ASSESSMENT

Assessment in education is something that generates a great deal of discussion, or even some heated debates. Educators have a remarkably broad view regarding what constitutes assessment and how it fits into the educational framework. For certain types of education (e.g. VET training), assessment is well defined and has to fit into a set of criteria relating to the competency of a student in carrying out certain tasks after specific training. With higher education, assessment becomes a more interesting proposition.
 
Even today one can find enshrined in educational institutions assessments that have changed remarkably little from traditional assessment tasks that are hundreds of years old. The university “essay”, for example, that has to be completed within a strictly controlled time span (60, or 90 minutes) in a particular place (an examination hall, under invigilation) is still subscribed to with great gusto by many departments of universities around the world. The well-defined “thesis”, which can be part of the assessment, or indeed all of the final assessment of a higher degree is still standard practice and has to abide by certain “rules” in how it is presented.
 
Assessment is very important part of what we do and we should have a clear idea as to what we are trying to achieve whenever we are assessing students. Innovative assessment practice is part of excellence in teaching and learning, and this is something that we should be thinking a lot about. I summarise below some common forms of general types assessment, though this is not an exhaustive list. It is a start.
 
1. Formative Assessment
An important factor determining learning effectiveness is the quality of the feedback students receive on their performance while they are learning. Assessment that is conducted to provide students with feedback on their performance but does not contribute to their final grade is known as formative assessment. To be effective, formative assessment should be conducted throughout the teaching period beginning at an early stage. Feedback to students should include suggestions on how performance might be improved. Formative assessment also provides teaching staff with valuable feedback on what students are learning and how effectively they are teaching.
 
2. Summative Assessment
The main reason summative assessment is carried out is to provide students, academic staff, the institution and employers with evidence of the extent to which students have achieved intended learning outcomes. To fulfil this purpose summative assessment must be valid and reliable as well as being systematically recorded and communicated. The summative assessment is reflected in the “grades” that appear on a student’s transcript of results and this can have important consequences, as the Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated using these. The GPA is an internationally recognised calculation used to find the average result of all grades achieved for a student’s course of study. The GPA helps tertiary providers compare student results with those of other students, and assists prospective employers interpret a given student’s results.
 
3. Self-Assessment and Peer Assessment
Assessment practices of academic staff may include opportunities for students to develop the skills of self-assessment, which is an important outcome of professional education and a key skill for lifelong and independent learning. Students can be encouraged to assess their own performance, and that of their peers, and to compare their own perceptions of that performance with the judgements made by academic staff and by their peers.

Students can gain a great deal from self-assessment and peer assessment, and quite often the criteria they use are quite stringent. Peer-assessment, if used appropriately can provide students with great learning opportunities as they can be engaged in the learning and assessment process very readily if it their peers that are involved in these.

4. Authentic Assessment
“Authentic” has a specific meaning in the context of assessment, especially in professional contexts associated with the subject or discipline. To be authentic, assessment tasks should be seen by students to be challenging, interesting and meaningful, and where possible should be related to real-life applications. Authentic assessment has the capacity to provide students with motivation to engage actively in the learning process.
 
5. Program Assessment
The aggregated results of assessment of individual student learning provide the institution, Government and other stakeholders, including the professions, with evidence on the effectiveness of academic programs at unit, course or program level. This aspect of assessment may be referred to as program assessment. The institutional role of assessment requires that assessment outcomes are recorded in a form that allows comparison between results for the same unit over time, among different units in the same institution and among similar units at other institutions. Program assessment should be conducted on a regular basis and be linked to planning processes involving curriculum and resources.
 
6. Criterion and Norm-referenced Assessment
Criterion-referenced assessment involves the assessment of student performance against pre-determined criteria related to the learning outcomes of the unit. Norm-referenced assessment assesses student performance against the performance of other students. A criterion-referenced approach to assessment policy and practice is advocated.
 
With criterion-referenced assessment, the criteria by which work is to be judged are made explicit and the grade awarded is intended to directly reflect how well the student has met the criteria. Within a purely criterion referenced assessment system, students are not judged in comparison to each other, every student might achieve the highest grade or none might.
 
In contrast, with normative assessment, grades are awarded based on a predetermined distribution. The most common form of normative assessment, sometimes called ‘grading on the curve’ or ‘bell curve marking’, assumes grades are distributed according to a standard distribution curve. Certain proportions of each grade are awarded, for example, one third each passes and credit passes, one sixth each distinctions and high distinctions. This means that each student’s grade on the unit is determined in part by how well other students on the unit do.
 
7. Continuous Assessment (Progressive Assessment)
Continuous assessment documents a student’s progress throughout a course of study rather than exclusively by examination at the end of it. This can be a powerful technique as it makes the student (and the instructor) aware of how the student is comprehending and learning the subject matter as they progress through the course of study. Feedback given to the student after the assessment tasks can be a valuable stimulant for further enquiry and can get the student to channel their energy in learning in areas they are weaker in.
 
Innovative Assessment
Both conservative forms of assessment and innovative forms of assessment can fall within one or more of the general types presented above. Progressive academics will consider the learning outcomes of a particular unit of study and think innovatively about the type of assessment that will demonstrate a student’s learning most effectively – and demonstrate it not only to the instructors but also to the students themselves. As we “chunk” teaching and present material in innovative ways, we may also chunk assessment in a more manageable way, and perhaps embed it as part of the course, such as tests, papers, projects, or portfolios.
 
We can utilise new technology to help us assess students and use it in a way that discourages cheating and highlights plagiarism. Assessment tasks can be linked to various learning analytics parameters and can provide valuable real time feedback to students (and instructors!). Learning analytics can also allow comparison of results and provide an easier mechanism for moderation of assessment.
 
How do you assess your students? Is a review of your assessment practices in order? Who moderates your assessments? What mechanisms do you have in place for appeals against assessment decisions?