Student assessment policy
The student assessment policy outlines how students are assessed at Gold Coast Institute of TAFE.
Information
Standard of Work
Assessment Dates
Processing of Assignments
Assessment re-submission
Late submissions
Extensions
Cheating
Re-evaluation process
Assignment Cover Sheet
Assessment retained by Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
All assessment undertaken by students will comply with the Assessment Guidelines included in the applicable endorsed qualification being studied. The assessment process will be valid, reliable, fair and flexible. This policy applies to all staff involved in offering of activities/classes at all Gold Coast Institute of TAFE campuses.
Information
Information will be provided of the context and purpose of the assessment and the assessment process. Feedback will be provided to students about the outcomes of the assessment process.
Standard of Work
Students will be provided with criteria for the completion of any assessment activity including assignments, project, workplace activity, examinations or group activities.
Students should complete their assessment activity in-line with the set criteria. This may include such activities as word processing standards, referencing, lay-out and presentation methods or styles.
Standards of work will be reflective of the content, performance criteria or elements required of a (or group of) module/s or competency/ies and/or in-line with relevant and current workplace practices.
Assessment Dates
Student will be required to meet dates in a range of ways such as:
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Submission dates for assignments and projects
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Pre-determined assessment activities held within class times (ie debates, presentations, group activities)
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Examination dates
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Workplace visits by Gold Coast Institute of TAFE assessors.
If students comply with the required assessment dates, but are initially assessed as not yet competent, they are entitled to a second attempt (re-submission). Re-submission should take place within the student's current enrolment period for their module/competency (ie: A module / competency runs for 12 weeks. Unless otherwise negotiated with a teacher, re-submissions will occur within this 12 week period. Where work placement is an integral part of the assessment activities, the submission and re-submission dates will usually reflect an end of qualification date).
Processing of Assignments
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The onus will be on the student to either collect the assignment within the time specified by the teacher or to make alternative arrangements.
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Each page of the assignment will be initialled by the assessor to verify re-submission of original work should an appeal arise.
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The onus will be on the student to retain and resubmit the assignment if a re-submission is required.
Re-submission Activities
If students are requested to re-submit or re-do assessment activities they will only be re-assessed on the components initially determined as not yet competent. To ensure equity and fairness of assessment for all students, re-submission activities may vary from those originally set by the teacher/assessor.
Late Submissions
It is the student's responsibility to attend and participate in scheduled assessments. If the student is unable to attend a scheduled assessment item, the student must notify the teacher prior to the assessment.
If a student submits or requests to undertake an activity after the assessment date, but before the end of their current enrolment period for that module/competency, the activity will be marked. There will be no re-submission option for late assessments unless they have been pre-approved (see Extensions).
If a student submits assessment activities after the enrolment period for a module/competency, or receives a not yet competent for a late submission, then they will need to re-enrol into the required module/competency before the assessment can be marked. NB: Re-enrolment may not be able to occur until the next semester period, however, any assessment activities marked as competent can be carried forward and only those elements deemed not yet competent need to be re-submitted or re-done.
Extensions
Extension may be granted for exceptional circumstances. Depending on the mode of study, reasons for extension may vary from health, personal or work reasons, ie: work situations carry greater implications for part-time students working full-time, than full-time students not working.
All requests for extensions should be:
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Negotiated in advance with the teacher
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Confirmed in writing and signed by both the student and the teacher.
An assessment activity completed by the extended date still has a re-submission option.
If the extension cannot be arranged before the due date:
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Students should make a reasonable attempt to give notification to the teacher or Faculty staff concerned via telephone, fax, letter or e-mail.
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Significant evidence needs to support a request for an extension after the due date (ie: doctor's certificate).
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The request must be in writing.
Cheating
Cheating is defined as "any fraudulent response whatsoever by students to any item of assessment including any actions which may otherwise defeat the purposes of assessment" (ANU Handbook, 1997).
Collusion: All parties who collude (get together) and copy an assessment item(s) for the purpose of deception will fail. A result of "not yet competent" will be issued. This failure will extend to the author of the original assessment item(s).
Plagiarism: is "the act of taking and using another persons work as one's own" (ANU Handbook, 1997). Any of the following acts constitutes plagiarism unless the work is appropriately acknowledged:
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Copying the work of another student
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Directly copying any part of another's work
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Summarising the work of another
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Using an idea derived from another person's work.
Both plagiarism and cheating constitute major infringements of the Gold Coast Institute of TAFE academic values. As such, any plagiarism or cheating will result in an automatic fail and suspension from further classes. The student must provide a written application addressed to the Director of Faculty showing due cause as to why the student should be allowed to return to study. The application will be reviewed as part of a student review process and the Director of Faculty will decide on appropriate action.
Re-Evaluation Process
A student who is not satisfied with the result provided on an assessment activity has the right to approach the appropriate teacher or assessor concerned for a re-evaluation no later than 14 days after results have been notified to the student.
If a student still has concerns with their result they should refer to the TAFE Queensland Student Rules 31st May 1996. Copies are available from the Library, Educational Managers and Faculty Administration Staff.
Assignment Cover Sheet
All assessment activities submitted must have a completed and attached Gold Coast Institute of TAFE Assignment Cover Sheet or Examination Cover Sheet.
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An appropriate teacher or Faculty administration staff member must sign the Assignment Cover Sheet.
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The examiner must sign the Examination Cover Sheet.
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In the case of either an Assignment or Examination, the Examiner must provide written feedback to students under "comments" on the coversheet.
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All completed assessment items will be kept until the expiration of the re-evaluation period stated above. After the expiration of this period the assignment or examination cover sheet may be retained for record keeping purposes.
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Students must keep a copy of any submitted work. In the unfortunate event of an assessment item going missing, the Assignment Cover Sheet is proof of submission and re-submitted work, in this case, will have a re-submit option.
Assessments Retained by Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
In order to meet a range of (external) auditing requirements Gold Coast Institute of TAFE will be retaining evidence of student's work submitted. This may be in the form of, but not exclusive to:
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Keeping the originals of any examination papers
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Keeping the samples of assignments submitted
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Keeping photographic, video or audio evidence of projects, presentations, interviews or work placement activities.
In each case, students will be provided with a criteria response sheet or other appropriate feedback attached to the assessment items submitted (particularly relevant for written assignments).
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