UTL40270

Learning Outcomes:

Having successfully completed this module, you should be able to:

1. Critically reflect and evaluate the application of assessment and feedback approaches in current and future practice
2. Explore inclusive assessment and feedback approaches and how they may support diverse student cohorts
3. Analyse and synthesise the relationship between key assessment principles in the context of higher education, i.e. validity, reliability, diversity, academic integrity, transparency, etc.
4. Interrogate the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on assessment approaches
5. Devise an enhancement or adaptation to assessment and/or feedback approaches in your practice, utlising the scholarly literature to support your plan.

Indicative Module Content:

The themes in the module commence with the common purposes of assessment and feedback (National Forum 2017).
It is then organised around the principles of assessment in higher education (Bloxham and Boyd (2008), UCD T&L (2019).

It shall then explores an array of themes: assessment equity and diversity, inclusive assessment, assessment load, feedback approaches, context of assessment, academic integrity, grading, programmatic approach to assessment, online assessment and feedback approaches.

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


 

Student Effort Hours:

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:

The module, this Trimester (Spring 2026), shall be online.

Seminars will explore the different practices in assessment and feedback and encourage dialogue around the students’ experiences, drawing on the required readings for the different assignments.
There will be online activities pre and post session, for one to engage and complete asynchronously.

*GenAI in this module:

Assignment 1: Peer Review of Initial Plan.
This activity (in Feedback Fruits) is based on your own initial ideas for a change to assessment or feedback in a module of your choice.
*One can use GenAI prior to submission to explore assessment/feedback ideas for your module, but should not use GenAI in the composition of the text for the submission.

Assignment 2: Critical Reflection on the Evidence.
In this assignment, one may choose whether or not to use or not use GenAI.
We will explore the rationale for this in the sessions in the module.
Where you have used GenAI, you will be required to be transparent around its use and where appropriate include the outputs.
N.B. in the 'Critical reflection on GenAI use' section, GenAI is not permitted.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.

Module Requisites and Incompatibles

Incompatibles:
UTL40140 - Assessment & Feedback in H Ed


 

Assessment Strategy

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.

 

Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment
• Peer review activities
• Self-assessment activities

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

- Feedback individually to students, post-assessment - Group/class feedback, post-assessment - Peer review activities - Self-assessment activities Students engage in a peer review as part of their first assignment. There will also be group feedback after the first assignment. This will feed-forward to the second (final assignment). There will be an opportunity to self-assess the final draft assignment prior to its submission. The final assignment will use individual rubric feedback, and will also give individual feedback if a specific area for feedback is requested.

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.