In these pages you will find information, guidance and resources to you help understand and succeed in your learning at YSJ.
Assessment is a cruical and valuable aspect of an education. Without assessment we could not verify that you have successfully learned what has been taught, or how well you have learned what it is that you were taught.
Reading a book or watching a video demonstration may be the first step to learning but we then need to test that your understanding or application of this new knowledge is correct. Testing your understanding or application in class might be through small group dicussions, practical workshops, mock quizes or debates. These are examples of what lecturers call Formative Assessment. This is an assessment that is not graded and instead is focused on producing feedback to improve your learning.
The Summative Assessment is the task that results in a grade. Summative assessments include delivering a presentation, recording a podcast, writing a blog, performing a play, diagnosing an illness, composing a piece of music, writing an essay or completing an exam. Assessments at YSJ (both summative and formative) are authentic and meaningful, relating to the knowledge and skills of your discipline. In your final year, the average (mean) grade from all your summative assessments will produce your final certified result. (You can find more about how you are graded in University Grading).
To give yourself the best chances of being awarded the highest grade, you should test your understanding and application of what you are taught before your summative assessment. The formative activities that your tutors present you with in class (mocks, practice, discussions, etc.) are a good place to start. However, you could go further by developing your understanding of how you will be assessed and to what standards. For this we offer you the Generic Assessment Descriptors (GADs). By understanding the expectations of these assessment descriptors, you can greatly increase your chances of improving your learning and grades.