Measuring Student Progress

To support students in achieving course completion and graduation, institutions regularly evaluate students' academic progress and institute action where a student is not making the required progress. The Progression Subsystem provides a flexible means to both evaluate student progress and to manage the administrative tasks associated with progression evaluation.

Evaluating progress is done through the creation and application of Progression Rules, using those means of measuring progress which an institution determines are best suited to its needs.

Determining which measures are to be used is an institution decision, as is the configuration of the Progression Subsystem (i.e. determining when the rules are to be applied).

Progression Measures Available for use in Rules

The Progression Subsystem currently provides the ability to construct rules using the following measurement tools: Grade Point Average (GPA), Weighted Average Mark (WAM), Proportional Failure, Unit Failure and Research Milestone measures. Combinations of these measures may also be used when constructing Progression Rules.

In calculating either a GPA or WAM value for a Student Course Attempt, only Student Unit Attempts with a status of COMPLETED, DUPLICATE, DISCONTIN or ENROLLED are included in the calculation. Those Unit Attempts with a status of ENROLLED are only included in calculations that can use a recommended result.

Grade Point Average

A Grade Point Average is a calculated average commonly used as a means to evaluate a student's progress in a single Course Attempt. The Progression Subsystem allows the construction of rules that evaluate progress based on a Grade Point Average value alone or in combination with other measures (Unit Failure or Proportional Failure measures).

The calculation formula, data used and a worked example are described in the Special Topic - GPA Calculation.

Types of GPA Calculations:

The 'type' of Grade Point Average calculation that is executed is determined by the rule option selected when constructing a Progression Rule. Some types of GPA calculation use all Student Unit Attempt Grades, others restrict the grades considered to the current Progression Period. Some GPA calculations allow the substitution of grade point average values where a Student Unit Attempt has no recorded grade. All, except those that specifically nominate the inclusion of Recommended Grades, use only finalised grades in the calculation.

Where the Progression Subsystem has been configured to calculate, store and display a student's current GPA, the Course and Progression Period calculations are used.

Any Grade with a NULL (or empty) GPA Value (recorded as part of the Grading Schema in ASSF5110) is not included in the calculation. In all calculations, the GPA value used is that of the 'published' grade. This means that where a grade recorded against a Unit Attempt, is translated to one from a different Grading Schema (e.g. one mapped to the Course Offering Pattern), the GPA value of the resulting Translated Grade is used. (A means to override the use of a Translated Grade is to be provided in future). Refer to Assessments for further explanation of Translating Grading Schema.

The date of a recorded Grade or Unit Discontinuation is used to determine if a unit contributes to a Progression Period (for Progression Period calculations). It must be no later than the Effective End Date Alias Instance in the defined Progression Period, unless that unit is also linked to future Progression Periods. Unit discontinuations are only considered in the calculation if they have an associated Administrative Unit Status with the Effectively Enrolled for Progression indicator set (see ENRF0110).

All GPA options are described in Syntax of Grade Point Average Rule Options.

Weighted Average Mark

A Weighted Average Mark is a calculated value that can be used as a means to evaluate a student's progress in a single Course Attempt. The Progression Subsystem allows the creation of rules that evaluate progress based on a Weighted Average Mark value alone or in combination with other measures (Unit Failure or Proportional Failure measures).

The calculation formula, data used and a worked example are described in the Special Topic - WAM Calculation.

Types of WAM Calculations:

To construct a WAM rule, a selection is made from a range of 'types' of Weighted Average Mark calculations. Some calculations include all student Unit Attempt outcomes for the Student Course Attempt. Other options restrict the calculation to only including student Unit Attempts in the current Progression Period. Restrictions can also be placed on the full execution of the calculation. The types of Weighted Average Mark calculation are described in Syntax of Weighted Average Mark Rule Options.

Where the Progression Subsystem has been configured to calculate, store and display a student's current WAM, the Course and Progression Period calculations are used. Determining if a unit contributes to a Progression Period for WAM calculations is as described for GPA (above).

Proportional Failure

Proportional failure rules calculate the number of failed Credit Points or units as a proportion of the number attempted in a single Student Course Attempt. This proportion can be calculated for the whole Student Course Attempt or only for specified Progression Periods. Rules using this proportional value measure it against an allowable maximum value, entered as part of the rule. Rules can be constructed based on this measure alone, or in combination with other measures (GPA, WAM or Unit Failure).

Types of Proportional Failure Measures:

To construct a Proportional Failure rule, a selection is made (in RULF2000) from the range of options, described in Syntax of Proportional Failure Rule Options.

The option selected determines whether the measurement uses Credit Points (attempted and achieved) or Units (attempted and achieved). It also determines whether the whole Student Course Attempt is included or only those CP/Unit Attempts from specified Progression Periods.

Unit Failure

Unit Failure rules consider student Unit Attempt failures for a single Student Course Attempt. Rules can be constructed which evaluate a student's progress using a measurement of Unit Failure alone or combined with a GPA, WAM or Proportional Failure measure.

Types of Unit Failure Measures:

Rule options can be selected to consider the number of times a unit has been failed and evaluate this against an entered maximum number. They can also limit the measurement to only consider failure in Unit Attempts matching unit codes from a designated list or the opposite - to only consider failure in Unit Attempts other than those in a designated list of unit codes.

The range of options currently available is described in Syntax of Unit Failure Rule Options.

Research Milestones

Research Milestones rules are used to measure the progress a research candidate is making. The Milestones recorded for a candidate and maintained throughout the candidature (in RESF3232) are used as the measure of progression.

Types of Research Milestone Measures:

Rules can be constructed to evaluate progress based on the existence (for a candidate) of Milestone Types with a FAILED Milestone Status. This can be further qualified to measure the number of failed attempts at reaching that Milestone against a minimum number allowed by the rule.

Alternatively, a rule may be constructed to evaluate the existence of any Milestones that do not have an ACHIEVED status by the required date.

Both of these Milestone measurements can evaluate the Milestone Status of all Milestones recorded for the candidate or be limited to those matching a designated list of Milestone types, entered when constructing the rule.

The range of options available is described in Syntax of Research Milestone Rule Options.

Minimum Rate of Progress

Minimum Rate of Progress rules are used to ensure that students maintain a satisfactory rate of progress. I.e. That they score the required number of Credit Points during the current Progression Period or over the previous X number of Progression Periods.

Types of Minimum Rate of Progress Measures:

Rate of progress is determined in terms of the number Credit Points gained during a specified number of Progression Periods. The range of options available is described in Syntax of Minimum Rate of Progress Rules.

Maximum Time

Maximum Time rules are used to determine if the maximum time available to complete a course has been exceeded.

Types of Maximum Time Measures:

The Maximum Time (in years) available to complete a course may qualified according to whether to include intermissions or not. The range of options available is described in Syntax of Maximum Time Rules.

Combining Progression Measures

Some of the measures described above can be used in combination. Using a Rule Category based on the appropriate System Rule Call Code when constructing the rule gives access to the rule options from both progression measures plus the logical And operator to join options into a single rule.

The possible combinations available are GPA & Unit Failure; GPA & Proportional Failure; WAM &Unit Failure; WAM & Proportional Failure; Unit Failure & Proportional Failure. (See Examples of Combination Rules.)

Creating Progression Rules

Progression Rule Categories and Progression Rules

Every Progression Rule is constructed with the following component parts: Rule Category, Rule Code or Reference and the Rule Text. (A Description is required when the rule contains a Rule Code rather than a Reference.)

Progression Rule Categories

An institution defines its own Progression Rule Categories (using form PRGF1600) and every category must be mapped to one of the System Rule Call Codes (listed in the table below). These underlying codes determine which progression measures are available (in RULF2000 as rule options) when building a rule with a particular Rule Category.

Rule Categories can be used as a way of grouping Progression Rules and there can be multiple categories mapped to the same System Rule Call Code. For example an institution may define the Rule Categories of UNITFAIL (a category for rules evaluating Unit Failure in Compulsory Units of Study), PRACFAIL (a category for rules evaluating failure in practicum units) and UNITFAILNC (a category for rules evaluating failure in non-compulsory units of study). All three can be mapped to the System Rule Call Code of PRG-UFAIL.

Note: The Rule Code (for a general application rule) or Reference (for an application-specific rule) should not be named with the 'greater than' symbol > as the leading character. This may cause errors in the use of these rules.

Constructing the rule itself is done in the same way for both types of Progression Rules. The text of the rule is built in RULF2000, where all the options relevant to the Rule Category can be displayed using the Options/Validate button. If any option not applicable to the System Rule Call Code is entered; the rule does not 'parse' successfully and cannot be saved. Similarly other syntax errors in the rule text do not parse and cannot be saved.

The concepts behind the linking of a Progression Rule to a System Element (and the linking of Progression Calendars and outcomes) are described in the next topic.

Creating the Progression Rule Application

A complete Progression Rule Application is one where a Progression Rule is linked to a System Element, at least one Progression Calendar and at least one Progression Outcome. The processes of applying Progression Rules and outcomes to a student are controlled by this link between the rule, a Progression Calendar, a System Element and a Progression Outcome.

Any Rule Application with no allocated Calendars or Outcomes (at any level) is incomplete and cannot be applied. An lamp displays on the Progression Rule Application form (PRGF5200) to alert the user of this.

Which Rules are Applied to a Student? - The Link Between a Progression Rule and a System Element:

Which rules can be applied to any individual Student Course Attempt, is determined by the linking of the Rule and a System Element. These 'System Elements' are Course Type, Organisational Unit, Course Version and Student Course Attempt. These form a hierarchy of Rule Application Levels.

For example, in the diagram below, all four Progression Rules are linked to the current Progression Calendar and have the same Progression Rule Category. Which rule is applied to each student, is determined by the System Element to which the rule is linked. This Rule Application is defined in PRGF5200, in context from the applicable element. The following forms are used:

• Course Type - CRSF1110
• Organisational Unit - ORGF0141
• Course Version - CRSF1210.
  (In each of these three forms, the Progression Rules button is used to access PRGF5200.)
• Student Course Attempt - PRGF6610. PRGF5200 may be accessed using either:
  The Student Rule button to create a Rule Application for this student that can be tested in the next applicable period.
  The Student Outcome Rule button to create a Rule Application as a student Progression Outcome that is tested only after the context outcome has been applied.

Where a Progression Rule Category contains a number of rules, the element to which each is linked, determines which of the rules is applied to a student.

A Rule Application at

• The Student Course Attempt level overrides all others in the same category.
• The Course Version level overrides both Organisational Unit & Course Type (in the same category).
• The Organisational Unit level overrides the Course Type.

When is a Rule Applied? - The Link Between a Progression Rule and a Progression Calendar:

For a rule to be applied it must be linked (at some level in the Rule Application hierarchy) to one or more Progression Calendar Types. The Progression Calendar Types that can be linked to an application have been defined and configured in Setting up the Subsystem. This Calendar configuration includes the defining of dates that control the timing of Rule Application. There does not need to be links to Progression Calendars at every level, but there must be at least one.

Example: a Progression Rule may be linked to two Semester-based Progression Calendar Types. This rule can be applied in all instances of those two Calendars. This means the rule is applied in each Semester (at the date specified by the Apply Start Date Alias). A different rule may be linked to a year-long Progression Calendar Type. This rule can then be applied according to the dates defined for that Annual Progression Calendar.

• At a Progression Rule Category level. A Progression Calendar Type (and associated detail) can be linked to the category, using PRGF1600.
• At a Progression Rule level. A Progression Rule (within one of the defined categories) can be assigned a Progression Calendar Type (and associated detail). This is done using PRGF5100.
• At a Progression Rule Application level, where the rule is linked to a System Element (as described above). No rule can be used to measure a student's progress, until its Rule Application is defined (in PRGF5200). This definition can also include linking a Progression Calendar Type to the application.

These levels at which the Progression Calendar Type is assigned, have an order of precedence:

• Calendars assigned at the Rule Application level take precedence over any existing 'parent' Calendar links. The progression Date Aliases (defined for that Calendar and the applicable configuration) control the application of the rule to a student.
• Calendars assigned at the rule level take precedence over another Calendar linked to the 'parent' Rule Category.
• Where Calendars are not linked at the 'child' level, they are inherited from the parent. 'Application-specific' rules, which are created at the Rule Application level, can inherit the Calendar link (if one exists) from their Progression Rule Category.

A Rule Application is applied from the period of its definition and continues to be applied in each instance of that Progression Calendar. Specified Start and End points for a Rule Application can be defined as part of linking a Progression Calendar and a Progression Rule (at either the Category, Rule or Rule Application Level). These include setting a Start Period, End Period, Student Start Period and number of Applications. All may be entered against the Progression Calendar Type selected (using PRGF1600, PRGF5100 or PRGF5200).

• Start Period - is nominated where this application is to start at a point in the future. This allows planned Rule Applications to be defined in advance of the period/s in which they are to start applying. For example current policy is that all students must maintain a Course GPA of 3, but an institutional decision has been made that from the beginning of the 2005 Academic Year, this is to be GPA of 3.5. This planned new Rule Application can be defined, with the appropriate Start Period. At that future point in time, the new, planned rule overrides the existing rule.
• End Period - To phase out a defined Rule Application, (for example, it has a known point in time from which it is to no longer be applied), nominate an End Period against the assigned Rule Application Calendar. Where a Rule Application has become redundant, an End Period value can be entered (at any time after the defining of the Rule Application) to End-Date this application, within the given Calendar Type. It does not mean that the applicable rule will no longer be used. The Rule Application may still be active under other Progression Calendar Types.
• Student Start Period - this identifies (when the rule is applied to a student) the student's Progression Period at which the application of the rule can begin. For example if 2 is entered (against a Semester Progression Calendar Type), a student who has just completed their 1^st Semester of study, will not be checked in relation to this rule. The evaluation for this student against this rule, cannot begin until she has completed her second Progression Period (in this example, second Semester of study).
• Applications - a number which identifies the number of times the rule can be applied to a particular student. For example if 2 is entered, the rule can be applied to a student only twice. The student (from the example above) is checked in Semesters 2 & 3 of her study only.

Student 1 is enrolled in an Undergraduate degree in the Education Faculty.

Student 2 is enrolled in an Undergraduate degree in a faculty, other than Education.

What Penalties Apply when a Rule is failed? - Attaching Outcomes to a Progression Rule

For a rule to be applied it must have one or more outcomes assigned, at some level in the Rule Application hierarchy. A Progression Outcome is the 'penalty' applied to a student who fails a Progression Rule.

The assigning of Progression Outcomes to a rule can be done at three levels in the hierarchy:

• At a Progression Rule Category level. Progression Outcomes (and associated detail) can be assigned to the category using PRGF5214 accessed from PRGF1600.
• At a Progression Rule level. A Progression Rule (within one of the Progression Categories) can have Outcomes assigned to it using PRGF5214 accessed from PRGF5100
• At a Progression Rule Application level. The assigning of Outcomes to the Rule Application is done using PRGF5214 accessed from PRGF5200.