Blogs on 'Higher Education'

Could improved student assessment literacy have an impact on their perception of assessment fairness in Higher Education? Dr Simon Child, Head of Assessment Training for Cambridge Assessment Network argues that there is more to be done.

Recently, our Professional Development Projects Specialist, Hannah Williams, attended the annual Assessment in Higher Education conference (AHE) in Manchester. This event brought together educators, professionals, and experts from various fields to explore the evolving landscape of assessments in higher education.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is valued by universities because it teaches skills which are likely to be useful for undergraduate study, such as research, critical thinking, and evaluation. In this blog we investigate whether students taking an EPQ tend to have better outcomes at HE.

Textbooks, statistics and error are central themes of research at Cambridge Assessment. So, I was intrigued when Paul Morris’ article “Misunderstandings and omissions in textbook accounts of effect sizes” popped through my letterbox. This is interesting in the context of research we have conducted ourselves at Cambridge Assessment.

In recent weeks, the debate over university admissions procedures has again come to the fore. This has been prompted partly by the impact of Covid-19 on education, but also because of growing concern that admissions based on predicted grades and personal statements can, perhaps unintentionally, disadvantage certain student groups.

More than a million students will receive GCSE and A Level grades this summer, but in a far from normal way. Tim Oates, Director of Assessment Research and Development, explains how we should support this year's cohorts to focus on the next stage of their education on results day.

Dr Simon Child, co-director of the Postgraduate Advanced Certificate in Educational Studies: Educational Assessment (PGCA), gives his thoughts on how the course prepares students for the future of assessment.

Ewan Brady shares his motivation for applying for the PGCA, providing insight into how the course is structured and how what he learned can be applied to his role as Subject Advisor at OCR.

To say that relationships are important in schools is to both state the obvious and challenge the prevailing narrative of educational priorities.

Research Officer Sinéad Fitzsimons reveals how two events exploring access to education for migrants chimed with the theme of a recent speech by Group Chief Executive Saul Nassé.

Twitter's chemistry community sat up and took note of a new report suggesting chemistry undergraduates' maths needs aren't being met before they embark on their studies.

Paul Steer explores two 'equally pessimistic' reports on the current state of graduate employment.