University of Tasmania, Australia

Responsibilities

Course Coordinators have overall responsibility for the alignment of the program as a whole and assessment coherence within and between levels (years 1 – 4) across the program. Program assessment coherence should be reviewed as part of the normal quality assurance monitoring process and Course Coordinators report on this process in the Annual Course Reports. Course meetings should provide opportunities for staff teaching in the program to discuss aspects of assessment design, timing, coherence and implementation and report to Course Coordinators on any issues that have arisen through the marking and moderation process.

Unit coordinators have responsibility for the alignment of their unit and the coherence of the assessment tasks included within it. If there are multiple teachers / markers in the unit, Unit Coordinators should convene unit meetings to discuss similar curriculum and assessment issues as above, but in relation to the unit. Such information is also clearly communicated to students.

Activities

All unit outlines and, in particular, assessment tasks should be checked by an academic peer. This should include checking and providing feedback in relation to the:

• Alignment of assessment tasks with the unit’s learning outcomes and in relation to the level of study
• Clarity of the task description
• Criteria and standards by which the tasks will be marked
• Clarity and usefulness of any accompanying rubric
• Ways in which students will receive feedback
• Guidance available for markers
• Workload of the assessment tasks

Final sign off of this process and the agreed unit and assessment information will be undertaken by the Course Coordinator and thence Head of School or designate, and clearly communicated to students at the appropriate time.