Enhancing learning by enhancing assessment
Assessment is a central element in the overall quality of teaching
and learning in higher education. Well designed assessment sets
clear expectations, establishes a reasonable workload (one that
does not push students into rote reproductive approaches to study),
and provides opportunities for students to self-monitor, rehearse,
practise and receive feedback. Assessment is an integral component
of a coherent educational experience.
The ideas and strategies in the Assessing Student Learning
resources support three interrelated objectives for quality in
student assessment in higher education.
objectives for higher education assessment
- assessment that guides and encourages effective approaches
- assessment that validly and reliably measures expected
learning outcomes, in particular the higher-order learning
that characterises higher education; and
- assessment and grading that defines and protects academic
The relationship between assessment practices and the overall
quality of teaching and learning is often underestimated, yet
assessment requirements and the clarity of assessment criteria
and standards significantly influence the effectiveness of student
learning. Carefully designed assessment contributes directly to
the way students approach their study and therefore contributes
indirectly, but powerfully, to the quality of their learning.
For most students, assessment requirements literally define the
curriculum. Assessment is therefore a potent strategic tool for
educators with which to spell out the learning that will be rewarded
and to guide students into effective approaches to study. Equally,
however, poorly designed assessment has the potential to hinder
learning or stifle curriculum innovation.
16 indicators of effective assessment in higher education
A checklist for quality in student assessment
Assessment is treated by staff and students
as an integral and prominent component of the entire teaching
and learning process rather than a final adjunct to it.
The multiple roles of assessment are recognised.
The powerful motivating effect of assessment requirements on
students is understood and assessment tasks are designed to
foster valued study habits.
There is a faculty/departmental policy that
guides individuals’ assessment practices. Subject assessment
is integrated into an overall plan for course assessment.
There is a clear alignment between expected
learning outcomes, what is taught and learnt, and the knowledge
and skills assessed — there is a closed and coherent ‘curriculum
Assessment tasks assess the capacity to analyse
and synthesis new information and concepts rather than simply
recall information previously presented.
A variety of assessment methods is employed
so that the limitations of particular methods are minimised.
Assessment tasks are designed to assess relevant
generic skills as well as subject-specific knowledge and skills.
There is a steady progression in the complexity
and demands of assessment requirements in the later years of
There is provision for student choice in assessment
tasks and weighting at certain times.
Student and staff workloads are considered
in the scheduling and design of assessment tasks.
Excessive assessment is avoided. Assessment
tasks are designed to sample student learning.
Assessment tasks are weighted to balance the
developmental (‘formative’) and judgemental (‘summative’)
roles of assessment. Early low-stakes, low-weight assessment
is used to provide students with feedback.
Grades are calculated and reported on the basis
of clearly articulated learning outcomes and criteria for levels
Students receive explanatory and diagnostic
feedback as well as grades.
Assessment tasks are checked to ensure there
are no inherent biases that may disadvantage particular student
Plagiarism is minimised through careful task
design, explicit education and appropriate monitoring of academic
What students value in assessment
Unambiguous expectations Students study
more effectively when they know what they are working towards.
Students value, and expect, transparency in the way their knowledge
will be assessed: they wish to see a clear relationship between
lectures, tutorials, practical classes and subject resources,
and what they are expected to demonstrate they know and can do.
They are also wish to understand how grades are determined and
they expect timely feedback that 1) explains the grade they have
received, 2) rewards their achievement, as appropriate, and 3)
offers suggestions for how they can improve.
‘Authentic’ tasks Students
value assessment tasks they perceive to be ‘real’:
assessment tasks that present challenges to be taken seriously,
not only for the grades at stake, but also for the nature of the
knowledge and skills they are expected to demonstrate. Students
value assessment tasks they believe mirror the skills needed in
the workplace. Students are anxious to test themselves and to
compare their performance against others. Assessment tasks that
students perceive to be trivial or superficial are less likely
to evoke a strong commitment to study.
Choice and flexibility Many students
express a strong preference for choices in the nature, weighting
and timing of assessment tasks. This preference for ‘negotiated’
assessment is a logical extension of the trend towards offering
students more flexible ways of studying and more choice in study
options. Students who seek ‘more say’ in assessment
often say they prefer to be assessed in ways that show their particular
skills in the best light. They also argue they will study more
effectively if they can arrange their timetables for submitting
assessable work to suit their overall workload. Providing higher
education students with options in assessment — in a carefully
structured way — is worth considering in many higher education
courses though it is not a common practice. Encouraging students
to engage with the curriculum expectations in this way should
assist them in becoming more autonomous and independent learners.
Re-positioning the role of assessment
Capturing the full educational benefits of well-designed assessment
requires many of the conventional assumptions about assessment
in higher education to be reconsidered.
For academic staff, assessment is often a final consideration
in their planning of the curriculum. This is not to imply staff
underestimate or undervalue the role or importance of assessment,
but assessment is often considered once other curriculum decisions
have been made. The primary concerns of academic staff are often
with designing learning outcomes and planning teaching and learning
activities that will produce these outcomes. In contrast, students
often work ‘backwards’ through the curriculum, focusing
first and foremost on how they will be assessed and what they
will be required to demonstrate they have learned.
academic staff view teaching and learning
students view teaching and learning
course content should be taught?
What should students learn?
what ways am I going to be assessed?
What do I need to know?
teaching and learning methods are appropriate?
student assessment as a strategic tool for enhancing teaching
then are the learning objectives?
What approaches to study should I adopt?
can student learning be assessed?
can be the final consideration for staff in the design of
the teaching and learning process
is usually at the forefront of students’ perception
of the teaching and learning process
For teaching staff, recognising the potent effects of assessment
requirements on student study habits and capitalising on the capacity
of assessment for creating preferred patterns of study is a powerful
means of reconceptualising the use of assessment.
But designing assessment to influence students’ patterns
of study in positive ways can present significant challenges.
Assessment in higher education must serve a number of purposes.
The overall cycle of student assessment (from the design and declaration
of assessment tasks, to the evaluation and reporting of student
achievement) must not only guide student approaches to study and
provide students with feedback on their progress, but also must
determine their readiness to proceed to the next level of study,
judge their ‘fitness to practice’ and ultimately protect
and guarantee academic standards. These purposes are often loosely
placed in two categories, developmental (‘formative’
— concerned with students’ ongoing educational progression)
and judgmental (‘summative’ — where the emphasis
is on making decisions on satisfactory completion or readiness
to progress to the next level of study). Both are legitimate purposes
for assessment in higher education and effective assessment programs
must be designed with both considerations in mind.