Assessment

1.    Assessment of student performance in any unit is continuous or progressive and is determined at the end of the semester in which the unit is completed. The grade for that unit is based on the total marks gained. A grade is final when it has been approved by the Academic Board of the Sydney College of Divinity.

2.    Within the Sydney College of Divinity, the development of assessment packages is based on an understanding of demand hours derived from the following principles:

a.    The educational model used is that of adult learning.
b.    Each class is a community of adult learners, lecturer and students together.
c.    The desired end is not simply to impart information to students but for them to develop into self-directed, self-motivated learners.
d.    Their own experience and learning is an essential ingredient in the learning process.

3.    Students only have a limited amount of time that can be expended on a unit. No unit is entitled to more student time than any other unit for equivalent credit. (Clearly there is some latitude for units with a large practical component.) Overall student loads per semester can make demands on only a set amount of time in a student’s week.

4.    Each unit involves a range of educational tasks: e.g. lectures, reading, note taking, tutorials, presentations, essays, quizzes etc. Assessment tasks make up only a percentage of learning tasks, and can therefore demand only a corresponding percentage of the time allocated to that unit.