Best University Digital Assessment Programme/Implementation

This project is an online English test designed for university students studying Psychology. Although these students already need an upper intermediate level of English to enter their degree programme, they are also expected to understand lectures, presentations, and academic texts in English that are directly related to their field of study. The test is taken on a computer and checks students’ ability to understand spoken and written English used in psychology. It includes short listening and reading activities based on real materials, such as academic talks, interviews, and scientific articles. This means that students are assessed on the kind of English they will actually encounter during their university studies, rather than on general language topics. The test was created through collaboration between language assessment specialists and a psychology researcher. The psychology expert helped select authentic materials and ensure the content was appropriate, while the staff at the Language Centre designed the test to be fair, reliable, and aligned with international language standards. Overall, the project provides a practical and efficient way for the university to check that psychology students have the language skills they need to succeed in their academic studies.

I was tasked with creating a digital training programme to help every CCCU teacher design accessible and varied assessments and to provide standardised, clear and fair feedback for their students. Previously, only some staff could attend the in‑person workshops, meaning students sometimes had very different experiences depending on who taught them. To solve this, I designed an online version which can be completed wherever there is internet access. The programme is interactive and practical. Staff complete a range of activities, and complete small assessments so that they not only have their knowledge tested but experience things from the student’s point of view. They learn how to write clear instructions, design fair assignments, and give feedback that helps students improve. As it is online, flexible and delivers the same experience for all participants, all students now benefit from more consistent marking and clearer expectations, across the University’s programmes. We’ve already seen major improvements in student feedback about assessment and fairness. I created an easy‑to‑access digital course helping all teachers assess students more clearly and fairly. It has improved the student experience across the whole university as evidenced by our rise in National Student Survey scores in assessment and feedback.

Newcastle University's Digital Assessment Team has built a digital exams service that allows students to sit high-stakes exams on a computer instead of on paper. The team runs this service using a specialist exam system called Inspera Assessment, which now supports more than half of the university’s exams (as of 2025/26). The team’s main aim is to deliver digital exams that are secure, fair and reliable, while making the experience as easy and straightforward as possible for both students and staff. During an exam, the system 'locks down' devices to protect questions and prevent access to notes or the internet, and robust backup arrangements make sure assessments can continue even if technical issues arise. Where possible, automatic marking is also used to speed up processes and reduce manual marking effort and turnaround time. Beyond security and resilience, the team also works with staff to develop more authentic assessment approaches, and helps them to consider and respond to the growing impact of AI. Regular review of student and staff feedback, alongside ongoing engagement with the wider sector, helps the service improve year on year.

The Learn Optimised for In-course Submission and Assessment (LOUISA) project was designed to significantly improve both the staff and student experiences by streamlining the assessment and feedback processes, removing unnecessary complexities, and ensuring a more consistent and sustainable experience across the University of Edinburgh. We recognise that in a large and diverse institution like ours, practices regarding core tasks can vary widely, leading to significant inconsistencies. Such variability can profoundly impact the assessment and feedback journey, introducing stress and anxiety, particularly for those working or studying across multiple disciplines. The primary goal of the LOUISA project is to deeply understand the fundamental requirements for assessment and feedback from both staff and student perspectives and to develop a consistent strategy for policy implementation when using learning technology for assessment and feedback consistently. This strategy aims to standardise the processes related to the submission and management of assessments and feedback, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of our academic environment.