Does assessment in open learning support students?

The article discusses the influence of the National Student Survey (NSS) in ranking all universities and colleges in England on how education is being perceived by their students. It mentions that the NSS is very helpful in knowing the strengths and limitations of the open and distance learning (ODL). It states that the ranking is determined by feedback ratings regardless of the differences in the school's resources, quality of libraries, and quality of teaching. It notes on the Formative Assessment in Science Teaching (FAST) national teaching development project, where in it differentiates, Open University in Great Britain and conventional universities on how their students respond to assessment.