Leading enhancement in assessment and feedback (LEAF)

Information about the Leading Enhancement in Assessment and Feedback (LEAF) project at the University.

What is the Leading Enhancement in Assessment and Feedback (LEAF) project?

The LEAF project supports programme teams to map assessment and feedback practices to capture the typical student’s experience of feedback and assessment on their programme using Transforming the Experience of Students through Assessment (TESTA) methodology.

TESTA is a reflective process, providing a birds-eye view of assessment and feedback on a programme, and facilitating reflection and discussion, whilst also identifying and sharing good practice. Some schools have found it useful to complete the LEAF process in the year before a Taught Programme Review or curriculum review.

Transforming the Experience of Students Through Assessment (TESTA) methodology - more information

What is the process?

A typical process may follow these steps:

Part 1: the programme team conducts curriculum mapping and assessment blueprinting using existing programme information.

Part 2: The IAD undertakes a survey using questions from the TESTA survey, supplemented by some University of Edinburgh specific questions, and any questions that the programme team wish to add.

Part 3: The IAD facilitates focus groups with students on your programme.

Part 4: The IAD collates the information collected in Part 1, 2, and 3 into a report with commendations and recommendation for enhancing assessment and feedback practices on your programme.

How to LEAF

To download full guidance to taking part in LEAF in your programme, please see our guide to the process:

Leading Enhancement in Assessment and Feedback Guide (PDF)

Alternatively, if you would like print versions of this please email iad.assessfeedback@ed.ac.uk

Want to take part?

Contact us first: The first step in the process is to contact the LEAF team at the IAD at iad.assessfeedback@ed.ac.uk with any queries you may have, to express interest in undertaking the LEAF process, and to check IAD availability for support Parts 2, 3 and 4.

Editable worksheets and tables

The LEAF guidance references a number of downloadable, editable charts and tables to be completed for Part 1 of the LEAF process; these are downloadable as MS Word documents here.

Table 1 – programme structure: used to map the balance of compulsory and optional courses on a degree programme.

Table 2 – most popular courses taken on the programme: used to mock up a possible suite of courses taken to comprise the programme.

Table 3 – Overview of course assessment activities: used to record the specific assessment and feedback practices on individual courses; one table should be completed per course and additional rows can be added to the table where necessary.

Table 4 – Summary of assessment on the programme: used to gain an overview year on year of the diversity and volume of assessments experienced by students on the programme.

Table 5 – Assessment timeline: used to visualise assessment deadlines in order to identify clashes and bottlenecks across each programme year of study.