The Open University aims to be at the forefront of teaching, learning and student support in higher education and therefore at the forefront of the assessment and evaluation of teaching, learning and student support in higher education.
In particular, the Open University aims to ensure
- that its courses and programmes of study employ a variety of forms of formative and summative assessment that are not only reliable and valid but are equitable across different groups of students and foster real intellectual development in all students.
- that it provides opportunities for previously excluded groups to study by means of online distance education,
- that it fulfils its legal and moral responsibilities to specific groups by ensuring that it removes any barriers to their participation, attainment and personal development.
The following activities are included in the programme:
- Fair assessment and diversity (Accessibility, Ethnicity and widening participation)
- Assessment tools (advice, OU tools evaluation, assessment workshops)
- Authentic assessment (development and evaluation of new e-assessment tools)
- Student workload (including impact on retention, attainment and disabled students)
- Benchmark assessment approaches (ensuring OU assessment approaches are the best they can be)
As a result of this work the Open University will:
- understand more about the effects of choosing different sorts of assessment upon learning outcomes and the student experience,
- have a better understanding of the extent to which it is providing real opportunities for previously excluded groups
- appreciate more fully the obstacles that are faced by specific groups in their participation, attainment and personal development.
Current projects
- EU4ALL (European Unified Framework for Accessible Lifelong Learning) project
- Accessibility Standards Work: Involvement in a range of International and National Standards efforts promoting Accessibility in eLearning
