Continuous Assessment

Pythia

Is anyone else having problems with continuous assessment?

I did six modules last term. Five had a continuous assessment element. In two of these, I have yet to be told what grade I got in any of the continuous assessment.

In one, we did a mid term on October 23rd. It was a short written paper worth 30% of my grade. Although the lecturer kept promising he'd have the results, he has yet to release them. He also ignored my voicemail I left him about my grade.

Another lecturer has yet to account for any of the 50% continuous assessment he has set. This lecturer also ignored my voicemail.

I thought the point of continuous assessment was to let you know how you are doing throughout the term, and help you identify weak areas.
What is the point if you don't get the result until you get your overall mark?

I'm sure part of the reason is lack of resources. But if some lecturers, in classes of similar sizes, can get these results out quickly, I think the reason is more laziness than resources.

Has anyone else had problems of this kind?

gerry87

There is one problem i find with it. Most people are doing 6 modules, last term in each of my modules we had mid terms, in 2 of them we had 2 mid terms. Thats 8 exams to study for over about a 4/5 week period, and while you're studying for exams you can't pay as much attention to new stuff in lectures if it's not on the test.

There's just something wrong with it, can't put my finger on it. Maybe they were too spread out and would have been better in a block like end of term. Even a weekly mcq wouldn't have been as bad for some of the subjects.

Chakar

I don't know my overall results for the continuous parts of my modules either so I reckon they'll come up with the results on SIS.

singingstranger

In my German electives I've never gotten the results of any exam, ever. All I've ever gotten were results from the language modules themselves, individually in class, and then the result of the entire German chunk of my degree, on SIS every year. Probably nothing right about it but sure why worry?

Cannibal Ox

Pythia wrote:

I thought the point of continuous assessment was to let you know how you are doing throughout the term, and help you identify weak areas.

Hmph...there I was thinking it was to make sure I went to my tutorials

I've only gotten two essays out of five back, and haven't been told anything about my other marks for attendance or mini-exams. It was the same last year, so I wasn't expecting any info. It would have been nice to have known how I was getting along, but I don't think that's how they intended the system to work.

Blush_01

I think the point of continuous assessment is to assess you on a continuous basis so you maintain a reasonable work ethic throughout the term and if something happens to adversely impact on you in the lead up to your final examination then not everything will hinge on a single examination. If it identifies your weak points, so be it, but surely that is an aside. Continuous assessment means that you have part of the work done before you go into the exam, part of your grade is already counted for, and your final assessment is not the only evaluation of your ability in whatever module or subject you're studying.

Sarn

As far as I know continuous assessments have to be approved before the results are finalised. I can't see why a provisional grade can't be given prior to your final module exams.