Assessment of Learning

Curriculum Planning, Assessment & Feedback

Use Assessment to Make Learning Visible

As you develop your course outline, decide how students will demonstrate achievement of your learning objectives, how each assessment contributes to the final grade, and what criteria or rubrics you will use.

Good Practices

• Design for alignment. Plan assessments when you first develop the course outline, so your learning objectives and assessments stay aligned and achievable.
• Make the assessment plan explicit. In your course outline, list each assessment method, its weight in the final grade, and a short description of its purpose, format, and how students will be assessed.
• Match method to thinking level. Choose assessment methods that align with your learning objectives and intended level of thinking.
• Craft questions purposefully. Use question types that match the thinking you want students to demonstrate. Use MCQs and true/false questions beyond recall where appropriate, and use short-answer or essay questions to assess explanation, application, analysis, evaluation, and justification.
• Make expectations visible. Use rubrics to clarify expectations and support consistent marking.  Build them from learning objectives, define evidence, and describe performance levels clearly. Review and refine them over time.
• Support fair group work. Use tools (E.g., Peer and Self Feedback System (PSFS) or Peer Evaluation Tool (PET)) to monitor individual contributions and provide feedback in group assignments, where appropriate.
• Be transparent from the start. Clearly communicate weightings, grading, and peer evaluation processes.