The integrative curriculum ÔÇô using synoptic assessment to support the achievement of programme learning outcomes

With many higher education courses now following a modular structure, ensuring students are meeting their programme learning outcomes has become the subject of some scrutiny in recent years. Benefits of assessment that focuses on meeting programme objectives include deeper learning and better student engagement via assessment that is more meaningful and enables connections to be made between individual modules on a degree programme. This study involves a novel, integrated approach to assessment on two marketing-degree modules, where a new product development concept on a marketing-content module is planned, analysed and promoted through a website developed on a quantitative methods and IS module. Results show improvements in student performance (three to four percentage points on related coursework items), student engagement (with increased numbers of students attempting all coursework) and student feedback. Based on this initial success, plans to further integrate the assessment in the following academic year have also been planned.