How assessment can be fun: podcasting and philosophy with Go Higher

Posted on: 10 January 2022 by Claire Jones in alumni stories

One thing that can worry anyone thinking of embarking on higher education is the spectre of assessment and what it will entail. This can be especially scary for mature students who may have been out of formal education for many years, and who since then may not be in the habit of writing anything longer than a social media post. And who wants to have to burn the midnight oil on writing essays when you are an older student with family, work and other commitments?

As a Go Higher student, we cannot promise that there will not be times when the pressure of deadlines looms and some midnight oil may be expended. However, we support you with skills support to help you manage your time and your studies, and the assessment is designed carefully to help you build your academic skills step-by-step in a do-able, realistic framework.

But assessment can be fun. It is not all written work and exams (although they are important too) but may be anything from creating power point slides, delivering a presentation, posting a web blog, creating a bibliography or recording a podcast. All the help and guidance you need is provided, so it does not matter at all if you have never attempted these activities before.

Although Go Higher qualifies you to progress to lots of degree programmes in the arts, humanities and social sciences, the core subjects taught are English Literature, History, Law, Sociology and Philosophy (along with Maths and Study Skills). Go Higher philosophers record a podcast on an area of philosophy that interests them – although it is a daunting prospect at first, students pair up, explore a philosopher or topic that interests them, and usually really enjoy doing it. The results are often impressive. Listen to this podcast produced by Kaleb and Zoey on a well-known topic in moral philosophy: ‘The Trolley Problem.’