Revealed: Durham modules ranked by student attainment in 2021-2022 - Palatinate

Revealed: Durham modules ranked by student attainment in 2021-2022 - Palatinate

This article highlights how Freedom of Information requests can unlock valuable academic performance data, demonstrating the power of open data in increasing transparency within higher education. By analyzing undergraduate module attainment, the report reveals significant disparities in grading standards across different departments and years. Such data allows stakeholders to examine patterns in student success, identifying which fields consistently yield higher achievements and which may face systemic challenges. The findings underscore that attainment is not uniform, with certain disciplines like Physics and English showing notably high first-class rates, while others like Foundation years lag significantly. This variance suggests that factors beyond student ability, such module design or assessment types, likely influence outcomes. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for educators and administrators seeking to address inequalities or standardize grading practices across the university. For the open data community, this case illustrates the practical utility of publishing granular institutional metrics. It enables independent verification of university claims and fosters informed discussions about educational quality. Furthermore, it encourages other institutions to adopt similar transparency, empowering students to make better choices and facilitating broader research into the drivers of academic success.

Source: palatinate.org.uk
Published on 2025-04-18