Is continuous assessment inclusive? An analysis of factors influencing student grades

Abstract

This paper reports a series of studies that assessed the performance of students on continuous assessment components from two courses in an undergraduate psychology programme. Data were collected from two consecutive cohorts of students (total N = 576) and the grades of students were compared based on additional learning needs (ALN; ALN versus No ALN), whether or not the students had requested an extension to a deadline, and whether or not students had missed any of the tests that made up the continuous assessment component. Results showed no significant differences in attainment between students with and without ALN, supporting the argument that continuous assessment does not differentially impact students who already require additional support. Students who were granted deadline extensions achieved significantly lower scores, but only on the course with content that built week on week. Students who missed one or more tests achieved significantly lower scores even if the grade was calculated ignoring the questions that a student had not attempted. The implications of these findings for assessment practice in higher education are discussed.

Keywords:

• Additional learning needs
• continuous assessment
• higher education

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests and no funding was received to support this work.

Notes on contributors

David Playfoot is a Senior Lecturer and Director for the Undergraduate Programmes in the School of Psychology, Swansea University, UK. His research interests include feedback provision and feedback literacy in higher education, blended learning techniques and the impact of testing on learning.

Laura Wilkinson is a Senior Lecturer and School Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Lead in the School of Psychology, Swansea University, UK. Her primary research interest is eating behaviour with a current focus on encouraging sustainable eating practice.

Jessica Mead is a Tutor in the School of Psychology, Swansea University, UK. Her primary research interests are centred within positive psychology, wellbeing science, and post-traumatic growth, branching out into student wellbeing and general pedagogical practice.

Ethical standard statement

All data was extracted from university student records following the ratification of student grades for the course in question—therefore there was no direct involvement of the students in data collection, nor was there any impact on final course grade as a result of this study. The study was approved by the School of Psychology Ethics Committee at the university at which the study was conducted (application reference: 2022-5489-4681).