Coursework Marking for Access

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We have one teacher that will point out which answers you got wrong and allow you to take your EXAM home and redo it, and then resubmit it and get up to a Distinction! It's really frustrating and disappointing to me when I do all the work properly yet get exactly the same marks as people who are scraping by on the bare minimum. I guess I'll be laughing when I go to uni and actually know what's going on but I really wish teachers didn't cheapen the qualification like this.

Reply 41

jami74

Original post by Chocolate teapot

I've been doing my assignments and submitting them. I usually compare it with others who have also done the work to check our answers are correct first and that helps pick up on any silly errors. Other people are frantically doing the assignments at the last minute (literally!) and just getting the answers from those who have done it. I'm happy to help people but theirs a big difference between comparing answers and copying answers.

I'm guessing those who aren't putting in the work will get found out by the end of the course.

Reply 42

Philemon

I find people handing in work late and then being graded with an M or D really frustrating as well.

Im doing Access to Art and a lot of people do very little work and wont even bother to turn up for 2/3 of the classes.
We had 2 weeks to do a sculpture project, this one guy didnt finish his on time -he only showed up in the studio one out of the six days we had- and presented it 2 weeks late.
My tutor was beaming at his work, saying 'Isnt it wonderful?' and all I wanted to say was 'Well, its good but seeing that you had a month to do it, I would have expected a better result'.
Im sure he'll get the same grade as me (M -our tutor has said she doesnt give out D's this early in the year), who finished in time and worked my arse of.

Our last project was designing a card game, only three of us finished it, a couple of people half-finish it (like designing half a deck or even just a few cards) and the rest either didnt turn up or had done no work.

Im sure my tutors arent going to fail anybody, cos they always say, 'A 100% of our students go to uni'. So clearly theyre not going to fail anybody or give negative (=true) UCAS references.

Its so demoralising to see all these kids not caring one bit about the course, never turning in work, never showing up and just generally taking the piss.
Ive paid so much money for this course and given up a nice job so I can get into uni next year.

I dont know whether I should complain to my tutors or just keep my head down.

I know I shouldnt be bothered with how other people are doing, but if people can get M's and D's turning in their work 2 weeks late then why should I stress myself to death and work 8 hours straight every day to meet a 'fictional' deadline?

Guh. It makes me sound like a whiny bitch.
Really I dont care, it would just be nice if it was a bit more equal for everybody.

Reply 43

Elle408

Original post by Philemon

Guh. It makes me sound like a whiny bitch.
Really I dont care, it would just be nice if it was a bit more equal for everybody.

I'd be wary of complaining to your teachers, as they'll be marking your future work and might get offended. And although it would be very vindictive of them to mark you lower because of it, you couldn't absolutely rule it out. There should be someone senior that you can speak to though?

Your college sounds awful, making claims like 100% of students get in to university is absurd as it truly means that they're motivated to get people in to university who shouldn't be there, just for their numbers.

Our second essay deadline was yesterday and even though the tutor categorically said that it had to be in at 09.15 on the dot, so many people were late with it or didn't hand it in at all. A couple of people have officially dropped out this week and about 5 have been missing all week. It's so silly! We've had weeks and weeks to write these essays, so I find it ridiculous when people say that they didn't have time or didn't know what to do... ASK!

Reply 44

BigV

Original post by Chocolate teapot

Welcome to the world of Access. When I did mine last year this type of nonsense went on all the time. I don't think anybody failed or got capped at a pass for handing work in late and some people had multiple deadline extensions or chances to resubmit to improve grades.

One tutor handed out distinctions to almost everyone who submitted the work and then when the external verifier came in it was all downgraded by one grade (dist==merit, merit==pass).

What a nightmare, so glad it is over! Just focus on doing your absolute best and getting to uni......... take comfort in the fact that those who can't keep deadlines or pass exams now are going to fall flat on their face at Uni.

Reply 45

Wibble99

I guess it depends on your Access course. I did humanities two years ago, and you handed work in on time, or you lost marks. There was some generosity shown early on (while we all got used to what was expected), so we were allowed to show the teacher our essays before submitting them, but by the New Year you were marked according to the merits of your work.

They do bend the rules to help people get through the course, and often to get better grades. But at the end of the day what matters is what you get, not the person next to you. I would not stress out over it.

In any case those who do not do the work, or do not do it very well, will suffer when they get to uni. The Access course, if done right, is good but not great preparation. If you do not take it seriously, you will not be prepared. If ever there was a good example of ‘more to be pitied than scorned’ than this is it.

Reply 46

maturestudy

I just wanted to add my own experience for the sake of balance. I'm study Access to Health and I have found the academic level to be quite stringent. Don't get me wrong, everyone is friendly and the staff will bend over backwards to help you but:

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nobody can afford to miss 2/3 of lessons because there is an 85% attendance requirement to pass the course.

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all assignments have to be handed in on time. No exceptions! Any late assignments (even one day) have to be handed in with a completed appeals form - you better have a doctor's note stapled to it!

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they are plagiarism mad and everything has to be Harvard referenced up the wazoo! I don't mind this so much because it is all good preparation for university.

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you can only resubmit work that failed to achieve a L3 pass. I'm not sure if the resulting remark is capped. I think it maybe moved down a grade so D=M, M=P. But frankly, if someone is struggling to hit L2 they are unlikely to be distinction material.

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we also have the good, very good, excellent marking schemes which infuriates me. Having said that, I got distinctions in everything so far, but I put in a load of effort to achieve them.

I wouldn't feel hard done by if they showed a little leniency at this early stage of the course because a lot of us haven't studied for 20+ years. It doesn't look like we're going to get any though as they seem to have a start as we mean to go on attitude. They also point out that most universities have similar rules so we might as well get used to them now as we'll be more prepared for uni.

Reply 47

Elle408

Original post by maturestudy

I'm a stickler for rules so your course sounds wonderful! lol

I have to admit I was a little annoyed on Tuesday when we handed in our last assignment and again a good percentage of people were allowed to hand it in late or given extensions. I worked so hard to make sure mine were good quality and in on time and it seemed like it was for nothing.

BUT, after some reflection, I know ultimately that i'm benefitting myself by doing the work on time and it really means no odds to me or my future if the others can't do that that. Now all is right in my little Access bubble! lol

Reply 48

maturestudy

Original post by Elle408

That's a good attitude to have.

At the end of the day, it will have little long term effect on us. As long as you get the credits you require to get into uni it does not matter what anyone else gets. I certainly don't feel they are giving distinctions away. most ppl are getting merits, passes in some cases.

Reply 49

BigV

Original post by maturestudy

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they are plagiarism mad and everything has to be Harvard referenced up the wazoo! I don't mind this so much because it is all good preparation for university.

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Just wait till you get to Uni; if I have one more dedicated plagiarism lecture or one which branches off into the importance of referencing I might just scream.

Ultimately doing Access is like being at school. Assuming equal ability, those who put the effort in will get distinctions and those that don't will get pass/merts...

Unless you plan to do a really unpopular course then you are going to need distinctions & merits to go anywhere 'good'.

Reply 50

maturestudy

Original post by BigV

Just wait till you get to Uni; if I have one more dedicated plagiarism lecture or one which branches off into the importance of referencing I might just scream.

That's my world right there!

Reply 51

rsm68

I did an access course last year and I had the same problems.

I handed everything in on time yet there were others that were up to 3 weeks late and their work was still accepted.
Re-subs were given M/D's when we were constantly being told that you can't 'polish grades'.
Marking of work took up to 9 weeks for grades and feedback.

If you voiced your opinion about it, as I did, they you became very unpopular with the tutors :frown: