Tackling Time Management in Foundation Year Psychology Assignments

Abstract

Managing study time for assessments is known to be an issue that many students find challenging, particularly in the transition to independent learning as they enter Higher Education. We present an attempt to tackle this issue with a cohort of Foundation Year Students, studying a Social Psychology module. The assessment required them to submit a research portfolio, asking them to conduct and report on their own independent content analysis. Through the term, students were able to access resources associated with each component of the assessment, each of which was introduced on a fortnightly basis. Using Talis Elevate as a tool, we were able to show that students were actively engaging with the assessment materials during the fortnight that they were introduced rather than simply at the end of term when the deadline for submission approached. The implications of structuring assessments in this way are discussed.