Archaic examination culture of UK universities must be reformed

Even those celebrating their A-level and Scottish Higher results this week will have felt a heightened sense of anxiety about their preparedness for university and, in particular, the formal examinations.

It is not surprising. Unlike typical cohorts, this year’s A-level students have faced a hugely challenging time during months of lockdown with a rapid shift to online learning and the cancellation of exams.

However, while these cancellations have been unsettling for many students and undoubtedly brought additional tension at an already stressful juncture, it need not be detrimental to their higher education journeys. That would be even more true if progressive universities seized this opportunity to review student evaluation by moving to a more robust structure of real-world assessment.

The current model of examination favours students who possess strong powers of memory and recall. But it is applied knowledge and skills that really matter – and education should be designed and delivered in a way that confers lifelong benefits for learners, beyond the lecture rooms and labs.

Seldom in life, beyond education, are we locked in a room and then required to recall information or create a coherent narrative in a time-limited period, without access to information or permission to speak with others. So why do we think exam-based assessments are fair, realistic or useful?

If you want to test memory and recall, it’s probably okay. To determine other, better, more useful life skills – such as communication, team working, problem solving, collaboration and critical thinking – exams are not the answer. Let’s get a grip on what assessment is for and design modern and progressive methods for evaluating potential that are fit for purpose, fair and appropriate. 

There is an irrefutable need for practice-based assessments – a student nurse demonstrating they can deliver a baby using a simulator, a sports science student showing how to take oxygen consumption data from a subject, or an engineering student being able to show their capability in using a mass spectrometer. Tangible, real-world assessment that allows students to demonstrate the full range of graduate skills and attributes required to be successful, lifelong learners.

Recently, universities across the globe were challenged through the pandemic to completely rethink pedagogy and demonstrate both agility and a capacity to change swiftly. The resilience and innovation shown by education institutions as they implemented these changes, while ensuring they still delivered quality experiences for students, has been inspirational.

Universities must now be even more determined in creating a fully inclusive culture that aligns curriculum objectives with the needs, preferences and circumstances of the next generation of learners. Real opportunities exist for progressive institutions to completely reimagine pedagogy and move to a more robust structure of real-world assessment. It is time we modernised the existing model of examination, commensurate with the way we are modernising our approach to the delivery of learning.

I am proud that, here at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), we are already at an advanced stage in completely transforming our pedagogical approach to ensure that we continue to deliver purposeful, dynamic and accessible pedagogy in a way that meets the needs of our diverse student body and genuinely improves our students’ experiences and outcomes.

Universities like UWS, that exist at least in part to make direct and tangible contributions to the level of skill, innovation and capability in their local communities, have an obligation to ensure their assessment of those skills and capabilities is modern, forward-looking and uses the best available practices and technologies. 

I have long been passionate about the modernisation of the existing assessment structure in universities and the use of practice-based assessment as a more accurate measure of graduate knowledge and skills. The pandemic, and the societal challenges it has highlighted, has only strengthened my view that a broader, more holistic approach to attainment is needed.

Today’s students are the leaders of the future and, to take on the monumental challenges we face as a globally connected society – including inequality, the global health crisis and the climate emergency – modern learners increasingly demand a pedagogical approach that is more adaptive and human-centred. We must seize the opportunity for positive change and deliver modern institutions that inspire and support students beyond their formal education and throughout their lives.

It is my hope that, in the coming months, positive change to current exam practices will continue to take place across the education sector and universities will continue adopting and embracing further flexibility; taking a truly progressive approach to evolving and delivering the world-class higher education for which the UK education sector is rightly renowned.

Craig Mahoney is principal and vice-chancellor of University of the West of Scotland.