Page 89 - UniZulu Annual Report 2020

on moderation, assessment, and examination policies to assure that continuous assessment is used to determine student success rather than formal sit-down examinations. Internal moderation replaced external moderation and was done and monitored by heads of departments as approved by Senate and Council in July 2020.
During remote and online teaching and learning, the University utilised the following forms of assessment:
• Assessment for progress and understanding is awarded
marks in the usual manner, and count towards a class
mark or final mark.
• Assessment for progression to the next level/course
was undertaken by considering marks already awarded for coursework completed before the national lockdown, marks awarded during the online phase as well as marks earned for a formal written examination written on resumption of face-to-face teaching and learning. The exact permutations and combinations of these marks were determined by the relevant Faculty and displayed on Moodle per module.
The Assessment Plan of the University, though considering other forms of continuous assessment methods, remained predominantly Test-Based, Task-Based, and to some extent self, peer, and group assessments. Continuous Assessment focuses on the ongoing manner in which assessment is integrated into the process of teaching and learning. The criteria, standards and learning outcomes by which the task would be assessed, as initially included in the student guide of each module, helped both the students and the lecturer as guidelines for the assessment of students’ performance. Students knew what was expected of them.
The University did not conduct any venue-based examinations at the end of the semester due to health and logistical considerations. Academic staff have created alternative assessments that test students’ learning and understanding in a different format from previous years, but that is easier for students to complete remotely. Academics have been using a variety of assessment types to allow students the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills in different ways (e.g. recorded presentations, artefacts, voice notes, portfolios, slideshows, reflective video responses, written responses, data interpretation and analysis). The use of self and peer assessments to improve student learning experiences, build communities of practice and enhance learning has been an integral part of the assessment. The continuous assessment activities included assignments, multiple choice questions; projects; presentation of a portfolio of evidence. The weighting of each assessment activity was determined by the number
of activities chosen by the Departments. In the instance of three activities, the weighting was 25%, 35% and 45% per activity, whilst with two activities, the weighting was at 50% each. No summative assessment was done for the first semester of 2020. Summative assessments were planned for the second semester of 2020 and in accordance with the adjusted academic calendar.
LEVELS OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS IN DIFFERENT DISCIPLINES AND LEVELS OF STUDY
The Faculty of Education generated the highest pass rate of all faculties with a 90% pass rate, followed by the Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law with 82%. The Faculty of Arts generated a 79% pass rate with the Faculty of Science and Agriculture having generated a 77% pass rate. UNIZULU’s annual pass rate for the year was 82%. The average postgraduate pass rate for the year was 58%. The lower pass rate at postgraduate level is mainly due to the fact that most programmes at postgraduate above honours level are predominately research-based. Diagram 7 below provides an overview of institutional pass rates per qualification type.
The Faculty of Arts’ undergraduate pass rate of 79% in 2020 has not drastically shifted from the previous two years (2019 and 2018) in margins. There have been challenges encountered with a few honours programmes, namely in the departments of African Languages, General Linguistics, English and Philosophy. These departments reported challenges of students’ participation in the teaching and learning activities. This necessitated a repeat of some key modules.
Due to a great effort by academic staff to change from face-to-face to online teaching, the participation rate as well as the pass rate improved in most modules. A big improvement was noticed in Accounting, where continuous assessment seems to work very well and students received ample opportunity to practice concepts. Reports from students mostly indicated that they preferred continuous assessment and that they have found the smaller and more regular assessments to be more beneficial. The Faculty of Commerce, Administration and Law received permission to bring back all students-at-risk in early September 2020. This provided ample time for catch-up plans and for students to complete their assessments.
The average pass rate for postgraduate certificate (PGCE) in Education was (93%). This could be attributed to the fact that students were sent reading materials. They were then called to face-to-face consultations and had access library
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UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND ANNUAL REPORT 2020