Coursework, what should be its nature and assessment weight?

Opinions differ about the nature, frequency and relative assessment weight of coursework in a mathematics degree. Short frequent coursework may aid week by week engagement while a smaller number of longer tasks may be better linked to real applications and give more opportunity for open ended questions. What should be the mix between assessment types? To what extent is copying a problem and how should this be balanced against the opportunity coursework can afford for investigation and originality?

Given the heavy dependence on marks for motivation, the award of some credit to formative assessment encourages students to engage with course material. Colleagues see the advantages of frequent small tasks with rapid feedback as aiding students both to keep up with material delivered at a far faster pace than at school, and in encouraging attendance at tutorials.

Conversely a smaller number of longer assignments encourages reflection about the interrelation of different parts of the course material and gives practice in the various stages of applying mathematics. Student reactions generally support colleagues’ views about the merits and possible limitations of each approach.

While at some institutions coursework is an integral part of summative assessment throughout the degree, in others it is seen, with the possible exception of a final year project, as something mainly for the first year.

This article presents a summary of views from colleagues and students about coursework and its role in motivation and assessment. These are gleaned from the interviews the HE curriculum team conducted at our own and partner institutions and all quotes come from these interviews…