Page 273 - Self-Study Report for Institutional Accreditation

Identification and Definition of Student Learning Outcomes
The identification and definition of student learning outcomes is covered in Standard 3.1: Programmes and Learning Outcomes.
Communication of Expected Learning Outcomes
Once registered and enrolled in an online programme or course, students are provided with assessment details. These assessment details are contained in student course guides and include assessment strategies to be used, assignment requirements with weighting, policies for assignment submission, GPA and grading criteria, rules and regulations for progression through the course and the requirements needed for the final award and classification. Explicit instructions for achieving expected learning outcomes are communicated in the course guides and are supported by marking schemes or assessment rubrics which detail student expectations. A sample of course guides is shown at Appendix 5.21.
Facilitators are given support on assessing student work and providing substantive feedback, using both formative and summative strategies. In the foundation course, Timely and Meaningful Assessment, (FSOF003), offered from 2016, facilitators are introduced to competency-based assessment and receive guidance on utilising rubrics to evaluate and provide meaningful feedback to students. This module reinforces the importance of providing timely and regular feedback to students as promised in the Student Charter. Consistent application of these practices supports effective communication of expected outcomes and allows students to assess and adjust their learning practices, based on the gaps identified through the facilitator’s feedback.
In terms of assessment weighting for online courses, it is the Open Campus’s policy that all courses have at least 10 per cent of total marks awarded for course participation. Course participation usually takes the form of active engagement and 277
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