QAA assessment roadshow: student partnership and feedback practice

Updated Sep 07, 2026

QAA’s 26 March 2026 summary of its first Assessment & Feedback Roadshow brings together practice shared over four days. It is a report of presentations, rather than a comparative evaluation of the approaches. QAA roadshow summary.

Three examples for assessment teams

Southampton described student interns contributing to assessment enhancement through analysis, focus groups, training and reporting. Glasgow presented bounded student choices within fixed learning outcomes, including decisions about aspects of group assessment and peer review.

At Exeter, a Geography dissertation example connected spring marking calibration and student feedback with summer planning and revised resources in autumn. The presenter reported improvements in satisfaction and attainment. QAA’s account does not provide the data or comparison needed to attribute those changes to the calibration process. Practice descriptions in the QAA summary.

Turn an example into a testable local change

Our recommendation is to choose a specific problem before borrowing a practice. If students cannot interpret an assessment criterion, ask them to explain what they think it means, review examples together and record the changes to the guidance. A broad satisfaction question may not show whether that particular misunderstanding has been addressed.

Agree which elements students can influence and which are constrained by learning outcomes, professional requirements or assessment regulations. Explain those boundaries before inviting suggestions, and keep a record of the decision and its rationale.

When reviewing results, distinguish participation, experience and attainment. More students attending a feedback session does not itself establish better learning. Look for changes in the problem you set out to address, consider other changes to the module and check whether some groups encountered new barriers. Treat any observed improvement as something to investigate rather than an automatic effect of the intervention.

The student comment analysis governance checklist can help teams document the evidence and responsibilities behind a review.

Review note, 7 September 2026: narrowed the account to verified examples, identified reported benefits as presenter claims, and removed unsupported sector-wide and service-effectiveness conclusions. Publication date and URL are preserved.