UCL DEPARTMENT OF
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
Student Feedback Policy 2014-15
This policy was developed following discussions with the Improving the Student
Learning Experience Group (ISLE) and the Departmental Teaching Committee (DTC).
The data from the National Student Survey (NSS), Staff Student Consultative
Committee (SSCC) and ISLE student focus groups informed these discussions.
The overarching aim of the policy is to provide you with appropriate and timely
feedback in a way that promotes learning and facilitates your development.
1. Purpose and scope
1.1. The purpose of the policy is to ensure that there is a consistent approach to
providing students with feedback across the Department.
1.2 This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes
within the Department.
1.3 This policy is in-line with UCL’s policy on providing feedback to students, please
see
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/part-3/feedback-to-students-onassessed-work
2. Key principles
2.1 Feedback is an essential and integral part of your ongoing learning process. It
should be used to inform future learning and to motivate you to continue your learning.
Feedback will therefore be:
o Provided ahead of subsequent relevant assessments for a module.
o Closely linked to the module’s learning outcomes and assessment
criteria.
o Delivered in such a way that will help you identify what you did well,
areas for improvement and encourage you to reflect on your
performance.
3. Information about your assessments
3.1 You will be informed of the module’s assessment and feedback schedule at the
beginning of the module / when the lab timetable is confirmed. This information will be
provided via Moodle and in a form similar to the below.
Assessment Information Table
Coursework
assessment
Date to be set
This will be labgroup specific
Submission
deadline
Department
default is 2 weeks
after coursework is
set
Academic
responsible
Date feedback on
assessment to be
returned
3.2 With the exception of the MSc individual projects, all coursework deadlines must
be set within the three UCL standard terms.
3.3 Prior to commencing an assessment, you will be made aware of what learning
outcomes the assessment is addressing, the assessment criteria and the marking
scheme.
4. Content of feedback
4.1 You will receive a feedback sheet for each assessment you submit. The criteria on
the feedback sheet will be tailored so that it is relevant to the assessment. You will not
receive the same feedback form for every module.
4.2 Some lecturers may also annotate scripts but only in addition to completing a
feedback form.
4.3 Feedback will be detailed enough to inform your future learning and development.
4.4 The feedback will, where possible, highlight the positive aspects of your work as
well as areas for development.
4.5 Wherever possible, in addition to individual feedback, generic feedback will be
provided to all students on the module. This will be a summary of the key strengths
and weakness apparent from marking all the students’ work and suggested areas for
improvement. This will be provided in class or via a written document.
5. Timing of feedback
5.1 Wherever possible, the scheduling of a module’s assessment will ensure that
feedback can be provided ahead of further assessments being set.
5.2 Feedback for modules with small cohorts will be returned within two weeks of
submission. Feedback for larger cohorts (20+) will be returned within four weeks of
submission.
5.3 The deadline for the return of feedback may be adjusted by the lecturer in
consultation with the Department’s Coursework Officer. If seven working days1 after
1
Working days include days outside of the teaching term.
2
the deadline students have not received a revised date from their lecturer they may
inform the Departmental Office who will investigate the delay.
5.4 If you submit your coursework late this may result in delay in you receiving your
feedback.
5.5 For modules that are assessed and examined solely by coursework, feedback will
not be returned in accordance with these deadlines (e.g. MECHGM05 / MECHM003
Advanced Computer Applications). In such cases you will not receive feedback on
your coursework earlier than the end-of-year examination board.
6. Submission of coursework
6.1 All coursework must be submitted via Moodle which acts as a record of the
date/time of submission. If you are required to also submit a hard copy of the
coursework it is the Moodle submission deadline that will be used as the definitive
record hence both submissions must be identical.
6.2 Where paper copies have been requested in addition to the standard Moodle
submission a deadline will be set by the relevant staff member and communicated to
you. Paper coursework is submitted into labelled boxes in Roberts room 4.10, you
should take care to place your coursework into the correct labelled box. Once the
deadline has passed the box will be closed and no further submissions accepted.
Requests to submit late must then be discussed with the course coordinator.
Paper copies are not date stamped or logged and the Moodle submission
remains definitive.
6.3 With the exception of the projects (where a separate coversheet is required),
regardless of whether you are submitting an electronic or hard copy you will be
required to copy & paste the text below (complete with the details required) onto the
first page of your document (or print it off as a separate page).
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STUDENT NAME:
DEGREE AND YEAR:
MODULE CODE:
MODULE TITLE:
COURSEWORK TITLE:
LAB GROUP (if applicable):
DATE OF LAB SESSION (if applicable):
DATE COURSEWORK DUE FOR SUBMISSION:
ACTUAL DATE OF SUBMISSION:
LECTURER’S NAME (who set courswork):
PERSONAL TUTOR’S NAME:
DECLARATION BY STUDENT
By submitting this coursework with this information, I am confirming that the coursework is entirely my own work and that I
have clearly referenced any quotations, ideas, judgements, data, figures, software or diagrams that are not my own.
I have read the UCL guidance and advice on plagiarism available from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/currentstudents/guidelines/plagiarism and I understand that any false claim in respect of this work will result in disciplinary action in
accordance with the University of London's General Regulations for Internal Students.
7. Your responsibilities in the feedback process
7.1 If you have any questions about the feedback you receive you should make use
of lecturers’ office hours to seek further guidance. There is a core assumption that
university students should take responsibility for their own learning and this applies to
feedback. However, learning works best as a two-way process and lecturers are there
to be of assistance. Asking for clarification may seem daunting but if you actively
request information it is more likely that feedback will enhance your learning.
7.2 If you have any concerns relating to your feedback, please see the staff member
responsible for that item of coursework. If you are not satisfied with the response you
receive you should then contact your Personal Tutor, the Coursework Officer, the
Undergraduate Tutor or your Programme Director for further advice. If necessary, they
will escalate your concerns to the Chair of the Departmental Teaching Committee who
is responsible for quality assuring the Department’s assessment and feedback
process.
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