We do not like old fashioned exams: the innovative use of alternative assessments on a Law Degree with a Foundation Year

Abstract

Assessment methods in Higher Education will always be vehemently debated and evoke a plethora of emotions, comments and opinions. This short study attempted to scrutinise how the use of alternative methods of assessments in a foundation year award affected student retention and progression from the access year on to the traditional first year of an LLB. Learners on the award completed a questionnaire about how they felt about their assessments. The findings are discussed and the authors enter into a discussion about the idea of complementing traditional timed exams with a suite of alternative and inclusive assessments. In conclusion the authors demonstrate that student retention and progression rate reached a rate of 95% for the 2012/13 cohort.