1. Staff workload considerations
1.1 How much time does it take to run and mark and IOA?
The time required to run and mark IOAs varies widely depending on cohort size, assessment design, weighting, and logistics. While some staff find the workload comparable to essay marking when distributed, others report it to be unsustainable for large cohorts without additional support. In general, scenario-based group IOAs conducted during class take less time than individual artefact-based IOAs scheduled outside class hours.
Individual artefact-based IOAs can be time-intensive because they often require assessors to read submitted artefacts in advance, prepare tailored questions, schedule and run sessions and complete rubrics and feedback during or after the session. For larger cohorts, the workload may increase significantly, requiring additional hours outside class and extra staffing. However, when an artefact-based IOA is linked to a written assessment, reducing the word count of the written component and reallocating some of that content to the IOA can help balance workload and save time on marking (see Practical example: Anticipated workload / performance expectation for a sample IOA compared to an equivalent written assessment).
Workload peaks can occur when IOAs are clustered at the end of the semester, especially for academics teaching multiple subjects. Spreading IOAs across the teaching period may help reduce pressure.
Real-time marking and feedback can also be mentally demanding, so for large cohorts, consider strategies such as staggered scheduling and shared marking responsibilities. Specific sections of rubrics may need to be re-drafted to support tutors delivering real-time marking.
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Consider a subject with 100 students and two tutors, each managing two tutorial groups of 25 students. The IOAs are individual, scenario-based, and scheduled outside regular class time. Each session lasts 15 minutes—10 minutes for the IOA and 5 minutes for feedback—with marking completed during the session. Only one assessor is present during the IOAs, and all sessions are recorded to enable double marking (where required).
- Total marking time:
100 students × 15 minutes = 1,500 minutes (25 hours) - Total staff time required:
Including marking, setup and coordination = 3,000 minutes (50 hours) - Time per staff member (subject coordinator + two tutors):
50 hours ÷ 3 = 16.7 hours each
For comparison, an equivalent written task of 1,000 words might require two tutors to spend around 20 minutes per essay to mark and provide feedback:
- Total marking time:
100 essays × 20 minutes = 2,000 minutes (33 hours) - Plus moderation:
Add 1 hour = 34 hours total - Time per tutor:
Approximately 18 hours each
In this example, the IOA requires an equivalent amount of time to conduct and mark than the written task, although more of the coordinator’s time is required than for the written task only.
If the IOA (10 minutes + 5 minutes for feedback) is linked to an artefact (i.e. a 1,000 word written task), the workload increases:
- Reading and preparing feedback on written assignment (plus moderation) per tutor:
18 hours - Implementation of IOA and delivery of feedback:
16.7 hours - Time per staff member (subject coordinator + two tutors):
34.7 hours
By comparison, marking 2,000 words of written assessment at 40 minutes each would take two tutors around 33.3 hours. Again, the total time spent is equivalent for both the IOA + artefact and the written task only, but more coordinator’s time is required for the IOA than for the written task only. - Total marking time:
1.2 How does the work of delivering an IOA fall across a semester?
When first implementing an IOA in a subject, an initial investment of time will likely be required for design and preparation. This phase typically includes developing marking rubrics, redesigning the assessment structure, preparing resources for students (and tutors, if relevant), planning logistics, and considering special considerations and reasonable adjustments. This phase may require several weeks of lead time; however, once developed, these resources can be reused in future iterations.
Depending on when the IOAs are scheduled in the teaching period, staff workload can then be distributed across the semester, with varying intensity at different stages. For example, the workload could be spread across four non-consecutive weeks, with each week focusing on different aspects of the process. The Practical example below (Distributing workload across a semester) is based on an artefact-based IOA scheduled at the end of the semester but could be adapted to suit other designs and timings.
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Context: An undergraduate subject with 107 students and 5 tutors. Students submit a 1500-word individual essay in Week 12, followed by an individual IOA held in the first week of the exam period.
Logistics and Introduction Phase (Week 2): The coordinator concentrates on organising logistics, such as room bookings and setting up the student booking system. Students are introduced to the concept of IOAs in class. During this time, the coordinator might also record role-play exemplars of IOAs to share with students and tutors.
Training and Preparation Phase (Week 9): Staff train tutors and ensure all students have booked their IOAs. Scaffolded oral communication activities are implemented in classes.
Essay Marking Phase (SWOT Vac): Once students have submitted the linked essay, these are marked by tutors and used to develop 2-3 tailored questions for each individual student.
Implementation Phase (Exam period): This period is dedicated to conducting and marking the IOAs. Tutors run the IOAs according to the schedule and complete the rubrics immediately after each session.