Developing assessment policy and evaluating practice: a case study of the introduction of a new marking scheme

In 2011, Southampton Solent University, a post-1992 university in southern England, introduced a new marking scheme with the aims of changing marking practice to achieve greater transparency and consistency in marking, and to ensure that the full range of marks was being awarded to students. This paper discusses the strategic background to the scheme's development, analyses the role of the working group and stakeholder involvement in developing the initiative, and presents a critical commentary on its success within the frame of the university as a ‘learning organisation’ Senge, P. M. (2006). The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of the Learning Organisation. London: Random House].