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Assessment for/as/of Learning

The Importance of Assessment

Educational assessment is most effective in a learning environment where students feel safe to take risks and where assessment is viewed as a collaborative enterprise between the instructor and student. By gathering formative and summative assessment information, instructors are compelled to reflect on the quality of their teaching and to implement changes in order to become more effective. Through the use of a variety of assessment practices, instructors become aware and more responsive to individual student needs and preferences. High-quality feedback also helps students to monitor their own progress towards achieving course outcomes. 

Terms and Definitions

Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment)

Assessment as Learning
(Part of Formative Assessment)

Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment)

Principles of Assessment for/as/of Learning:

  1. Empower students to critically evaluate their own work.
  2. Set clear expectations (e.g. provide assignment outlines, grading criteria, rubrics, etc.) and provide meaningful and timely feedback to maximize.
  3. Decisions on assessment and feedback should be guided by course objectives. Evidence of learning looks different across disciplines.
  4. Assessment is a shared partnership between instructors and students. What and who do we value in our assessment practices?
  5. Students should experience a diverse range of assessment methods including authentic and work-based assessments.
  6. Assessment and feedback should be manageable for both instructors and students. Consideration should be given to the number, size, and timing of assessments to maximize student success through timely and useful feedback.
  7. Continued improvement in assessment practices can be achieved through on-going instructor reflection and engagement in professional learning activities.
  8. Assessment and feedback practices should be supported through consistent departmental practices and institutional policies. 

Adapted from The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (n.d.) and Schellekens et al. (2021).

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Image by The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. International license. https://hub.teachingandlearning.ie/resource/expanding-our-understanding-of-assessment-and-feedback-in-irish-higher-education/

Examples of Formative and Summative Assessments

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Examples of Authentic Assessments

Authentic assessments involve tasks that mirror real-world challenges, scenarios, or topics relevant to your discipline. These assessments encourage students to apply their knowledge and skills to complex problems that often lack simple solutions.

Supporting Student Success With Rubrics and Exemplars
Under Construction

Additional Resources

Writing Better Essay Exams (Boye, 2019)
Developing Test Items for Course Examinations (Haladyna, 2018)
A Guide to Alternative Assessments (Elkhoury, 2021)

References

Boye, A. (2019). Writing better essay exams: IDEA Paper #76. Texas Tech University. https://ideacontent.blob.core.windows.net/content/sites/2/2020/01/Writing_Better_Essay_Exams_IDEA_Paper_76.pdf

Elkhoury, E. (2021). A guide to alternative assessments. York University. https://www.yorku.ca/teachingcommons/wp-content/uploads/sites/38/2021/07/Guide_alternative_assessments-UPDATED-July-2021.pdf

Haladyna, T. (2018). Developing test items for course examinations: IDEA Paper #70. Arizona State University. https://ideacontent.blob.core.windows.net/content/sites/2/2020/01/IDEA_Paper_70.pdf

Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (n.d.). Formative and summative assessments. Yale. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/Formative-Summative-Assessments

Schellekens, L., Bok, H., de Jong, L., van der Schaaf, M., Kremer, W., and van der Vleuten, C. (2021). A scoping review on the notions of Assessment as Learning (AaL), Assessment for Learning (AfL), and Assessment of Learning (AoL). Studies in Educational Evaluation, 71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2021.101094

The National Forum for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. (n.d.). Assessment of/for/as learning. https://www.teachingandlearning.ie/our-priorities/student-success/assessment-of-for-as-learning/#1540351973453-cdd138e4-2d65