Assessing: before, during, & after panels

There is more detailed information about assessing and the adjudication panel experience described within our EdTA Assessor handbook.

Before an adjudication panel

The EdTA team will collate all of the submissions made prior to a deadline. These submissions will be in the form of word documents, including the submission form and the supporting statement(s). The team will develop an agenda which outlines all of the submissions to be judged, the list of assessors assigned to each, and other key information. All claims are reviewed by at least two assessors.

Step 1 - agenda

Read the panel agenda and identify which submissions you will be assessing.

• Please note that all submissions are confidential and should not be shared with anyone except the other panellists.
• If there is a conflict of interest with any of the claims you’ve been assigned, please let us know as soon as possible.

Step 2 - locate files

Locate all of the submission files which have been shared with you (on SharePoint), including the submission forms, supporting statements, and feedback forms.

Step 3 - read and assess

Read and assess each claim you have been assigned. Record your thinking on the feedback form for each claim.

• Please follow the instructions in the feedback form. Include the strengths of the submission and note down specific areas of improvement if the submission does not yet meet the descriptor.
• You will need to decide if you feel that the claim is an Award, a Discuss, or Refer. Discuss is for claims that you are not sure about and would like to speak through your thinking with your colleagues. A Refer is for claims which you are quite certain do not meet the category descriptor.
• Your note-taking in the feedback form is essential to allow us to transparently see your decision-making and to communicate accurate information to the claimants.

Step 4 - submit

Submit your feedback forms to the EdTA team via email or by placing them on the shared SharePoint folder.

Step 5 - prepare for meeting

Once all assessor feedback forms have been returned, we will update the final panel agenda. Please read the updated panel agenda and look for differences between the panellist’s initial decisions. Those that are different (e.g., Award and Discuss) will be discussed at the panel. 

If you have time, we recommend reading the feedback form for yourself and your paired assessor to be able to comment on the submission in a constructive way. All of the completed feedback forms will be shared with you prior to the panel.

During an adjudication panel

The adjudication panel is the mechanism by which you and your co-assessors can discuss any differences in your judgement and come to a shared agreement. The discussions are collegial with the aim of supporting EdTA participants developmentally. 

Step 1

Attend the meeting, listen and respond to discussions about the claims which you assessed

Step 2

When discussing, be specific with your thinking and feedback for claimants. The academic lead will be using your suggestions to build response letters, so it’s important that you are clear. 

Step 3

The decisions for each submission will be described and discussed (where necessary) and these common decisions recorded:

• Award
• Award with Minor amendments: Provisional award subject to resubmission (discussed in later webpages) of minor additional evidence or information after the Panel
• Refer: The submission does not meet the Descriptor. A resubmission will be required and will include major changes or additional evidence. 

After an adjudication panel - Resubmissions

When claims have been given the outcome of ‘Refer’ or ‘Award with Minor Amendments’, these claims will need to be resubmitted. In both cases, the claimant will need to make changes to the original claim and the original assessors (you and another individual) will need to revisit their work. 

Step 1 - notification

You will receive an email from our EdTA team, notifying you that a claimant has made a resubmission, sharing their updated documentation, and you are asked to look at their work again.

Step 2 - read and assess

Please read the resubmission and assess the new information. You will see the new material through ‘Track changes’ and their response to the feedback in Section 7 of the submission form. 

Step 3a - For Award with Minor Amendments outcomes

Make a new assessment: (1) If you feel that they have adequately responded to the feedback and their work now meets the descriptor, then respond to our email sharing this decision. (2) If you feel they are still missing key information and their work does not meet the standards, please respond to the email and outline what is missing. We can correspond with the claimant and request further information for clarification, etc. 

Step 3b - For Refer outcomes

Read, assess, and record your thinking on a new feedback form. We will manage this claim similarly to an original submission and report your decision to be discussed at the nearest panel meeting. If you cannot attend the panel meeting, please share your feedback form with the EdTA team and we will share on your behalf at the panel.