2.3 Assessment
Assessments are opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes. Students also have opportunities to learn by completing an assessment and getting feedback on their performance of an assessment task. These learning activities may be developed in stages and therefore scaffolded using formative and summative tasks.
Assessment is dear to students’ hearts. In fact, Ramsden (2003; p. 182) notes that from “our students’ point of view, assessment always defines the actual curriculum”.
2.3.1 Constructing Alignment
Construct alignment between curriculum objectives, teaching/learning activities, and assessment tasks. What assessment will you use to help students achieve the learning outcomes?
Aligning teaching and assessment to curriculum objectives (HEA Biggs 
).
Constructing Alignment: Aligning curriculum objectives, teaching/learning activities, and assessment tasks
Source: Biggs, J. (1999) Assessment: An integral part of the teaching system. AAHE Bulletin 51, 9 (May), 10-12.
Assessment tasks can then be evaluated against these hierarchical levels:
| Prestructural: | The task is not attacked appropriately; the student hasn’t understood the point. |
|---|---|
| Unistructural: | One of a few aspects of the task are picked up and used, understanding is nominal. |
| Multistructural: | Several aspects of the task are learned but are treated separately, understanding as knowing about. |
| Relational: | The components are integrated into a coherent whole, with each part contributing to the overall meaning, understanding as appreciating relationships. |
| Extended abstract: | The integrated whole at the relational level is reconceptualised at a higher level of abstraction, which enables generalisation to a new topic or area, or is turned reflexively on oneself, understanding as far transfer and as involving metacognition. |
2.3.2 Calculating workload
Where an extension unit is still being offered (until 2008), additional workload and assessment should be calculated. The additional assessment and its weighting, submission date and calculation of results should then be included either in 2.3.3 or as an additional page at the end of the UoS outline.
2.3 Examples
2.3.2 Additional assessment for extension unit <UoS code>
Start allocating learning and teaching activities across the semester in a week by week format (Topic and Assessment Schedule 
). Record expected student workload for in-class and out-of-class hours. For out-of-class hours consider how long students will need to prepare for lectures and tutorials, complete readings and assessments (including revision). There is a worksheet that you can use to calculate hours if you wish.
Remember that University standardisation policy stipulates that students submit a total of 4,500-6,000 words (or equivalent) for assessment tasks in order to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes in a six credit point unit of study. In a typical 13-week semester undergraduate unit, the workload includes actively participating in 3 contact hours per week as well as approximately 6 hours per week out-of-class undertaking assigned tasks and preparing for assessments. This workload equates to approximately 9 hours of student input effort per week to achieve high quality assessments.
2.3.3 Designing assessment
There is a wide range of assessment methods. It is useful to go beyond the standard essay and exam assessment regime to allow students to develop their graduate attributes in ways that will be significant as professionals (e.g. report writing; presentation; case analysis). Variation also allows students different ways to demonstrate their learning (e.g. discussion board contributions and reflective journals may be more effective in drawing out quieter students abilities).
If you are intending on using ‘Attendance’ as an assessment method please note the Faculty’s policy on attendance (login required). However, we feel that this is an outdated policy and compulsory attendance should no longer be stated due to the following:
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If a mandatory assessment component is used before a student can pass, then it is possible to have >50 and fail which is no longer permitted by Univeristy Policy, so students have to be provided with reassessment opportunities.
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Simply giving assessment for attendance is equivalent to being present in body or simply breathing and such assessment has no academic merit: as criteria, they cannot be shown to align to any specific learning outcome.
If Unit of Study Coordinators want students to attend then they need to provide some assessment task and specify some assessment criteria. If UoS co-ordinators still want to make attendance mandatory, then they must provide some reassessment opportunities. Given previous ruling by Academic Board we imagine that an appeal would be rejected by the A/Dean for these reasons.
See Oxford Brookes University's list of ideas about Learning and Teaching under pressure .
Example 2.3.3.1
Your final result in this unit of study will be calculated as follows:
Assessment task Weighting Due date
Related learning outcomes Length in words 1. Essay 40% Week 5 1 and 3 2,500 2. Group case study 25% Week 10 2 and 5 1,500 3. Final 2 hour exam 35% Exam period 1,3,4 and 6 2,000 Total 100% 6,000
Example 2.3.3.2
Your final result in this unit of study will be calculated as follows:
Assessment task Weighting Due date
Related learning outcomes Length in words 1. Field trip and report 20% Week 6 1 and 3 1,200 2. Online discussion activities 40% Week 3,6,9,12 2 and 5 2,000 3. Take home exam 40% Week 13 1,3,4 and 6 2,400 Total 100% 5,600 All assessments are compulsory. The end-date for submission of late assessments is two weeks after the due date or when marked assessments are returned – whichever occurs first. No assessments will be accepted for marking after that date. Failure to submit an assessment by the end-date means you have not completed a compulsory assessment which will automatically result in an AF (Absent Fail) grade for the entire unit of study.
Example 2.3.3.3
Your final result in this unit of study will be calculated as follows:
Assessment task Weighting Due date
Related learning outcomes Length in words 1. In-class 7 min presentation 20% Week 5 1 and 3 750 equiv 2. In-class MCQ test 30% Week 10 2 and 5 1,250 equiv 3. Final 3 hour exam 50% Exam period 1,3,4 and 6 2,500 Total 100% 4,500 equiv
2.3.4 Resources for designing assessment tasks
The Faculty's resource on Groupwork for Staff provides examples and tips for designing assessments.
CSHE's Assessing groupwork
Using student-generated assessment items to enhance teamwork, feedback and the learning process (Neal Arthur)
The Pros and Cons of exams and their alternatives
See the Higher Education Academy's resources on ideas for large classes
Making your assessments relevant for students
Reflective Journals
Critical Journal Reflection Assignment : WORK 2217 & WORK 6108 – International Human Resource Management
Reflective Journals
Online Discussion forums
E-learning
CSHE's Online Assessment
Case-based learning (e.g. Case-Based Learning in Your Classes (Waterman & Stanley, 2005)
Ideas, strategies and resources for quality in student assessment (University of Melbourne)
2.3.5 Scheduling exams
To comply with Academic Board policy:
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No exams should be timetabled during any formal University Stuvac period.
Note: There is no formal Uni Stuvac period for Summer and Winter schools. -
Exams worth more than 30% should not be held in the timetabled class, and should be timetabled to take account of students’ other academic demands.
Note: An exam worth more than 30% is considered of sufficient weight to potentially disrupt attendance at other classes.