A means of assessment refers to a description of the ways student learning will be assessed in a given course. The means of assessment must be included in the course outline.
Planning a means of assessment
When making decisions about how your students will demonstrate their learning, keep in mind that:
The weight of each assessment task should be appropriate in relation to the importance of the learning outcome(s) being assessed.
The means of assessment should be reasonable in terms of workload for your students and you. NB: If you are planning to implement less familiar assessment tasks or learning technologies, the time students—and you—might need to become familiar with them should be taken into account.
Resources to help you make decisions when planning the means of assessment:
Course Workload Estimator 2.0 (Wake Forest University): helps with calculating students’ workloads (time needed) when planning assessment tasks
In the next two sections, we offer example assessment tasks for inspiration and example means of assessment to illustrate how you can combine a selection of assessment tasks to support students’ achievement of the learning outcomes.
Example assessment tasks
A sound pedagogical practice is to allow students to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways; thus, consider planning a variety of assessment tasks. These examples are offered for inspiration. They can be adapted for implementation in courses taught on campus, in a blended manner, and fully online.
1. Cases
Purpose
Assessing
✓ Analytical skills
✓ Decision making skills
✓ Problem-solving skills
✓ Application of knowledge
✓ Evaluative skills
Developing self-directed learning
Description
A case is a description of an actual situation that requires students to make decisions or solve problems about specific issues.[1]
Good cases:
Tell a real or believable story.
Allow for numerous interpretations of motives.
Are complex enough to raise interesting questions and responses, yet sufficiently clear and concise to avoid overwhelming students.
Encourage students to think and take a position on an issue related to learning goals.[2]
Cases provide scenarios that students may encounter when they would need to use the information learned, thereby contextualizing their learning.
Examples
In a medical course, students are asked to match findings to interventions applied and describe their implications for the patient.
In a banking course, the instructor presents students with numerous loan applications from entrepreneurs. Students explain which loan applications will be approved or declined, and why.
2. Direct observation
Purpose
Assessing skills and performance
Giving individualized feedback
Description
During direct observation, the instructor or peers watch and take notes as students carry out prescribed tasks.
This method may be appropriate for assessing teamwork skills, or presentations in clinical/simulation situations or during a stage. Students receive constructive feedback that pertains to their performance.
Examples
At the end of a practicum in elementary school education, an instructor observes and evaluates students’ teaching skills.
3. Formal writing assgnments
Purpose
Assessing
✓ Writing skills
✓ Reflective skills
✓ Understanding
✓ Synthesizing
✓ Critical thinking
✓ Evaluative skills
✓ Research skills
Description[3]
Formal writing can take many forms such as research papers, short essays, critical reviews, personal reflections, reports, or imaginary writing.
The learning goals and the type of thinking wanted from students should be taken into consideration. Clear guidance should be provided regarding the task, format expectations, and criteria for evaluation. Rubrics are recommended for grading.
Examples
In a communications course, students review President Obama’s speech delivered at Cairo University on June 4, 2009. Then, they are asked to summarize the main arguments of his speech and analyze the rhetorical strategies he used to appeal to Muslim listeners and readers.[4]
4. Learning logs/diary
Purpose
Assessing reflection skills
Keeping track of processes on a regular basis
Helping students clarify their experiences and connect them with their learning
Description
Using a pre-determined format, students reflect on their experiences or new knowledge.
Formats may range from an unstructured account of each day to a structured format based on tasks. The instructor clarifies the purpose, scope and expectations for journal entries. Logs/dairies can be time-consuming for students. Some training in reflection is recommended.
Students may submit their journals regularly for feedback. Structured peer assessment is an option.
Examples
In a course on Shakespeare, students are asked to write personal, critical responses to his plays.
In a course on clinical practice, students reflect on their stage or other experiences with patient care. Decisions are explained with a rationale and pending questions are posed for feedback.
5. Microthemes
Purpose
Developing ability to write concisely
Developing students’ problem-solving skills
Promoting growth in reflection and other thinking skills
Description
Students reflect on a question or prompt and, in lieu of writing a lengthy essay, submit a half-page response that meets pre-established criteria.
This strategy is based on the expectation that a short writing assignment is preceded by a significant amount of thought.
Microthemes may be used for writing summaries (e.g., of journal articles), to develop a thesis statement, to make sense of discrete, related data, or to propose a solution to a problem.
This technique is appropriate for both large and small classes, and may be used as ungraded or low-stakes assessment. Using a simple rating scale, instructors can grade 30-50 Microthemes per hour.[5]
Examples
Students summarize a journal article, identifying major and supporting points and key conclusions.
Students respond to the following prompt, justifying their response with reference to appropriate resources and using strong reasoning skills:
The performance of a mutual fund (is/is not) superior to the performance of the stocks chosen by the average investor.
6. Multiple choice questions (MCQs)
Purpose
Ascertaining understanding
Assessing students’ analysis, problem-solving, and evaluative skills
Description
MCQs sample a wide range of knowledge quickly by presenting students with a variety of possible responses (usually 3-5) to a question or scenario. Students choose the best response(s).
MCQs that assess higher-order thinking skills are time-consuming to create but efficient to grade. A team of assessors working with the same learning outcomes can brainstorm and produce several questions in a couple of hours. Questions should be clearly worded, and ideas may be developed or compiled with input from relevant internet or textbook sources.
Examples
In reference to a brief case study, a medical multiple choice question might ask, “What is the most likely diagnosis?” or “What pathogen is the most likely cause?” Students then choose an answer from among a number of possibilities.[6]
7. Orals
Purpose
Testing
✓ Communication
✓ Understanding
✓ Capacity to think quickly under pressure
✓ Knowledge of procedures
Description
Oral assessments evaluate students’ ability to verbally demonstrate their understanding of a specific topic/concept.
Orals may be in a presentation, interview or examination format. The instructor begins by providing a clear and detailed description of the assessment task and criteria so as to reduce stress related to uncertainty. The instructor should provide models of what students need to do and provide opportunities for practice and feedback so that students become accustomed to thinking quickly under pressure.
The instructor can take notes during the oral assessment and grade immediately afterwards.
The duration of the oral assessment or interview should be consistent with expectations of the depth or complexity of topic coverage.[7]
Examples
To obtain their Quebec teaching certification, students in Education must take an oral exam where they have to summarize the content of one article (among three provided in advance) and then answer questions posed by the evaluators.
8. Portfolios
Purpose
Ascertaining reflective and synthesizing skills
Providing information on students’ development
Engaging students in various aspects of coursework
Description
A portfolio contains samples of a learner’s work collected by the learner over a period of time that taken together demonstrates the learner’s successful achievement of a specified outcome. Portfolios come in different forms and may include formal written work, personal reflections, feedback on the learner’s performance, visuals, artefacts, etc.
Prior to introducing a portfolio assignment, determine how the portfolio will be evaluated and create grading rubrics that reflect expectations for the final product.
Examples
Students in Education create portfolios to demonstrate the development of their teaching competency over time. Portfolios include a teaching philosophy, examples of classroom materials developed, and other artefacts that demonstrate their attainment of the standards for teacher certification.
Students in Electrical Engineering create online portfolios to demonstrate their mastery of course concepts. Portfolios may include reports, photos and 3-D models from projects, and other artefacts.
9. Poster sessions
Purpose
Assessing students’ understanding of key course topics, issues, or ideas.
Assessing communication and synthesis skills
Description
A poster session allows students to demonstrate their knowledge both visually and orally. Students create posters and are prepared to provide explanations and answer questions about their topic. The poster session may be intended for the students and instructor only, others in the department, or the general public.
The instructor determines the topic, content and design parameters, and how posters should be displayed. Directions and assessment criteria should be provided to students well in advance. (Rubrics can be useful.)
Examples
In a course on technology in secondary education, students present posters on various social media applications that can be used to enhance student engagement and a sense of community in the classroom. Students have time to answer questions about their own posters, as well as to peruse their classmates’ work.
10. Presentations
Purpose
Assessing knowledge, capacity to structure information, and oral communication skills
Providing feedback from peers, as well as from the instructor
Verifying how students respond to questions and manage discussion
Description
Presentations are a form of oral assessment in which individual students or small groups share their knowledge with peers and the instructor. They often contain a visual component (e.g., PowerPoint slides, handouts) and often include time for questions from the audience.
Like poster sessions, presentations can be assessed by the instructor, peers and by the student presenters themselves.
The instructor discusses expectations for presenters and audience members. Students should be presented with a rubric (or develop criteria as a class). The instructor should review how to provide constructive feedback to peers. Low-stakes, practice presentations to smaller groups of peers may be appropriate. A video recording can also be made to allow the instructor or student to review their presentation afterwards.
Examples
Students in an archives / records management course present the results of their research on various metadata descriptive standards (e.g. Dublin Core, Encoded Archival Description (EAD)), including examples of what the fields and metadata look like in both HTML and reader views.
Students in a human anatomy course give presentations on the vascular and lymphatic systems, including multimedia that demonstrate how these systems work.
11. Problems
Purpose
Developing, problem-solving, communication, and self-directed learning skills
Ascertaining whether students are able to apply theoretical concepts or content to real-life problems.
Description
Problems are scenarios or challenges to which students seek a solution given the information presented. They may be “open” (where numerous possible solutions are accepted) or “closed” (where students must decide upon the one possible solution). They often contain written, numerical or graphical components.
Grading time varies with the complexity of the problem; rubrics can be useful in reducing grading time and clearly stating expectations.
Students should be encouraged to reflect upon how different conditions might affect their response or to approach the same problem from a different point of view. For instance, in the first example given, they might propose solutions from the perspective of an organic farmer, a pesticides company, and a community-supported agriculture organization. For collaborative problem-solving, groups should be chosen carefully, to facilitate students’ interactions and promote a productive group dynamic.
Examples
In a plant science course: Numerous farmers in the Eastern Townships report that their tomato plants are stunted and withered. What would you propose as the cause of this unhealthy appearance? What would you suggest that the farmers do to address this problem? Using the resources, consider the context, discuss with your team, and justify your response.
A calculus teacher decides to assess students’ problem-solving skills by giving homework where students have to solve four calculus problems (instead of the usual five). The students then select one of the problems and document their solution, explaining step by step in complete sentences how they solved it.
12. Projects
Purpose
Developing practical, analytical, and interpretative skills
Demonstrating students’ knowledge, skills, and understanding in real/simulated situations
Allowing students to reflect upon their learning
Description
Projects take a variety of forms, but generally include an agreed-upon end product that demonstrates students’ achievement of desired outcomes. (e.g., presentation, report, essay, website.)
Projects can be successfully carried out individually or in groups; the number of students per group should be taken into consideration when establishing criteria and workload expectations. Group projects can provide an opportunity for developing teamwork skills and leadership. Learning gains can be high. Although marking for grading can be time-consuming, marking for feedback can be complemented or reduced through peer and self-assessment, and presentations.
Examples
Projects can take a variety of forms, such as:
Research projects: students are asked to investigate specific questions in their fields of study.
Applied design projects: students are asked to design a specific solution for a given problem.
Art projects: Students are asked to create artistic artifacts.
Field projects: Students engage in their communities in defined projects.
13. Short answer questions
Purpose
Measuring students’ analysis, problem-solving and evaluative skills
Evaluating students’ ability to apply knowledge
Description
Short answer (or “constructed-response”) questions require that students respond briefly to a question or prompt. Responses to these questions are generally between one word and a few sentences long.
These questions may be used for formative or summative assessment. “Fill in the blank” or “completion” questions are common. Creating questions and marking responses is fairly fast.
Examples
In a music theory class: What is the interval between a C# and an F#?
In a statistics course: What is meant by the statement “Test reliability is a necessary but not sufficient condition of test validity”?
14. Simulations
Purpose
Students apply their knowledge of structures, concepts, and best practices to virtual or other situations that simulate real-life occurrences
Instructors and students reflect upon the students’ response
Description
A person, system or computer program demonstrates an action, symptom or scenario to which students are expected to respond.
Given the information presented, students take the appropriate action or give a detailed verbal explanation of what they would do to solve the problem or address the situation.
Students and instructor debrief, discussing the simulation and students’ responses.
As a variation, students may take turns simulating (through role play) the appropriate action, symptom or scenario, to which classmates then respond.
Examples
Students in a political science course take on roles of party delegates at a political convention.
Students in an investment course buy and sell stocks in a trading room simulation, evaluating the success of their portfolio and explaining their rationale for various decisions made.
The example means of assessment below are intended to provide inspiration for how you can combine a selection of assessment tasks to support students’ achievement of the learning outcomes.
Each example:
is made up of different combinations of assessment tasks.
begins with learning outcomes and is followed by an assessment task and explanation of how this task allows students to demonstrate their achievement of the learning outcomes.
Students will be able to recall basic concepts and definitions.
5 mini quizzes (3% each) or 7 quizzes and the best 5 count Regular quizzes can sustain engagement, and promote review and comprehension of material. Frequent, low-stakes assignments have the potential to promote student well-being as they allow students to become familiar with the assessment type and minimize the stress for each quiz. Provide students with practice opportunities by allowing students multiple attempts for each quiz. In an online setting, regular quizzes can be a substitute for participation grades. Counting the best 5 of 7 quizzes can minimize students’ stress in the event they have to miss a quiz. It can also reduce time instructors spend dealing with make-up assessments due to student absences.
Tools: Use the Quizzes tool in myCourses to set up quizzes that auto-grade students’ submissions. Quizzes can be linked to the myCourses Grades tool.
15%
Students will be able to:
discuss the benefits and shortcomings of different theoretical models as they apply to real-world problems/actual data.
articulate the pros and cons of policy decisions for different stakeholders.
make connections between theoretical concepts and ideas discussed in the course, and their own experiences and topics discussed in the news or on social media.
2 short papers (20%, 25%) Writing short papers encourages students to organize their thoughts on a topic, delve deeper into selected issues, grapple with course material, and practice written communication skills. For example, students can select a news article (from a newspaper or social media) and explain in maximum 750 words the advantages and disadvantages of looking at the topic through the lens of a model discussed in class.
Tools: Have students submit their papers using the Assignments tool in myCourses and provide students with oral or written comments through the same tool in myCourses. Use the Rubrics tool in myCourses to create a rubric that you can attach to the assignment.
45%
Students will be able to:
discuss the benefits and shortcomings of different theoretical models as they apply to real-world problems/actual data.
articulate the pros and cons of policy decisions for different stakeholders.
make connections between theoretical concepts and ideas discussed in the course, and their own experiences and topics discussed in the news or on social media.
For a timed exam, students start it at a time that is convenient for them and once started, have a designated number of hours to complete it.
Make it clear to students before they start the exam which materials are approved for consultation (e.g., course textbook, class notes, any book online).
Tools: Use the Quizzes tool in myCourses to set up an exam with a time limit and a release window.
Blog posts, peer feedback, video demonstration, learning portfolio
Students will be able to explain study results and implications to a lay audience.
2 short blog posts (10%, 15%) Students read a study published in an academic journal and then write a blog post of 400-500 words that explains the purpose of the study, the results, and the implications. The writing must be accessible for a lay audience and not include academic jargon.
Writing two posts allows students to practice and receive feedback on a first assignment in order to improve for the second.
Tools: Students submit their blog posts through the Assignments tool in myCourses. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s), or Grader provides students with written or oral feedback comments and grades through the Assignments tool in myCourses, which is linked to the myCourses Grades tool. Alternatively, students submit their blog posts to a Discussion forum for viewing by the whole class. The instructor, Teaching Assistant, or Grader provide feedback comments and a grade in the Discussion forum, which is linked to the myCourses Grades tool.
25%
Students will be able to:
identify whether claims have been supported with evidence.
describe the structure of a blog post.
Peer feedback on first blog post By having to comment on the extent to which peers have supported claims and respected the assignment structure, students will develop an awareness of their own ability to meet assignment criteria.
Tools: Assign students to private groups of three in myCourses Discussion forums. Each student provides feedback to the two peers in the group. All students in the group see each other's feedback. The instructor and Teaching Assistant(s) can access all groups. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s), or Grader provides feedback comments and a grade in the Discussion forum, which is linked to the myCourses Grades tool. Large classes will benefit from using FeedbackFruits, a peer assessment tool that is integrated in myCourses.
10%
Students will be able to explain to a lay audience the science behind how X works.
Video demonstration of how X works
Written outline (10%)
Practice video (15%)
Demonstration showcase: 8-10 minute video (20%)
Students submit their topic to the instructor for approval to ensure students are working on different topics. The outline creates a structure in which students must plan their work. A low-stakes practice video allows students to become familiar with the technology. It also allows them to receive feedback comments that they can use to improve their work for the final video submission.
Tools: Students post their outlines to a myCourses Discussion forum. The instructor and Teaching Assistant(s) can post oral or written feedback comments on the outlines. You can set the forum so that students see peers’ outlines once they have posted their own. A grade can also be assigned in the Discussion forum and linked to the myCourses Grades tool. Students submit the practice video using the Video Assignments tool in myCourses. The instructor and Teaching Assistant(s) can post feedback comments at specific places in the video. The demonstration showcase video can be posted in the Discussions tool in myCourses for the whole class to see. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s) or Grader can provide oral or written feedback comments and a grade. The assignment can be linked to the myCourses Grades tool.
45%
Students will be able to:
explain concepts related to course content.
collaborate on a project.
Learning portfolio The Portfolio is a tool for facilitating collaboration. It is intended to be a repository for teamwork and a collaboration space. Students regularly document both process and progress as they prepare their demonstration. Regular documentation helps students keep up to date with their course work and is a strategy for fostering academic integrity.
Infographic Students who typically work with text-based material practice conveying information concisely through images. Designing infographics can foster creativity.
Tools: Students can create their infographics using Microsoft Word or PowerPoint and then submit them as PDFs through the Assignments tool in myCourses. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s) or Grader provides students with written or oral feedback comments and grades through the Assignments tool in myCourses, which is linked to the myCourses Grades tool. Alternatively, students post their infographics to a myCourses Discussion forum for viewing by the whole class. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s) or Grader provides feedback comments and a grade in the Discussion forum, which is linked to the myCourses Grades tool.
25%
Students will be able to explain theoretical principles and concepts from the course.
3 quizzes (10% each) Multiple quizzes allow students opportunities for practice and feedback. Quizzes can include a variety of question types, such as matching and ordering, multiple choice, short answer, and T/F.
Tools: Use the Quizzes tool in myCourses to set up timed quizzes that can auto-grade students’ submissions.
30%
Students will be able to apply theoretical concepts to real-world problems.
Take-home exam with real world scenarios Students are given three scenarios that illustrate current societal problems. They are asked to explain the scenarios through the lens of a theory discussed during the course.
Take-home exams are exams that students can start, finish, and return to within a designated period of time (e.g., 48 or 72 hours). However, the exam itself should still be of a length and difficulty that would take a reasonable amount of time to complete (e.g., 3 hours).
Make it clear to students before they start the exam which materials are approved for consultation (e.g., course textbook, class notes, any book online).
Team project (oral and written components), short written assignments, reflections
Students will be able to:
design X.
orally defend a design choice.
develop team collaboration skills.
Team project
Proposal and workplan: choice of topic, rationale for choice, division of responsibilities, timeline (15%)
Oral presentation (25%)
Having students submit a proposal and workplan provides focus and encourages students to be accountable to one another. Team projects also have the potential to promote community.
Tools: Students can collaborate using the Groups tool in myCourses, breakout rooms in Zoom, and various tools in Microsoft Teams. Peer assessment of teamwork can be done with FeedbackFruits. Students can submit their outlines through the Assignments tool in myCourses. For the oral presentation, students can use the Video Assignments tool or record themselves using a smartphone, tablet, or laptop, and share the recording in myCourses with the instructor (using the Assignments tool in myCourses) or the whole class (using the Discussion tool in myCourses). Students can also use Camtasia to record a slide show with audio. “Live” presentations can be done in Zoom.
40%
Students will be able to:
apply theoretical concepts to design decisions.
do collaborative writing.
3 short written assignments (15% each) Provide students with questions or prompts to help them advance their design team project (e.g., Find a scholarly article related to the topic of your team project. Discuss how the research described in the article advances knowledge in the topic area.). Students have the option of submitting one of these short written assignments as a group so they can practice their collaborative writing skills.
Tools: Have students submit their writing through the Assignments tool in myCourses and provide students with oral or written comments through the same tool. Set up the assessment scheme using the Rubrics tool in myCourses. You can attach the rubric to the assignment and link the assignment to the myCourses Grades tool.
45%
Students will be able to:
draw connections between course content and personal experience.
analyze the group’s ability to function as a team.
3 individual reflection questions/prompts (5% each) Reflections can raise students’ awareness not only of what they are learning but also how they are learning. You can assess reflections according to a simple assessment scheme. Example criteria: question answered completely; response linked to course discussion or personal experience; viewpoints supported by examples.
1 = submitted on time; fewer than half the criteria met 2 = most criteria met 3 = all criteria met
Tools: Have students submit their writing through the Assignments tool in myCourses and provide students with oral or written comments through the same tool. Set up the assessment scheme using the Rubrics tool in myCourses. You can attach the rubric to the assignment and link the assignment to the myCourses Grades tool.
4 quizzes (10% each) Regular quizzes help students keep up with course readings and maintain engagement with course content. Frequent, low-stakes assignments have the potential to promote student well-being as they allow students to become familiar with the assessment type and minimize the stress for each quiz.
Tools: Use the Quizzes tool in myCourses to set up short answer response questions. Short answers can be auto-graded in myCourses. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s), or Grader can provide feedback comments and a grade on written responses (i.e., long answers). The Quizzes tool can be linked to the myCourses Grades tool.
40%
Students will be able to:
identify relevant points in selected readings.
support an argument with evidence.
demonstrate research and synthesizing skills.
draw connections among ideas.
provide constructive feedback to peers.
Term paper submitted in stages
Submission of outline, including working thesis statement, to two peers for feedback (5%)
Submission of draft to instructor (10%)
Final paper (25%)
Multi-stage assignments encourage students to develop their ideas incrementally over time and avoid deferring work until the night before it's due. Asking students to provide evidence of their work is a strategy for promoting academic integrity. You do not have to provide feedback on all stages of the assignment. For example, you can give students a deadline for submitting a first draft and assign 3% of their grade for completion. Asking students to engage in peer feedback can be a way to build community in the class.
Tools: Students can submit annotated bibliographies, draft papers, and final papers through the Assignments tool in myCourses. The instructor, Teaching Assistant(s), or Grader can provide oral and written feedback comments, and a grade with the Assignments tool, which can be linked to the myCourses Grades tool. Peer feedback can be set up in myCourses, for example, by using the Groups tool in myCourses and assigning two or more students to each group. Large classes will benefit from using FeedbackFruits, a peer assessment tool that is integrated in myCourses.
40%
Students will be able to:
identify flaws in an argument.
draw connections among ideas.
Participation in two discussions (2 x 10%) Online discussion forums require structure. You can set up forums with headings that align with how content will be addressed throughout the course (e.g., Week 1: [topic], Week 2 [topic]). Post specific questions or other prompts for students to address (e.g., What connections can you make between this week’s topic and current events? Describe how X’s argument could be strengthened.) Let students know what constitutes a quality discussion contribution (e.g., it addresses the question, provides support for claims, and adds one new idea). Ask students to respond to a peer’s post to encourage students to read others’ posts and create a conversation. Consider providing students with examples of both good and poor quality posts so that they understand your expectations. Let students know how their contributions will be assessed (e.g., quality of contributions; quantity of contributions). (Read more about planning discussions.)
Flexible assessment is a strategy that allows students a decision-making role in how their learning is assessed. The flexibility can pertain to the type of strategy used to assess students’ learning as well as the weight of the assessment tasks. The following examples illustrate implementations of flexible assessment at two Canadian universities.
Example 1
Flexible assessment in two large upper-level undergraduate courses at a large research-intensive university
In a presentation for members of McGill’s Assessment and Feedback Group, staff from Teaching and Learning Services, and McGill’s then Office for Students with Disabilities, Dr. Candice Rideout, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at the University of British Columbia, shared an approach to flexible assessment that she designed and uses with students in her large, undergraduate courses.
Flexible assessment in an entry-level statistics course
In a session at the University of Waterloo 2021 Teaching and Learning Conference (April 28-29), Michael Wallace, Statistics & Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo, and Kris Siy, Art of Problem Solving, presented their implementation of flexible assessment in three sections of a statistics course.
Flexible assessment is a form of flexible learning where students are offered choice in how they are assessed. Examples include optional assessments, multiple weighting schemes, or a choice of assessment type. Despite being an important example of flexible learning more generally, flexible assessment has received comparatively little attention in the educational literature[8] and studies of it have reported varying conclusions.[9][10][11][12]
Funded by a LITE Seed Grant, we conducted a study of flexible assessment in an entry-level statistics course at the University of Waterloo in Fall 2018. The course offered a flexible grading scheme where some assessments could be missed without penalty. Using two surveys, students were invited to discuss why they did (or did not) miss an assessment, whether (and how) the flexible grading scheme affected their studies, and if they perceived benefits 'beyond the classroom' (such as to their health and well-being).
We present initial findings from the study, based on data from approximately 300 students in the class (75% of total enrolment). We highlight common themes among the reasons given for missing or writing an assessment, and discuss the relationship between missed assessments and performance in the course as a whole. Overall, students believed flexible assessment was beneficial to their academic performance (both in the course under study and their other courses) as well as to their general well-being.
Take-aways
Students perceive flexible assessments as being beneficial. These benefits are not limited to academic performance in the course in which the flexible grading scheme is used, but also in their other courses and more generally to their health and well-being.
Missed assessments were most commonly attributed to time limitations, feeling ill-prepared, or to help reduce strain on well-being. Those who wrote assessments perceived them to help maximize grades, test knowledge, or prepare them for later assessments.
Most respondents (54.7%) reported they engaged differently with the course as a result of the flexible grading scheme, such as feeling reduced stress or pressure (26.2%), putting in less effort (12%), or working more effectively (5%).
[1]Kennedy, D., Hyland, Á, & Ryan, N. (2007). Writing and using learning outcomes: A practical guide. In Implementing Bologna in your Institution. Raabe Academic Publishers, p. 13.
[5]Bean, J., Drenk, D., & Lee, F. (1982). Microtheme strategies for developing cognitive skills. New Directions for Teaching and Learning: Teaching Writing in all Disciplines, 12, pp. 27-38.
[8]Rideout, C. (2018). Students’ choices and achievement in large undergraduate classes using a novel flexible assessment approach. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(1), 68-78.
[9]Cook, A. (2001). Assessing the use of flexible assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 26(6), 539-549.
[10]MacDermott, R. J. (2013). The impact of assessment policy on learning: Replacement exams or grade Dropping. The Journal of Economic Education, 44(4), 364-371.
[11]Pacharn, P., Bay, D., & Felton, S. (2013). The impact of a flexible assessment system on students’ motivation, performance and attitude. Accounting Education, 22(2), 147-167.
[12]Sewell, E. (2004). Grade dropping: An empirical analysis. Journal of Economic Education, 35(1), 24-34.
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