May 2017
LSE Academic Board and LSESU vote ‘yes’ to an in-session resit period and assessment diversification.
December 2017
LSE commits to improving student experience of examinations, undertake a Programme Review of all undergraduate programmes, develop the LSE Academic Code and run a School Putting Students First communications campaign.
January 2018
The Assessments Service Change project team is formed.
The project will deliver an in-year resit period by 2019 for first year undergraduate students and 2020 for all others; along with regulatory rationalisation, reducing transactional work for LSE staff and benefitting student’s experience with improved access to assessments.
Project methodology emphasises collaboration with staff and students, to design enhanced assessment processes and systems that incorporate best practice and expert knowledge, from across the School community and wider Higher Education sector.
February 2018
The Assessments Service Change project team holds their kick-off workshop. Staff from across the School community get to grips with designing a streamlined process and brainstorm a guiding vision for what assessment services could look like for staff and students in the future.
March 2018
Assessment process experts from across the School collaborate to design an ideal future model for how we deliver assessments and resits at LSE (process mapping workshops).
April 2018
The academic community are invited to consult on the suggested core principles that will underpin assessment services change and resits:
• Number of resit attempts
• Results capping
• Timings of resits
• Assessment methods
• Eligibility
• Student feedback/support
These are referred to as co-creation workshops.
May 2018
Changes that come out of the workshops in March and April are presented to the wider School community for feedback. These validation workshops are an opportunity to share your views and experiences to help shape and validate changes to our assessment cycle, and ensure your department/team is represented. It’s also an opportunity to understand proposed changes to ways of working and benefits to you and your colleagues. E-mail business.improvement.unit@lse.ac.uk to get involved.
On 30 May, Academic Board agree the Seven Principles of Assessment for Resits which were arrived at following consultation with academic and PS staff at the co-creation workshops.
Summer 2018
Solutions to the proposed changes will be designed, costed and planned, with a business case to fund the development and implementation over the next 2 years. Details will be presented across the School in September.
Michaelmas term 2018
Development work gets underway, with opportunities to see first-hand how the solutions will work and support to deliver the changes in practice.
January 2019
Early implementation of new capabilities in the January exam period with improved operational outcomes.
May 2019
Fine-tuning process takes place in time for the summer exam period, as well as communications/support to academic departments and PSS to deliver the changes that benefit the whole LSE community.
September 2019
In-year resits delivered for all first year undergraduate students.
2020
Further enhancements to the assessments service, with in-year resits delivered for all students.
What's next?
The Assessment Service Change project looks at the entire assessment cycle, capturing knowledge and best practice from academics and PSS across the School, to deliver an in-year resits period and additional assessment enhancements. This is the time to get involved, explore the consequences of suggested principles on your department, share your experience and help shape the outcomes.
Look out for upcoming presentations and feedback opportunities, and email the Business Improvement Unit to get involved.