This can help students with both understanding the assessment criteria and the process. SoB involves feeling accepted, respected, valued and a legitimate group member. Failing the first summative assessment can lead to alienation, particularly if the student feels they invested time and effort. What went wrong? How can they feel accepted by the group and a legitimate member of the learning community? Formative assessments should be included both to guide students’ learning but also to familiarise them with the process, both academic and technical.

Example: Melanie introduces a tutor-supported formative assessment early in the first module. This is also the first part of the summative assignment, allowing good scaffolding and also gave the tutor a clear idea on how well the student engaged with their feedback.

Example: Sandy sets up an arrangement whereby students’ draft work was sent anonymously to three peers, charged to offer positive suggestions for improvement in relation to the criteria. Despite the anonymity, students commented positively on the sense of belonging to a helpful, corporate group, devoted to helping each other to improve the quality of the finally submitted work. Focus groups suggested that the more able students benefitted particularly from their constructive exercise of critical thinking in relation to the subject matter of the assignment.