What is assessment planning?
About assessment planning
Your assessments include various tools and methods used to monitor and evaluate your students’ academic readiness, learning progress, knowledge, skill and attitude acquisition at various stages in the learning sequence.
Assessments are a preoccupation for Instructors and students alike. For the Instructor, it measures student progress and provides feedback on whether or not your learning outcomes have been met. It defines the curriculum for the student because it indicates what the Instructor values.
Research shows that students will approach their learning based on how they will be graded, not how they are taught (Miller & Parlett, 1974; Snyder, 1971). For this reason, instructors should dedicate time and attention to developing an assessment plan that intentionally promotes learning of the desired outcomes.
Types of assessment
There are two main types of assessments.
- Formative assessment, also referred to as formal assessment, is ongoing throughout the semester, used strictly to provide feedback on student learning, and does not makeup part of the student’s grade.
- Summative assessment, also referred to as formal assessment, takes place at designated times in the semester to measure competence, and usually contributes to a student’s grade.
This module primarily concerns summative assessment to help you plan your grading strategy for the course.
References
Miller, C. M. I., & Parlett, M. (1974). Up to the Mark: a study of the examination game. Guildford: Society for Research into Higher Education. As cited in Gibbs G. and Simpson C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, (1), 3-31.
Snyder, B. R. (1971). The Hidden Curriculum: Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. As cited in Gibbs G. and Simpson C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, (1), 3-31.
