Assessment banking – useful break or deferred withdrawal? An investigation of the outcomes and experience for students who have assessment banked

Project leader(s): Linda Robson
Theme: Supporting students
Faculty: STEM
Status: Archived
Dates: November 2017 to December 2023

One of the options for students facing difficulties with their studies is to assessment bank their TMAs and take an extended break, with the intention of returning at the same point in the next presentation of their module.

This project will investigate the behaviour and experience of students in England who opt for assessment banking on modules within the Engineering and Innovation SST.

Initially student records will be scrutinised to obtain numerical data on the number of students who assessment bank, how many return to study and the success rate of those who return. This analysis will also look for any correlation between the circumstances of the assessment banking and the subsequent outcome.

In autumn 2017 the Engineering & Innovation Student Support Team will be initiating pro-active telephone contact with students eligible to return from assessment banking, in order to try and increase the return rate. This project will evaluate the effectiveness of this proactive telephone support by tracking the outcomes when contact has been made, both student return rate and the final module outcome.

The project will seek to interview a sample of students, both who did and did not return to study after assessment banking, to explore their experience of assessment banking and its impact on their studies.