TESTA
Transforming the Experience of Students Through Assessment
The ways in which we assess students, and the nature of the feedback that we provide when preparing them for these assessments, are central to the success of a programme.
The TESTA process enables you to take a step back and check whether your current assessment approaches are the best fit for your programme goals, and to consider how the time invested in providing feedback can be best used.
The TESTA process
TESTA takes a detailed look at the patterns of assessment and feedback across a programme and combines this with data from student questionnaires and focus groups. We produce a written report that summarises the TESTA findings and discuss this with staff at a debrief meeting.
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Data gathering
The first step of the process is a discussion between the programme director and members of the curriculum enhancement team. (90 min)
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Student focus group
A focus group with students is run by the curriculum enhancement team to help build a comprehensive picture of how students experience assessment within the programme. (60 min)
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Student questionnaire
A questionnaire is administered to the whole cohort by the curriculum enhancement team in a timetabled teaching session. (15 min)
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Staff debrief
The team will present their report to the programme director, exams officer, unit leads, student administration manager and as many staff who teach on or administer the programme as possible! (90 min)
What happens next?
The TESTA process helps you to focus your summative assessment where it is most needed and to achieve an appropriate balance of assessment and feedback across the programme. The debrief sessions often spark wide-ranging discussions about assessment and teaching on the programme, and the more people that attend the session the wider and richer the discussion will be.
If your new vision for assessment and feedback prompts you to look at your programme with new eyes a Curriculum Festival is an ideal next step.
The TESTA experience
Hear a personal perspective on TESTA from Associate Professor Dawn Davies.
TESTA resources
Visit the national TESTA site for research toolkits, best practice guides and a host of other resources.
Have a question?
Get in touch with the academic-development-team@bristol.ac.uk
Fast-track TESTA
Find out what students are enjoying about your programme and identify quick changes to sort out any niggles with fast-track TESTA.
TESTA Toolkit
Intrigued? Try out the One-hour TESTA to learn more about the TESTA methodology, look at some case studies and hear about the student perspective.