Beyond skill development, there are a number of tangible benefits that students can gain from Rise, most notably our unique way of offering credit for additional learning. Reflective Practice sits at the core of our assessment process and we encourage its use by all our students. Below we also outline options that are available for all students, but might be of particular value to audiences who are not eligible for the assessment.
Gaining Transcript Recognition
All students gaining more than 150 Rise Points will be awarded additional practice credits on their degree transcript. These recognise effort rather than academic performance and do not impact classification or progression. They are attached to the student at their final progression board, which will add 15 practice credits for every 150 points earned (there is no upper limit to this).
All students – from Foundation Year to PhD, standard UG to Degree Apprentice – can access this benefit.
The Rise site also produces an enhanced Rise transcript, which effectively acts as a record of everything that students have done to earn their Rise points, and which is shareable and printable. For this reason, students should be encouraged to use Rise as much as possible to capture all of their additional learning and development so it is all in one place.
Reflective Practice
At the heart of Experiential Learning which students engage in through their co-curricular involvement through Rise is Reflective Practice. In order for them to learn the most from their experiences, we want them to consider What?, So What?, What Next?
For a portion of our students, there may be a possibility to take that reflection and to submit an assessment through Rise. Students will need to reached 300 points and ‘opt in’ and be eligible within their programme.
They will then follow our assessment process, in which they must produce a reflective portfolio (1500-3000-word equivalent depending on credit eligibility) evidencing the following learning outcomes;
LO1: Explore ways you have learned through your experience(s) and what this means to you.
LO2: Communicate how your understanding of yourself has developed by reflecting on your experience(s).
LO3: Consider how you will apply your learning and reflection in the future and the impact this will have.
Students are required to submit a portfolio to meet these outcomes, and if eligible, they have an opportunity to submit at the end of April.
Students can access this information directly by following the URL below, so if they have questions about this specific aspect it’s best to direct them to this page:
https://rise.mmu.ac.uk/assessment/
The Rise team manages the support for assignments, marking and moderation – together with quality-assurance processes (such as external examination). If your students have any queries about their course eligibility please direct them to the Rise site in the first instance. Please do not assume that their course is eligible or ineligible for credit as this can change.
Members of staff running Rise activities do not have to do anything around the assessment process, and do not need to check that students have submitted or received a grade to ‘complete’ their activity. Any student queries about Rise credit should be answered by the Rise assessment page in the first instance, so please send them there for up-to-date information.
The use of greater reflective practice is being more widely considered within the claiming of any transcript credit going forward.
Other Benefits
Beyond credit, students can also gain:
- Digital credentials, via our suite of digital badges which are explained on the next page.
- Externally-recognised accreditation, in particular through our programme of certifications for digital skills. These are administered through the Rise site and have real currency in the world beyond university.