To think this shouldn't be allowed when reviewing an appeal of a coursework grade?

[StJamesInfirmary]

TLDR: If I appeal a grade, should the assessor be able to uphold my appeal but then give other reasons to not pass me?

I'm studying at the moment. I've submitted four pieces of c/w so far. I passed the first one. The second and third I was referred, which means they wanted me to resubmit with some changes. I appealed both of these (the second on the grounds the info they wanted wasn't a requirement in the assessment criteria and the third on the grounds the info they needed HAD been included in the appendix). Both my appeals were upheld and I passed.

So onto my fourth, with waning confidence in the competence of the assessors. I was referred again. The thing they wanted, again, was not in the assessment criteria. I appealed on these grounds. The appeal was not upheld and the assessor just reiterated that x y and z was needed. I appealed again asking that they direct me to the content where this was set out as a requirement. This time the assessor agreed that it wasn't set out in the assessment criteria but then came up with something else, completely different, I needed to do to pass.

AIBU to think if I appeal a grade the assessor should not be upholding my appeal and then coming up with secondary reasons for me to not pass? I've checked the very brief appeals policy and there is no mention of this.

Bump

They sound like an incompetent bunch of jackasses.

I think you’re right but what can you do about it? Is there someone else to complain to?

God thanks so much. Incompetent jackasses is what I needed to hear. There is one final appeals stage I can go through but I honestly want to complain and ask for a refund. I've had a hell of a year and it's taken absolutely everything I've got to write the assignments through loss of a beloved pet, miscarriage and grieving my father's death in September. I've carried on with this goddamned course regardless and I'm at tipping point now. Just needed a sense check really and you've given me just that. Thank you

Bloody hell, they do sound like a bunch of amateurs - is there further complaints process? However, depending on what it is you're doing, it is always a risk of appealing that they can actually downgrade you. Is it worth it? Can you not just do what they've now asked of you and get it finished if it's the last piece?

I am so in awe of people like you who fight back. Good for you. I hope you get passed ❤️

Luckily I can't be downgraded as an outcome of the appeal. It's a matter of principle for me to have this work marked properly to be honest. If it's a refer, that's absolutely fair enough, I'll rewrite it but not with feedback like I've been getting, it's a joke.

🥹 thank you, that's very kind to say. I've contemplated just rewriting it but I just cannot do that without knowing it's a decision arrived at fairly (and correctly) and nothing I've seen so far suggests it is.

I think it probably depends whether it is being second marked or if they are just looking at the appeal points. It also depends whether the points that you are appealing on are the substantial reason why you didn't pass. For example a student might appeal because they had a comment about their references but often references do not contribute substantially towards the grade and sometimes I might comment on incorrect references for information rather than it being the substantial factor affecting the grade. They might have gained a low mark for an entirely different reason such as not addressing the question adequately. If their assignment was second marked then the other marker might think that the error was even worse than I had first assessed it and hence still not pass the assignment even if they were even less bothered by the referencing error which the student highlighted in the appeal. I think this is really a question for the student union of your institution who will know the regulations for that university/ college.

I would say though that unless specifically told to put something in an appendix you generally shouldn't rely on an appendix for anything which is important in answering the question. Anything which you want marked should be in the main assignment. An appendix is appropriate for things like data output, questionnaires, consent forms.

It doesn't sound like the most organised place but I would speak to the student union rather than MN.

Given that you already know do much more than the assessors why are you studying?

If my students ever appeal my first thing to do would be to get the work cross marked so it might be worth asking for that

So the point the first marker said was that I needed to include recommendations. It doesn't say that in the brief, none of the tutorials or any other paperwork for the module. I appealed this and it was repeated by a second marker. I took it to the second appeal stage and the third marker agreed it's not a requirement and said that the answer I've given is to vague and therefore it still needs rewriting.

The bit about the appendix - it was specifically required to be added to the appendix. I'd referenced it in the main body of the text and correctly titled it, which is why my appeal was upheld. The marker had missed it.

Yes as far as I'm aware all appeals are marked by someone else.

Why do you keep appealing their marking? Why don’t you just do the improvements and work? If my students kept questioning my marking, I’d get very pissed off and would stop marking it.

You're not allowed to appeal grades at my institution, just processes. I comment on things all the time that aren't specifically in the brief, because I'm trying to help students improve their work. A grade is based on masses of different, nuanced elements. What is it that makes you think it is not your work that is the problem?

Why the unnecessary sarcasm? She had already had two appeals upheld which means she was correct. Is your intent helpful or to put her down?

Even if they were correct? Do you not ever consider you make a mistake? What would their options be once you refuse to mark?

2 pieces of advice from someone getting on on years; accept that life is not fair and choose your battles wisely.

It sounds to me like the first two markers said you needed to add recommendations but you appealed they were not required.

Marker three has then said you are correct that recommendations were not specified. However without these your work is too vague.

That sounds perfectly fair to me as the first two were pointing you in the right direction

I think you should just get on with it and make the changes.

It does sound as if the guidance could be clearer however it is very hard to determine how a student will interpret an assignment. You might have 99 students all interpreting it in one way and then 1 taking a completely left field approach. Or these days more like 1 taking a left field approach and then convincing ten of their friends, even though no one with academic training would adopt that approach.

For example if it was a report then although there may not be a specific line in that assignment which says you must include recommendations, that may be implicit due to the fact you are writing a report. There may be more general information available in the university about report writing which says that reports generally have recommendations. Just because the directions for this specific report did not explicitly say you must include recommendations, it doesn't escape the fact that the report will be clearer if you have recommendations. That might be what the other marker is saying. Yes they agree that the assignment guidance did not specify that you must have recommendations however if it is a report, the majority of reports have some sort of recommendations therefore your assignment would have benefited from having recommendations.

It would be like a student arguing that they were not explicitly told to include references. It is an academic piece of work, you must always include references unless explicitly told otherwise. The guidance for an assignment might not specifically tell them to include references but without references the assignment is virtually worthless because there is no academic basis for the claims.

Part of academic life is learning the unwritten rules as well as the written rules and whilst you might be able to argue a specific point if your work is not judged as at a particular level by a number of markers it suggests that perhaps you are missing some important points.

@StJamesInfirmary can you see that your work is vague? If you can, it should be easy to tighten up your language and be more specific, so it might be easier to just resubmit.

Is it just you whose work keeps getting referred or is it also happening to the other students on your course? Is every piece of work second marked or only for students with a failed mark?

Did you submit evidence of the mitigating circumstances that you have referred to in your post so that could all be taken into consideration when marking your work?

@ThatSchoolOfficeLadyvery good advice, thank you.

@SeaShellsSanctuary1 thank you, that's a helpful way to think about it.

@LougleI need to re-read it really but I was happy with it to submit. Each assignment is made up of 10 or so answers. Each answer is given a high pass, pass, low pass (all count as a pass) or refer (which means you have to resubmit this answer). I've had a high pass for my other answers so would be surprised to hear that I'd not even scraped a low pass for this one.

@thepariscrimefiles this is an online school, the cohort is over 150 students and we don't really have a forum for discussing things like this so I'm not sure about other people.

I have a tutor for the course, he answers questions posted on the board. A separate tutor delivers recorded tutorials. There are a team of markers who mark the assessments and leave their name on the feedback form. I haven't worked with them, they don't know me. I haven't had the same person marking more than one of my submissions yet so I don't think it's an issue of them getting annoyed that I'm daring to question them.

To expand, there are 150ish students in my cohort, the school takes on new cohorts every 1-2 months for this qualification, they run at least 2-3 other qualifications. I did a qualification with them a couple of years ago, before they'd grown so big, and the quality was miles better. I do think the marking is sloppy due to the excessive demand on the team of markers and due to my previous two appeals being upheld.

@thepariscrimefilesonly grades that are appealed are second marked. I've not submitted evidence of extenuating circumstances. The course is one year. I am due to finish on September and really wanted to have it done but I am feeling really overwhelmed, events of the last few months are catching up with me and I am now considering asking for a break. But I want this grade tied up and have an assignment I am currently working on that I'd like to submit (and pass) first).