Optimising Assessment Workload And Student Experience; A Quantitative And Qualitative Analysis Of An Undergraduate Subject Restructure.

Abstract

Optimising the workload of university students is important for their academic performance and student experience. Large perceived workloads are associated with poorer academic performance and lower student satisfaction in university students. In response to student feedback in 2021, we redesigned a second-year undergraduate physiology subject in order to optimise workload and improve student experience. The practical assessments (contributing 50% of the subject grade) were consolidated from five small reports to two more comprehensive reports. The new subject design resulted in a 3.85% reduction in practical assessment marks (p<0.05), although students maintained their academic performance in the end of trimester quiz. Upon reflection, the new practical assessments may have been more challenging for students and more discriminating of academic performance, as they required greater levels of critical thinking and more in-depth discussion of complex physiological concepts. Student satisfaction was reduced following the first iteration of the new subject design, but with additional assessment support for students by academic staff in 2022, the student experience ratings were no longer below expected values. In summary, consolidating the number of practical assessments was predicted to foster deeper learning of physiological concepts. However, to successfully achieve this, support from academic staff appears to be an essential factor to foster a positive student experience.