Principles for effective degree algorithm design

Report

21 July 2020

Regulation of higher education

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report cover which includes a graphic of turning cogs

As part of its ongoing commitment to fairness, transparency and reliability in degree classification, the UK higher education sector has committed to a new set of principles for effective degree algorithm design to protect the value of qualifications. Universities are autonomous institutions yet have taken the positive step of agreeing these common guiding principles to inform how they approach designing the method through which they classify undergraduate degrees.

To be effective, an algorithm must:

provide an appropriate and reliable summary of a student’s performance against the learning outcomes, reflecting the design, delivery and structure of a degree programme
fairly reflect a student’s performance without unduly over-emphasising particular aspects, with consideration being taken at the design stage of how each element within a method of classification interacts with other elements
protect academic standards by adhering to the current conventions and national reference points used to define classification bands and boundaries
normally be reviewed at least every five years – or alongside national cyclical review timetables – to ensure algorithms remain relevant and appropriate, with input from across the provider, including students, academic and non-academic staff, and accrediting bodies
be designed and reviewed in a way that is mindful of the impact of different calculation approaches to classification for different groups of students
be communicated and explained clearly to students, both in how it works and why

This work has been delivered by Universities UK (UUK), GuildHE, and the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) on behalf of the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment (UKSCQA).

Degree algorithm practice in 2020: research report

To support their implementation, the principles are accompanied by further explanatory guidance and illustrative examples of suggested practices in areas such weighting, discounting, and borderline policies.These principles build on the overview of current practice in the sector as outlined in the research report following considerable engagement with the sector across the UK.

Read the research report