Loughborough University Response to Second Consultation on the UK Honours Degree: Provision of Information

Before addressing issues raised in the consultation document, we have to express our disappointment at the short period of time allowed for consultation within institutions.  The documentation is long and complex, and it is in our view unrealistic to expect institutions to commit to such a major change as the one proposed without proper time for an informed debate.  Our response is therefore brief and does not attempt to deal with each of the 18 discussion points.

 

Is the change in degree classification supported?

Opinion within the University is divided on the question of whether there is a need to replace the UK honours degree classification system as a means of representing the achievement of individual students.  As we indicated in our previous response, there is concern about the importance attached to specific classifications (notably the 2.1) which magnifies what may be relatively minor differences in the standards of performance achieved by students on either side of the classification boundary.  There are also concerns at the current variation between institutions and between disciplines in assessment practices and approaches to classification, yet at the same time a general willingness amongst staff to accept such diversity, both as a reflection of historical and cultural differences, and on the basis that equity, reliability, validity and the other important criteria set out in the consultation document can be sufficiently assured by institutional regulations and the external examiner system.  A major criticism of the pass/fail system is that it would provide no motivation to good students to improve their performance.  Many students who have expressed their views through our Staff/Student Committees are in favour of retaining the current system for its motivational aspect.

 

We strongly agree that any new system would need to command the support and agreement of the sector as a whole, and one of the strongest arguments amongst staff for retention of the current system is that none of the alternatives so far proposed has shown any likelihood of commanding such support.

 

Should the sector move to a Pass/Fail ‘scale’ supported by a Diploma Supplement/Transcript (DST)?

Some staff have reflected concerns voiced by graduate recruiters that the use of a pass/fail ‘scale’ would mean HE abrogating its responsibility to provide a summative judgement on the standard of a student’s performance.  We have concluded that the majority of graduate recruiters want to see a summative judgement and that a pass/fail system supported by a DST will not meet this need.  We note in particular, from the example provided in Annex 1 to the consultation document, that while the individual student’s programme details (in section 4.3) include the marks/grades for each module and the number of credits passed, there is – consistent with the pass/fail system envisaged - no overall mark/grade or classification, nor are marks/grades given for the individual parts/years that contribute to the degree classification.  We believe the document is inadequate for employers, who will struggle to interpret it, and there is a real danger that it will be interpreted erroneously.  It is unlikely that notes on how to interpret it (which are not included in the example) can be as brief as the Group suggests.  More seriously, we would see this omission of an ‘at-a-glance’ summative judgement disadvantaging UK students competing for jobs with those from other countries where the use of multi-point classification systems generates this information.

 

The Diploma Supplement/Transcript

In our previous response, we indicated our support for encouraging greater engagement with the information provided in the transcript, and we still support this.  However, we also expressed misgivings about expanding the amount of detail which potential employers would have to handle.  The publication of the illustrative DST has raised new and major concerns within the University about the prescriptive nature of the Diploma Supplement and the array of explanatory information that institutions are expected to include in it.  There is particular concern about the suggested use of web-links which are notoriously difficult to maintain over long periods of time, except for reference to non-essential sources of information.

 

Whereas the Group envisages a combined Diploma Supplement and Transcript, and this makes good sense if it avoids duplicating the information published in the transcript, we would urge that the transcript – including a summative judgement – should be presentable as a stand-alone document, as well as serving to provide the individual student’s programme details as part of the Diploma Supplement.   (We have seen examples of this from other institutions.)  This would allow students to present a relatively brief transcript with bullet-point information about modules they have taken and their content, and about their personal performance over time, whilst the longer Diploma Supplement document conforming to European specifications would still be available if the circumstances required it.  We would consider it helpful if such a format were adopted across the whole of the sector. 

 

We would wish any supplementary information provided in the Diploma Supplement to be confined to achievements normally certificated by the University.  We would see it as students’ responsibility to communicate other relevant information about their achievements and capabilities, including for example holding office in the Students’ Union, acting as a Chair of a Hall Committee, attainment of additional qualifications awarded by other bodies whilst a student at the University, or skills developed in part-time employment.

 

Possibility of additional bands in the Classified Honours Degree

We would be against the division of the 2.1.  The difficulties already experienced at the 1st/2.1 boundary would be replicated.

 

Grade descriptors

We believe it would be too difficult to reach agreement on generic grade descriptors.

 

HEA Workshops

Whilst a series of HEA workshops on assessment practices might provide some new insights which can usefully be shared across the sector, unless there is already clear support for these proposals, we consider it doubtful that such a programme of activity would bring about a significant shift of opinion within the sector.