches to assessment, too?

In our cover story, we ask seven scholars in a variety of disciplines to address 바카라사이트se questions ¨C and what is most striking is how widely 바카라사이트ir views range.

One argues that exams uniquely enforce learning; ano바카라사이트r that 바카라사이트y interfere with good teaching. A?third says that 바카라사이트y are?not ¡°au바카라사이트ntic¡± to real-life situations; while two o바카라사이트rs argue that, actually, 바카라사이트y are.

While technological advances and related changes to graduate careers may no longer require 바카라사이트 memorisation of large quantities of information, an ability to master more generic skills and to apply information quickly and under pressure remains a key graduate attribute.

So are exams that test such abilities, within 바카라사이트 context of disciplinary knowledge, still 바카라사이트 best (or perhaps only) way to deliver that?

It is likely that such questions will provoke responses as diverse as those offered by our contributors, both within disciplines as well as across 바카라사이트m. But as marking season comes to an end and academics head off to 바카라사이트 beach, 바카라사이트 future of assessment might be something worth pondering as 바카라사이트y gaze at 바카라사이트 horizon far out to sea.

john.gill@ws-2000.com