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SITS User Guide

Assessment: Create and

Maintain Module Assessment

Patterns (MAPs)

IT Services and Academic Registry

Version 15.0– 7th September 2018

SITS User Guide – Assessment: Module Assessment Patterns (MAPs), Trinity College Dublin

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Table of Contents

Module Assessment Patterns (MAPs) – background ................................................................ 3

Importance of MAPs .................................................................................................................. 3

Getting help ............................................................................................................................... 3

What is a Module Assessment Pattern (MAP)? ......................................................................... 4

How a MAP Code is defined ....................................................................................................... 4

Creating a new MAP record ....................................................................................................... 5

Reassessment ........................................................................................................................... 13

Reviewing existing MAPs and marking old MAPs as no longer ‘In use’ .................................. 15

Assigning a Mark Scheme, Module Co-ordinator and MAP to a Module................................ 17

Module Compensation Indicator ............................................................................................. 18

Reviewing Module Compensation Indicators ...................................................................... 19

Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme Report ......................................................... 24

Managing staff access (School assessment managers only) ................................................... 25

MAPs – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) ............................................................................. 30

MAPs – Quick Guide ................................................................................................................. 33

Create a new MAP ............................................................................................................... 33

Create Module Assessment Body (MAB) within the MAP ................................................... 33

Create Reassessment components ...................................................................................... 33

Assign a Mark Scheme, Module Co-ordinator and MAP to a Module ................................ 34

Check Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme Report ........................................... 34

MAPs - Checklist ....................................................................................................................... 35

Appendix A - Table of Assessment Types ................................................................................ 37

Appendix B - Table of Component/Assessment Mark Schemes ............................................. 39

Appendix C - Table of Module Mark Schemes ......................................................................... 40


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Module Assessment Patterns (MAPs) – background

Module assessment is the process of entering all module results for students on

undergraduate and postgraduate taught courses. In order for examination and assessment

marks to be entered into the SITS system, each module must first have had its Module

Assessment Pattern (MAP) set-up. This is done in SITS via my.tcd.ie.

It is important to note that the relevant modules themselves must exist in SITS before you

can create the required MAPs. New modules, or amendments to existing modules can be

requested by emailing [email protected].

Assessment stages – where MAPs fit in

MAPs are created to allow mark entry for each examination or assessment component as a

whole. MAPs have an impact on the following:

1. Assessment components – individual assessment marks add up to a module mark

2. Module – module marks add up to an overall mark for the year and for the course

3. Progression

4. Award – for final year students only

5. Exam scheduling

Importance of MAPs

In order to minimise errors in the later stage of the assessment and progression process, it

is vital that MAPs are set-up correctly at the beginning of the academic year. This ensures

that subsequent work involving Module Mark Entry and Progression can proceed without

difficulty. Any errors or data missing during the MAPs phase have a knock-on effect on

these subsequent phases.

Getting help

At any point should you require assistance please contact the Assess, Progress and

Graduation team in the Academic Registry by emailing [email protected] or by phone at ext.

4501.

http://my.tcd.ie/

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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What is a Module Assessment Pattern (MAP)?

A MAP is a weighted combination of different assessment components for a

module, e.g., Examination 60%, Course work 30%, Oral 10%

Percentage marks for individual assessment components should be defined as

whole numbers, with no decimal places and the total of all components must

equal 100%

There is a mark/grade scheme for each assessment component (see the

Appendix)

Re-assessment components e.g. at supplemental sessions, can be different to the

initial assessment components e.g. at Semester 1 or Semester 2 exams

MAPs may be different for every offering (academic year)

Tip: MAPs may be the same from one academic year to the next, and in that case

they are automatically ‘rolled over’ with no action required on your part

Tip: A new MAP should only be created in a new academic year if there are

changes in how a module is being assessed – do not edit the existing MAP as this

can lead to problems with records entered for students in previous academic

years.

How a MAP Code is defined

The MAP coding is comprised of the following:

1. Module code (xxxx)

2. Hyphen

3. Academic year in which MAP is first created (the two number which are the

beginning of the relevant academic year)

Examples: XXXXXX-1617 – this MAP was first created in 2016/17

XXXXXX-1718 – this MAP was first created in 2017/18


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Assessment component types

The following is a list of assessment component types:

Examinations

Coursework – good option for bespoke assessment components

Oral

Clinical examination

Group, placement

The overall number of assessment components for a module should be kept to a reasonably

small number and should match the course handbook. For example, the entire set of

coursework for a module could be setup as one single assessment component, instead of

having multiple components for individual coursework aspects. If re-assessment, e.g. at

supplemental sessions, is to be different to the initial assessment, e.g. a Semester 1 or

Semester 2 exam, then this also needs to be take into account.

Creating a new MAP record

The functionality to create MAPs is provided to authorised users in Schools in Trinity via

my.tcd.ie. Access to assessment records is managed within each School by the School

Assessment Manager, usually the School Administrator.

A new MAP must be created in the following circumstances:

New MAPs must be created for any new modules

New MAPs may be required for any modules that do not yet have a MAP assigned

New MAPs must be created if there has been a change to the component

assessment requirements from the previous academic year. In this case it is essential

to create a new MAP record with the relevant academic year reflected in the new

MAP code and to mark the old MAP no longer in use by unchecking the ‘In use’ box.

http://my.tcd.ie/


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In general, before creating a new MAP make sure you have established how many

assessment components will be required, what ‘Assessment Type’ each component is, what

each component’s ‘Assessment Weighting’ will be, what ‘Assessment mark scheme’ will be

used for each component.

The following example outlines how to create a new MAP record and set-up three

assessment components.

1. Log in to the SITS e:Vision portal at http://my.tcd.ie

Tip: It is recommended you use Google Chrome and not Internet Explorer

2. Choose Assessment – Edit Module Assessment Pattern

3. Enter the new MAP Code, following the convention outlined earlier in this document

4. Hit Return and a message should be displayed indicating ‘No existing record found’

5. Enter a Short Name – this should be the same as the Code

6. Enter a Name – this should provide more detail, and may appear on certain reports

e.g. ‘Assessment Pattern for LA1016 start 2015/16’

7. Click Continue

8. When prompted to Add Record click Yes

http://my.tcd.ie/


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Now you can see the MAP, the overall Assessment Pattern on the top half of the screen and

the Module Assessment Body (MAB) on the bottom half of the screen.

Many of the fields listed in the top half of the screen are not used and can be left blank.

Here are the fields to pay close attention to:

Print student name – should be left set to Yes, even if some components will be

anonymously marked – do not change to No


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Use highest module mark in calculation – always set to No to ensure that the most

recent set of module marks are always used

Use highest assessment marks in calculation – always set to No, as outlined above

In use – this should always be selected for the active MAP

Tip: once the new MAP is created you need to uncheck the ‘In use’ box for any older

MAPs for that Module

The fields involving ‘Reassessment Instruments’ only come into play if the arrangements for

re-assessment are to be different to those for the initial assessment. An example of how to

deal with re-assessment is covered further on in this document.

1. Ensure Print student name is Yes

2. Ensure Use highest module mark in calculation is No

3. Ensure Use highest assessment marks is set to No

4. Ensure In use is selected for the active MAP for that module

5. Click Edit additional details

6. Tick option to Set Weightings to total 100%

7. Set Re-assessment mode to Use MKS

Tip: This must be done to ensure any re-assessment instruments function correctly.

You should check any MAPs which use re-assessment instruments and that were

created prior to 2018/19 to make sure this setting is correct.


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8. Click Continue

At the bottom of the MAP screen there are a number of Actions to choose from:

Duplicate Pattern – you can open a MAP that already exists, duplicate it and then

change the new duplicate copy as required. This could be useful if you need to

create a new MAP due to some small change in the assessment components and so

you wish to retain the majority of the setup from a previous MAP.

Delete Pattern – you can delete MAPs – however do not delete older MAPs that

had been used at some point – this option is really only relevant if you want to

remove test items or a MAP that was never used

Add Assessment – you need to choose this for each assessment component you

wish to add to your MAP

9. Choose Add Assessment


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10. Enter an Assessment Sequence (MAB Seq), starting with 1 and select Continue

A large number of fields are made available. Many of these can be left blank. Follow

the steps below to populate the fields that must contain information. Information

messages and green tick marks appear to the right as you enter information.

11. The Assessment should have a clear descriptive ‘Name’ as it will appear in various

reports, e.g. Court of Examiners report

12. Enter one of the recognised Assessment Types (AST) e.g. EXAMA for Anonymously

marked exam. CWN is most popular, coursework by name – see Appendix A in this

document for possible values

Tip: Course work cannot be marked anonymously in SITS.

13. Enter one of the recognised Assessment mark schemes e.g. C40-01, 40% pass rate –

note again that marks are not rounded at assessment component level, e.g., 39.7% is

not rounded to 40% at this level – see Appendix B in this document for details.

Tip: You must enter an Assessment mark scheme for each component – do not rely

on the Module Mark Scheme. Also check that these do not conflict e.g. if all the

components use a ‘grade only’ mark scheme then the Module Mark Scheme

cannot be based on a mark, it must also be ‘grade only’.

14. Enter Assessment weighting - the percentage of the overall module this component

makes up – this must be a round number, no decimal places.

15. Review the value for Total weighting – this must always add up to 100 once all

assessment components have been added. There can be no exceptions to this.


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Tip: You will not be alerted if components add up to over or under 100 so always

double check this once you’ve added all your components.

16. Check Print student name is correct e.g. set to No for EXAMA

17. If the Assessment Type is an exam then select Edit additional details and enter the

Assessment hours (length) eg: 3.00.

18. Click on ‘Store Records’ at the bottom of your screen.

Tip: To ensure the correct scheduling of examinations it is essential to enter the

value for Assessment hours here


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To complete this exercise we will enter two further assessment components.

19. At the bottom of the screen select Add Assessment

20. When prompted for the Assessment Sequence (MAB Seq) enter 2 and click Continue

21. Now enter the following details for Assessment 2


23. Once Assessment 2 has been set-up then add a final Assessment Item, and enter 3

for the Assessment Sequence (MAB Seq)


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Your changes are automatically saved as you go. Note again that once all the

assessment components have been added that the Total weighting must be 100.

At this point the assessment components for initial assessment, e.g. the annual

examinations, have been defined.

Reassessment

Reassessment is required where students have failed a module during the initial assessment

period, perhaps by failing one component or by being absent, and so need to be assessed

once more. An example of this would be a student failing a Semester 1 or Semester 2 exam

and resitting during the supplemental period.

If the module is to be assessed in the same way during reassessment as it had been during

initial assessment (Semester 1 or Semester 2 exams) then there is no need to carry out

any further work with regards to MAPs in preparation for reassessment. The system will

automatically provide the option to enter a mark for re-assessment, for the relevant

component(s). This is assuming each component can be re-assessed in the same way as it

was initially assessed.

However, if there is to be a difference in how the students will be assessed during

reassessment for that module then you will need to use Reassessment instruments (RI).

For example if it is not possible to re-assess for lab work over the summer period, then the

student may be required to sit an examination that counts for 100% of the mark instead.


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In these cases you need to set-up new assessment items. The naming convention for

reassessment items is that you start with assessment ‘901’. You can then add assessment

‘902’ etc. for any additional re-assessment components.

Tip: This convention must be used in order for re-assessment to function correctly.

Set the Reassessment Instrument Id for the new component to RI.

You also need to select Use Automatic Reassessment Instrument in the main MAP area

If this is the only re-assessment component then set Assessment weighting to 100

If the new component is an examination then remember to edit the additional details and

enter the Assessment hours (length of examination).


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Click on ‘Store Records’ at the bottom of your screen.

Reviewing existing MAPs and marking old MAPs as no longer ‘In use’

You may wish to review an existing MAP to check the validity of the information and make

sure that nothing needs to be changed for the coming year. If a MAP is to change from one

year to the next then you must create a new MAP record and then edit the old one to mark

it as no longer ‘In use’.

Tip: Apart from marking an old MAP as no longer active, do not carry out any other

edits on an existing MAP which was already used.

If you see some additional fields have been populated in the MAP then please do not delete

this data. To make any changes to a MAP that had already been used could have an impact

on student results from previous years that used this MAP, for example, and could lead to

loss of student data in their academic history. There is no issue with editing a new MAP that

has not yet been used.


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To review an existing MAP:

1. Login to the SITS e:Vision Portal at http://my.tcd.ie

2. Choose Assessment – Edit Module Assessment Pattern

3. Enter the relevant MAP Code

4. Click into the Short Name field and you will find that a prompt ‘Existing record

found’ is displayed on the right and the Short Name and Name fields are

automatically filled. If this does not happen then it means the Code is incorrect.

5. Click Continue

Now you can see the MAP, the overall Assessment Pattern on the top half of the screen and

the Module Assessment Body (MAB) on the bottom half of the screen. As before, each MAB

defines the number and attributes of each assessment component, each represented by a

tab: Assessment 1, Assessment 2, etc.

6. If this is a MAP that has been replaced then uncheck the box beside ‘In use’

In the MAB area towards the bottom of the screen you will see the details for individual

Assessments components.

7. If you wish to review the details for each assessment component then click on each

tab to see the details. Remember that if anything needs changing for the new

http://my.tcd.ie/


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academic year then it is necessary to create a new MAP and mark this one as no

longer ‘In use’.

Assigning a Mark Scheme, Module Co-ordinator and MAP to a Module

Before marks can be entered, you must associate the relevant MAPs with the relevant

Modules.

Tip: This step is vital! This can be done by Discipline module assessment managers and

School module assessment managers.

1. After logging into my.tcd.ie, under Assessment select Add Module Owner, Assess

Pattern and Mark Scheme.

2. Here you can enter the relevant Module code or select a Discipline (e.g. Computer

Systems) to get a full list of Modules. You can also carry out a search with part of the

Module code or title, using an ‘asterisk’ (*) as a wildcard.

3. You can see if a MAP has been assigned under the Module Assessment Pattern

column. If not then it’s likely that you have to create a MAP for that Module code

e.g. BT2001-1415.

https://trainmy.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/SIW_DMX.start_url?eCJu88heUIfI%1Be=%243dEc%24=1ciC%15%1B%24rEyX%24=eX9%15%1B%24ZUci%24=fi%5FP65n3CETU%15%1B%24JIgl0L%24=R%1B0qP=HnR%5FVxU%1BQhV=7CBqEV%1BlOy=IwS%1B8am=tXrGkLLiZvjz%1B%24%247D1%5FgnwS=nO%5FQmHzp%1B%24%243ZH%5FWnE6=92d%1BMGB=41Ytt06LxXvLLL6HLZAE6UvWEAM7IjMu

https://trainmy.tcd.ie/urd/sits.urd/run/SIW_DMX.start_url?eCJu88heUIfI%1Be=%243dEc%24=1ciC%15%1B%24rEyX%24=eX9%15%1B%24ZUci%24=fi%5FP65n3CETU%15%1B%24JIgl0L%24=R%1B0qP=HnR%5FVxU%1BQhV=7CBqEV%1BlOy=IwS%1B8am=tXrGkLLiZvjz%1B%24%247D1%5FgnwS=nO%5FQmHzp%1B%24%243ZH%5FWnE6=92d%1BMGB=41Ytt06LxXvLLL6HLZAE6UvWEAM7IjMu


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4. The options in the Mark Scheme column can over-rule what was set in MAP e.g. if no

automatic re-assessment selected here under Mark Scheme then that takes

precedence even if a ‘Reassessment Instrument’ RI was set-up in the relevant MAP.

Details of the module mark schemes available are given in Appendix C.

Module mark schemes which have Distinction listed in the description such as M50-

04, MGO-02 can only be applied to language modules.

5. In the Module Co-ordinator Code column you can record the staff ID number (or

name) for Module Co-ordinator, if there is one. The only difference between a

‘Marker’ and a ‘Module Co-ordinator’ is that the Module Co-ordinator cannot be

made active/inactive, whereas this can be changed for Markers.

Note: when working on this screen you must save changes.

Module Compensation Indicator

Schools can edit a module’s compensation status in SITS. The compensation status assigned

to each module will automatically carry over to the next year. All modules are now

compensatbale except for Schools/courses with approved derogations.

Compensatable: Module can be passed by compensation. All modules are

automatically defaulted to ‘compensatable’ upon set-up.

Not active: Module is not active for the pathway. Please note this is the not the

same as making a module out of use. This option should ONLY be used by Two

Subject non TSM courses.

As students from multiple courses may take the same module but have different grade

calculation requirements, the module compensation status must be applied by pathway(s).

A module’s compensation status must be in place for all relevant pathways.


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Reviewing Module Compensation Indicators

Option 1: Module Compensation Indicator by Course (Single Honor courses)

1. Login to my.tcd.ie

2. Choose Assessment from the left menu and then choose Module Compensation

Indicator by Course under Module Assessment Set-up. Access to this functionality

requires Level 20 Progression access. If you do not already have this level of access

you will need your School Administrator or School Assessment Manager to contact

the Assess, Progress and Graduation team at [email protected] to request that level

of access for you.

3. Filter for the relevant course and hit Retrieve


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To view all available courses and routes, you should select the ‘All my courses’

option in the drop-down list. These are the default selections when the page opens.

Then click Retrieve and all courses and routes assigned to you will be presented.

The required access level to run the process can be seen at the top of the screen.

Only the options that you have been granted access to will be available. Clicking

Clear will reset the fields to their default values.

4. On the following screen if you have access to multiple course years then select the

relevant Course Year (you may only have access to one specific year). Select the

relevant Academic Year and then click Module maintenance.

5. On the next screen Select the relevant pathway

For Single Honor courses there will only be one option to select, i.e. Single Pathway.

6. All modules eligible to be taken as part of that course are listed and a module’s

current compensation status is displayed in the Module Compensator Indicator field.

Each list displays up to twenty records at a time. There are navigation buttons at the

top of the list to allow the user to see the other pages.


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To change the status of a module, click on the dropdown menu to the right of the

module and select the new status. Then click Store. Please note that under TEP all

modules, except those modules assigned to courses allowed to derogate, are

compensatable.

A confirmation screen will appear at the top of the page indicating your store was

successful.

Tip: It is best practice to regularly click Store when making updates.

7. After storing your changes successfully, click Update SMRs A confirmation message will appear at the top of the page indicating the relevant

SMR record(s) were stored successful.


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Option 2: Module Compensation Indicator by Pathway (TSM courses)

1. Login to my.tcd.ie

2. Choose Assessment from the left menu and then choose Module Compensation

Indicator by Pathway under Module Assessment Set-up. Access to this functionality

requires Level 20 Progression access. If you do not already have this level of access

you will need your School Administrator or School Assessment Manager to contact

the Assess, Progress and Graduation team at [email protected] to request that level

of access for you.

3. Filter for the relevant pathway and hit Retrieve.

The required access level to run the process can be seen at the top of the screen.

Only the options that you have been granted access to will be available. Clicking

Clear will reset the fields to their default values.

To view all available subjects, you should select the ‘All my subjects’ options in the

drop down lists. These are the default selections when the page opens. Then click

Retrieve and all subjects assigned to you will be presented.

4. On the following screen if you have access to multiple course years then select the

relevant Course Year (you may only have access to one specific year). Select the

relevant Academic Year and then click Module maintenance.

5. All modules eligible to be taken as part of that course are listed and a module’s

current compensation status is displayed in the Module Compensator Indicator field.


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Each list displays up to twenty records at a time. There are navigation buttons at the

top of the list to allow the user to see the other pages.

To change the status of a module, click on the dropdown menu to the right of the

module and select the new status. Then click Store. Please note that under TEP all

modules, except those modules assigned to courses allowed to derogate, are

compensatable.

A confirmation screen will appear at the top of the page indicating your store was

successful.

Tip: It is best practice to regularly click Store when making updates.

6. After storing your changes successfully, click Update SMRs


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Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme Report

It is recommended that you confirm that all current MAPs are relevant and have been setup

correctly. To this end there is a report you can run that shows the breakdown of all MAPs

for a Module code. The report can be exported as PDF or in Excel format (one module on

each worksheet) and given to the relevant Lecturer to confirm the details are correct.

The report is run as follows:

1. Login at http://my.tcd.ie

2. Select Assessment from the left

3. Select Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme Report under Module

Assessment Set-up

http://my.tcd.ie/


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Tip: Please note that the ‘Module In Use’ field on the report indicates whether the

Module is in use, not the MAP.

Managing staff access (School assessment managers only)

It is possible to grant access to the Module Assessment Functionality to any TCD staff

member (i.e. those persons who have a Trinity staff number – including visitors and those

postgraduate students on the payroll).

Note: Postgraduate students working as teaching assistants/markers cannot be

granted access.

School Assessment Managers can only grant access to any member of staff in their School.

When granting access the School Assessment Manager assigns the person to an ‘Assessment

role group’ which determines the level of access or the actual task that the staff member

will be granted.


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The role groups are listed in the table below:

Role Group Notes/Comments

No assessment role Default role – automatically assigned to all persons (except School

Administrators)

Component Mark Entry May enter marks/grades for assigned assessment component(s) only

Provisional Mark Entry May enter marks/grades and calculate overall provisional mark/grade for

an assigned module(s) only

Final Mark Management May enter and calculate provisional marks and may ‘finalise’

marks/grades fir submission to Courts of Examiners for assigned

module(s) only.

Discipline Module

Assessment Manager

May enter and calculate provisional marks and may ‘finalise’

marks/grades for submission to Courts of Examiners for all modules in

own Discipline only.

Also does set-up and control tasks for module assessment for modules in

own Discipline

School Module

Assessment Manager

May enter and calculate provisional marks and may ‘finalise’

marks/grades for submission to Courts of Examiners.

Also does set-up and control tasks for module assessment for modules in

own School for all modules in own School.

Grants access and roles to other person in own School

All School Administrators are automatically assigned the role of ‘School

Module Assessment Managers’

Note: As stated in the table above all School Administrators are automatically

assigned the role of School Assessment Manager – this does not mean that they

have to assign access and roles to all other staff in the School – they can choose to

setup one or more other School Assessment Managers who can then assign access

and roles to the remaining staff that require it.

Note: A person has the same rights and access to functionality for all modules to

which they have been granted access as a ‘Marker’ or ‘Module Owner’. (See below)


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Tip: It is highly recommended that more than one person in each School or

Discipline is assigned the role of Assessment Manager, to ensure backup in the

case of absence.

The functionality to grant access and roles to staff in your School is located under the

Assessment menu item in my.tcd.ie. Select the link ‘Change Staff Access’ (see screenshot

below):

This link opens a new screen which displays a list of all staff who have a valid Trinity staff

number and who are assigned to your School (see screenshot below).


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Note: Some staff have, in fact, multiple associations with School and research

centres/institutes in TCD. It is only possible to record one of these associations

within SITS. If you wish to assign access and a role to a member of staff that does not

appear on your list but does belong to your School, please contact the Academic

Registry who can advise you.

The screenshot below displays the list of staff in your School:

Name, Job Title

and e-mail

address of staff

are displayed.

Navigation aids

Press Select to

grant or change

access or role.

Default is blank

(No assessment

role assigned)


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To change the access or role group for a particular staff member click the ‘Select’ link on the

right hand side. This opens a further screen with a drop-down menu that allows the School

Assessment Manager to select one of the possible roles (see screenshot below).

Select the ‘Save’ button to confirm the selection and grant access to module assessment and assign the staff member to the selected role group.

You are then returned to the previous screen and can check the roles assigned (see screenshot below).

Note roles

assigned to staff.

Select role group


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MAPs – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Can I print out the MAPs I have entered?

Yes, see the relevant section further up in this document – Module Assessment

Pattern and Mark Scheme Report.

2. Do I need to set-up supplemental assessment items for all Semester 1 and

Semester 2 assessment items?

If the supplemental assessment set-up is exactly the same as the Semester 1 and

Semester 2 set-up there is no need to enter any additional items for the

reassessment (such as 901). The system will automatically schedule a supplemental

for the failed assessment item(s).

3. In a situation where TWO modules are examined in the ONE initial exam paper,

what would be the best way to enter this information into the system?, e.g.,

Module TE1001 and Module TE1215 which are BOTH examined in ONE 180 minute

Paper 1 – 90 minutes for questions covering Module TE1001 and 90 minutes for

questions covering Module TE1215?

Two separate MAPs are required in this instance, one for each module. Each one

should be set-up with 100% weighting (if examined 100% by examination) and the

total time for the shared examination (3 hours = 180 minutes). Therefore in this

example:

TE1001-1213 Assessment 1: EXAMA, 100 weighting, 3 hours

TE1215-1213 Assessment 1: EXAMA, 100 weighting, 3 hours

Therefore the system will expect one percentage mark for each of these modules for

each student.

School/Discipline should make sure that Assess, Progress and Graduation Team are

advised that TE1001 and TE1215 are examined together on a single paper- an X

paper. When scheduling the same appropriate X paper code will be applied to the

two MAP records.


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4. A module is assessed by coursework 33.5% and by exam 66.5%. When this

information is entered the total weighting adds up to 101%. Why is this

happening?

The weightings of individual assessment components should be entered in whole

numbers. These two assessment weightings of 33.5% and 66.5% are rounded to the

nearest whole number (34% and 67% respectively which gives a total weighting of

101%). Those with assessment weightings that are not whole numbers should

consult with the Academic concerned – and amend weightings accordingly (so that

the total is 100%).

5. A number of modules do not appear on the MAPs list provided. Module

descriptors had been completed for all these modules – is there something else

that needs to be done for these modules?

More than likely those modules do exist in the system – it is their MAPs records that

do not. All that is needed is for them to be set-up by the School/Discipline (i.e. by

logging on to my.tcd.ie and selecting ‘edit module assessment pattern’). However, if

a module record is not already in SITS a request will have to be sent to

[email protected] to create the module added to SITS for the academic year in

question.

6. If a module is not in use for this academic year does its assessment pattern need to

be created?

If a module is not in use for the current academic year its assessment pattern should

not be created until it is, so that the code reflects the year it was first used (e.g.

TE1001-1617).

Note: creating the assessment pattern and then ticking the ‘not in use’ box should be

avided as the code will not reflect the year it was first used.


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7. Where an examination is not scheduled by the Assess, Progress and Graduation

Team – what should the ‘Assessment Type (AST)’ be?

If a supplemental examination is not scheduled by the Assess, Progress and

Graduation Team it should be marked as CWN so that it can be scheduled locally by

the School/Discipline.


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MAPs – Quick Guide

Create a new MAP

1. A new MAP should only be created in a new academic year if there are changes in

how a module is being assessed. NEVER edit an existing MAP which has already been

used.

2. A MAP Code is comprised of (a) Module code (b) hyphen (c) Academic year in which

MAP is created e.g. BU1510-1718.

3. Choose Assessment – Edit Module Assessment Pattern. Enter Code, enter Short

Name (same as Code), enter Name of Assessment Pattern, press Continue. When

prompted to Add Record select ‘Yes’.

4. You will then see the MAP (overall assessment pattern) on top half of screen and

MAB (where each component will be listed) on the bottom half

Create Module Assessment Body (MAB) within the MAP

1. To add an assessment item (MAB) – at the top of the MAP screen under ‘Select

Action’ select ‘Add Assessment Item (MAB)’

2. Enter Assessment Sequence, beginning with ‘1’ (and then 2, 3 etc.) and select

Continue

i. Enter a descriptive ‘Name’

ii. Enter a recognised Assessment Type (see Appendix A in this document)

iii. Enter Assessment Mark Scheme (see Appendix B in this document)

iv. Enter Assessment weighting

v. If the Assessment type is EXAMA then you need to select ‘Edit additional

details’ and enter Assessment hours (length)

3. To add a second assessment components the repeat step 1 and enter the

Assessment Sequence as 2. Repeat this as required, depending on the construction

of the MAP

Create Reassessment components

1. Please note: Only create a reassessment component IF there will be a difference in

how the module will be assessed during reassessment


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2. The naming convention for reassessment items begins with ‘901’ (and then 902, 903

etc.)

3. At the top of the MAP screen under ‘Select Action’ Select ‘Add Assessment Item

(MAB)’ and enter 901 – select Continue

4. In the main MAP body (top-half of the screen) select ‘Use Automatic Reassessment

Instrument’

5. Set the Reassessment Instrument Id. for the Assessment 901 component to RI

6. If this is the only reassessment component then the Assessment weighting will be

100

7. If the new component is an examination then remember to select ‘Edit additional

details’ and enter Assessment hours (length)

Assign a Mark Scheme, Module Co-ordinator and MAP to a Module

1. From the left menu choose Assessment - Add Module Owner - Assessment Pattern

and Mark Scheme

2. Enter relevant Module code

3. Check that a MAP has been assigned under the ‘Module Assessment Pattern’

column

4. Please note – the options in the ‘Mark Scheme’ column overrule what was set up in

the MAP – refer to Module Mark Scheme options in Appendix C

5. Record staff ID number in the ‘Module Co-ordinator Code’ column, if there is one

Check Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme Report

1. It is essential that all current MAPs have been set up correctly and that this report is

run to show the exact breakdown of each MAP linked to a module

2. From the left choose Assessment - Module Assessment Pattern and Mark Scheme

Report

3. Enter Module code and select ‘Run Report’

4. This report shows the module mark scheme and if the module is ‘in use’ or not ‘in

use’


35

MAPs - Checklist

1. Check that all modules have been set-up in CMIS and in SITS, including modules taken by

visiting students only.

2. Confirm that relevant MAPs rolled forward from the previous academic year are still valid.

3. If there are no changes this year to the assessment weightings or to the assessment types of

existing MAP and MAB components, please do not create a new MAP.

4. If the assessment weightings for a module have changed from the previous year, or if the

assessment type has changed from the previous year, a new MAP will need to be created.

5. When a new MAP is created ensure the previous MAP has been ticked ‘out of use’.

6. Ensure the correct naming format is used when setting up a new MAP (e.g. MZ1000-1718

and not MZ1000, MZ1000-17-18, etc.).

7. Ensure the MAP Short Name (same as MAP code) and Full Name fields have been populated.

8. An assessment/component mark scheme should be entered in the MAB component record

(bottom half of the screen) and not in the MAP.

9. MAB components should be set up with the correct sequence numbers (no A-Z characters)

i.e. 1, 2, 3 etc. for annual components and 901, 902, 903 etc. for any required separate

reassessment components.

10. Where separate reassessment components exist ensure the ‘Use Automatic Reassessment

Instruments box’ is ticked and that Reassessment mode is set to ‘Use MKS (M)’ under ‘Edit

additional details’. Each corresponding reassessment MAB record in the bottom half of the

screen should also have ‘RI’ entered to the ‘Reassessment Instrument ID’ box.


36

11. Ensure the MAB assessment component Name is completed appropriately (students will

identify their assessment component by this field).

12. Ensure the ‘Assessment Type’ and the ‘Component Mark Scheme’ fields have been

populated (e.g. EXAMA, C40-01)

13. MAB components with anonymous assessment types (e.g. EXAMA) should have the option

of displaying the student name set to 'No' and the sort order should be by candidate

number. MAB components with named assessment types (e.g. CWN) should have the

option of displaying the student name set to 'Yes' and the sort order should be by name.

14. Assessment types EXAMA and TEST should have the length of the assessment specified in

the relevant field (e.g. 3 hours) - the fact that this is specified in the component name is not

enough for exam scheduling.

15. Component percentages must add up to 100% for the annual set of components.

16. Component percentages must add up to 100% for any extra supplemental set of

components e.g. Assessment 901, Assessment 902 etc.

17. Using the ‘Update Mark Scheme, Assessment Pattern and Module Co-ordinator’ option,

ensure the correct MAPs and module mark schemes are linked to the correct modules.

18. Please ensure you have considered the Module, MAP and MAB requirements for off-books

students in the current academic year.

19. Do not attempt to enter any module marks without first ensuring your MAP details are

correct (i.e. SITS is displaying the correct assessment information and the columns for mark

entry are also displaying as they should)


37

Appendix A - Table of Assessment Types

AST Code Short name Full name Print

Name?

Schedule an

Exam in SITS?

ATTPAR ATTEND/PART Attendance/participation YES NO

CLIN CLIN ASS/OSCE Clinical Assessment/OSCE YES NO

CWN COURSEWORK

NAME Coursework marked by name YES NO

EXAMA EXAM ANON Examination marked anonymously NO YES

EXAMN EXAM NAMED Examination marked by name YES YES

GROUP GROUP ASSESS Assessment of group work YES NO

ORAL ORAL EXAM Oral or viva voce examination YES NO

PLACE PLACEMENT Placement YES NO

TEST TERM TEST Term Test – Only used for some

BU & EC modules YES YES

Examples of when to use different AST values

Assessment Examples AST Code Comment

Students should attend a

minimum of 16 of the 20

tutorials in the year

ATTPAR

This might have a ‘grade only’ mark scheme

and a zero weighting. Students who attend

satisfactorily are given a pass grade and those

who do not get a fail grade.

Clinical Assessment or OSCE CLIN Is often grade only.

Project work, essays,

laboratory or practical work,

fieldwork, book reviews,

class tests etc.

CWN

The assessment of a named student’s work

during the teaching terms

Note: The teaching and learning may have

been carried out in one of a range of different

methods.

Written examination

marked anonymously

Examinations will be scheduled by the Assess,

Progress and Graduation Team. Current

regulations stipulate the all exams are

marked anonymously.

Written examination

marked by name.

Examinations are scheduled by name, e.g.,

course work, etc.


38

Group project GROUP

Assessment of group work – it is possible that

all students in a group are awarded the same

mark/grade for the work.

Any oral viva voce

examination where the

student is assessed

individually.

ORAL

Interview scheduling functionality in SITS may

be implemented for this type of assessment

at a later date.

Clinical or work experience

placement PLACE

Is required for assessment of work done

outside TCD in a work or ’real life’

environment. There is a current need to

interface to other placement management

software.

MT or HT term test TEST

TEST refers to Term Tests held twice annually

in Michaelmas and Hilary Terms. This

assessment type should be used for a very

limited number of exams which are non-

anonymous and are currently scheduled for

some EC and BU modules only. Only these

two departments should set-up MABs with an

assessment type = TEST. At the appropriate

times of the year the exams office we will

schedule the exams as required.

Term tests are marked by name and will be

scheduled by the Assess, Progress and

Graduation Team. For locally organised tests,

e.g. class tests, use the CWN ‘Coursework

Name’ assessment type.


39

Appendix B - Table of Component/Assessment Mark Schemes

Code Pass

Mark Marks Grades Description/Comment

C40-01 40% 40.00% - 100%

0% - 39.99%

Pass (P)

Fail (F)

Component mark scheme with 40% pass

mark, number 1. The most common mark

scheme. For use in all UG assessments

(other than in Health Sciences).

C40-02 40%

70.00% - 100%

40.00% - 69.99%

0% - 39.99%

Distinction (D)

Pass (P)

Fail (F)


mark, number 2.

Only for use where a grade of ‘Distinction’

may be awarded for an individual

assessment component.

C50-01 50% 50.00% - 100%

0% - 49.99%

Pass (P)

Fail (F)


mark, number 1.

For use in most UG assessments in Health

Sciences and in many PG assessments

C50-02 50%

70.00% - 100%

50.00% - 69.99%

0% - 49.99%

Distinction (D)

Pass (P)

Fail (F)


mark, number 2.




CGO-01 n/a n/a Pass (P)

Fail (F)

‘Grade only’ component mark scheme

number 1. No numerical mark is awarded.

CGO-02 n/a n/a

Distinction (D)

Pass (P)

Fail (F)

‘Grade only’ component mark scheme

number 2. No numerical mark is awarded.





40

Appendix C - Table of Module Mark Schemes

Code Description Mark Ranges for Passing Grades

M40-01 40% Pass mark 70% +

I

60% -

69%

II-1

50% -

59%

II-2

40% -

49%

III

30% –

39%

F1

0% -

29%

F2

M40-03 40% Pass mark -

Pass/Fail

40% +

P (Pass)

0% -

39%

F (Fail)


Distinction/Pass/Fail

70% +

(D) Dis-

tinction

40% -

69%

P (Pass)

0% -

39%

F (Fail)

M50-01 50% Pass mark 70% +

I

60% -

69%

II

50% -

59%

P (Pass)

0% -

49%

F (Fail)


Pass/Fail

50% +

P (Pass)

0% -

49%

F (Fail)


Distinction/Pass/Fail

70% +

D (Dis-

tinction)

50% -

69%

P (Pass)

0% -

49%

F (Fail)

M50-05 50% Pass mark 70% +

I

60%-

69%

II-1

50%-

59%

II-2

40%-

49%

III

MGO-01 Grade Only - Pass,

Fail

P (Pass) F (Fail)

MGO-02 Grade Only – Dis-

tinction, Pass, Fail

D (Dis-

tinction)

P (Pass) F (Fail)

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