Evaluation of Student Learning Procedure

Approver:: Academic Coordinating Committee
Policy Owner:: Vice-President, Academic
Policy Lead(s):: Director, Teaching and Learning
Defining policy:: Evaluation of Student Learning Policy
Effective date:: 2014-04-16
Date of last approval:: 2023-08-18

Procedure Statement

This procedure describes a coordinated and consistent institutional approach to the evaluation of student learning.

Procedure Scope

This procedure applies to all full and part-time employees involved in the scheduling, design, delivery, and documenting of student learning and achievement. This procedure applies to all course delivery, independent of the delivery strategy (i.e., hybrid, on-line, full-time or part-time.)

Definitions

Conestoga College maintains a glossary of terms specific to the institution. The terms in use for this document are defined below.

Academic Manager: The Executive Dean or Program Chair or designate responsible for the academic management of a particular program or program area.
Academic School Handbook: A document produced by the Academic Team and published on the Conestoga website that sets out expectations, rules, and regulations for students registered in programs within each of Conestoga’s academic schools.
Academic Team: Includes the Deans, Chairs, Program Coordinators, and Faculty who are responsible for academic content and delivery. 
Course Learning Outcomes: Terminal statements that indicate what a student is reliably expected to demonstrate at the end of a course and upon which they are formally evaluated through grade allocation.
Course Outline: An approved document outlining the course and unit learning outcomes, course title, course code, course description, credits, hours, prerequisites, co-requisites, resources, and evaluation methodology and associated grading allocation, for credit courses offered at Conestoga.
Digital Learning Resources: Digital learning resources are materials provided on the internal learning management system and/or accompany purchased resources.
eConestoga: eConestoga is Conestoga’s learning management system (LMS) that serves as a centralized platform for accessing course materials, engaging in activities, submitting assessments, tracking grades, and facilitating communication and collaboration. eConestoga supports accessibility by providing content in digital formats that are consistent with AODA standards.
Essential Elements: All courses in full-time programs are to have Essential Elements of information available to learners in eConestoga. Essential Elements are key components provided to all learners across all courses within full-time programs on eConestoga. The Essential Elements document can be accessed under “Faculty Support” in every course shell.
Essential Employability Skills (EES): Essential Employability Skills are non-vocational skills critical for success in the workplace, in day-to-day living, and for lifelong learning that students learn as part of the formal curriculum, and as stipulated by the Ministry.
Evaluation: Any evaluation contributing marks toward a student’s final grade. This includes, but is not limited to, assignments, tests, exams, quizzes, and projects. 
Faculty: Faculty are responsible for the teaching/learning process and the evaluation of student work.  
Feedback (evaluation): Feedback is a vital part of the learning process as it provides students with information about their performance so that they understand what they are doing well and what needs improvement.
Formative Feedback: Constructive formative feedback is information provided to students to support continued learning and improve performance.
Instructional Plan: A structured plan based on a college-wide template that ensures that dates for learning opportunities and evaluations are clearly communicated to students and other stakeholders as well as providing course-related information and practices.
Program Learning Outcomes: Terminal statements that indicate what a student is reliably expected to demonstrate at the end of a program.
Summative Feedback: Constructive summative feedback is information provided to students explaining achievement of the Course Learning Outcome(s).
Supplemental Assessment: A Supplemental Assessment is an opportunity for a student to demonstrate having met course outcome(s) to earn credits for a course they have failed by completing additional course requirements as determined by their Faculty. The assessment may be an exam, final assignment, project, or other evaluation as determined by the Faculty.

Responsibilities

Student

Be aware of the evaluation scheme on the course outline and how it is realized on the Instructional Plan. Seek clarification and Accommodations as necessary.
Adhere to the established timelines.
Request clarification from faculty as needed.
Retain and provide, in the event of an Appeal, all relevant work that has been returned.

Procedure

Evaluation Scheme

The Academic Team will review and approve the evaluation scheme on the course outline annually.

Faculty will review the course outline evaluation scheme on an annual basis during the Annual Program Reflections (APR) and suggest any needed adjustment so that an appropriate evaluation scheme is in place.

Faculty will review college policies and procedures related to evaluation and the Academic School Program Handbook and ensure all evaluation practices are in alignment.
Faculty will develop evaluation components as per the course outline and program outcomes.
Faculty will evaluate associated Essential Employability Skills within the evaluation components.

The Academic Manager (e.g., Chair, Program Manager) will ensure academic teams coordinate their instructional plans so that evaluation components are scheduled in a timely manner.

The Academic Manager will review and approve any changes to the scheduling of evaluations once the semester commences, e.g., removal or addition of a component.

The Executive Dean/Dean will review and approve any exceptions to the Evaluation of Student Learning Policy, e.g., a single component weighted at more than 40% or a must-pass rider on any evaluation component.

Communication

Faculty will complete the ‘Essential Elements’ on eConestoga.
1. Faculty will create and post a complete instructional plan prior to the start of each semester and keep it available all semester.
2. Prior to the start of the semester, Faculty will load the instructional plan to eConestoga.
3. Upload all available evaluation materials (e.g., assignment description, rubric, exam information) on the college LMS (eConestoga) at the start of the semester. In consideration of accessibility needs, upload any newly created evaluation materials well in advance of the due date.
In the first week of each semester, Faculty will review the instructional plan with students providing clarification as needed.

Faculty will advise students as to the Supplemental criteria.
1. Faculty will inform them that the Supplemental opportunity occurs after the final mark is posted, is time-sensitive, and may not be available for all courses.
Faculty will review guidelines, instructions, and a rubric or marking scheme in advance of due dates so that standards and criteria are communicated to students as they prepare for each evaluation component.

Evaluation

Faculty will design evaluation components using the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
1. Note: The method of evaluation for college courses may not align fully with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Rationale for this approach includes the required level of learning, the need for students to have memorized the items for subsequent recall, the expectations of the accrediting body in terms of knowledge display, and public safety
Faculty will evaluate student work promptly, fairly, and consistently.
1. Faculty will identify challenges to validity and reliability after the use of each evaluation component and revise prior to the next course offering.
2. Faculty will provide constructive formative and summative feedback.
3. Faculty will:
  1. maintain confidentiality when returning or discussing evaluations.
  2. provide students with an opportunity to review and discuss their evaluated materials
  3. be accessible and available to students for discussions regarding evaluation components and results. Provide an explanation of the grade assigned upon request.
  4. respond to student concerns promptly.
  5. post marks for each component on eConestoga as soon as the mark is available.
As required, Faculty will provide accommodations and book tests with Accessibility Services using the Test Booking System.
1. Faculty will ensure a suitable environment for test and exam writing.
Following any unexpected events, Faculty will determine how the interrupted evaluation will be addressed and communicate this process on eConestoga to the students and to the Academic Manager.

Final Grades

Faculty will submit the final grade to the Employee Portal within 3 working days of the course end or final assessment.
1. Faculty will consult with Academic Manager prior to any delays.
2. Where an Incomplete (I) has been assigned, Faculty will:
  1. Inform the Academic manager.
  2. Submit the Incomplete Form to the Registrar’s office.
  3. Submit a mark Change Form, within the required time frame, as soon as the grade becomes available.
The Academic Manager will review and approve final grades.
1. The Academic Manager will consult with the Faculty member prior to changing the final grade of any student barring exceptional circumstances.
  1. In such circumstances, the academic manager will inform the Faculty member of the occurrence.

Document Retention

Where a graded assignment is in the custody of Faculty, it should be kept for 1 year after the end of a semester and then destroyed.

If the graded assignment has been uploaded to eConestoga then Faculty can destroy any other copy immediately.

Relevant Legislation and Related Documents

Relevant legislation

Post-Secondary Quality Education Assessment Board

Revision Log

Date	Description
2014-02-24	Academic Forum - Approved
2014-04-09	Policy and Procedure Committee – Approved
2014-04-16	Academic Coordinating Committee – Approved
2015-02-27	Academic Forum – Minor Changes Approved
2017-09-01	Academic Forum – Minor Changes Approved
2019-01-21	Minor revisions
2022-01-12	Academic Forum
2022-01-19	Academic Coordinating Committee
2022-05-11	Academic Forum
2022-05-25	Academic Coordination Committee
2023-06-28	Academic Forum
2023-08-18	Academic Coordination Committee