How assessment practices can widen, sustain, and narrow degree awarding gaps

Please note: this event has passed

Join us for the next HERG@KCL seminar, taking place in G/8 Waterloo Bridge Wing. We encourage you to attend in person, but this event will be hybrid for those who cannot make it, and can be joined on Microsoft Teams.

At this point, researchers know that assessment practices can play a significant role in shaping the UK HE degree awarding gap — particularly in how assessment includes or excludes diverse learning needs, cultural perspectives, educational backgrounds, and linguistic & epistemological identities. Assessment is such a foundational aspect of university culture; despite roots in historical gatekeeping practices, it can be used as a tool for justice. This HERG session will discuss how assessment practices can widen, sustain, or narrow the degree awarding gap. It will be collaborative: opinions from the audience are welcome and encouraged!

About the speaker

Jessi Johnson (she/they) is currently a PhD candidate within ECS studying how marking practices (like criteria, rubrics, and feedback) can impact the UK HE degree awarding gap. Before King's, she was a Professor of Writing & Social Justice for 12 years, seeing firsthand how students were impacted differently by assessment & marking; and before that, she was a disadvantaged student struggling with an awarding gap. Her intriguing accent is Californian. Ask her about Lord of the Rings or Graham crackers.

About the moderator

Saffron Powell (she/her) is currently a PhD candidate within ECS investigating how initial teacher education in higher education institutions across England prepares teachers to teach in an increasingly ethnically diverse society. An educator since 2013, she was previously a secondary school science teacher, head of biology and KS3 science, and newly qualified teacher mentor. A proud south Londoner she takes great offence to those who say that Croydon ‘isn’t really London’…