TDU Talk
ISSUE 5 ▪ NOVEMBER 2008
ASSESSMENT
The Purposes of Assessment
Summary—The Purposes of Assessment
Assessment to Promote Learning
Kia ora
Greetings
We welcome you to the final edition of the TDU
magazine for 2008. Over the past semester we have
largely focused on assessment-related matters. We have
addressed some of the questions that seem particularly
worrying for both staff and students in relation to
assessment. These include a discussion of how to use
feedback to promote student learning, a positive approach
to promoting academic integrity and strategies for enhancing student
learning in groups. We have also included practical case studies from staff
of assessment tasks that have been thoughtfully and systematically
developed to promote quality learning. Our assessment theme was
enhanced by the visit of Professor Crisp from the University of Adelaide
whose presentation emphasized the range of interesting on-line assessment
options that are available and demonstrated their interactive and
participatory possibilities.
Some of you may wonder about this extensive coverage of assessmentrelated topics. Perhaps that is because we have had a tradition of thinking
about assessment as an add-on activity instead of as an integral part of the
teaching and learning process. Furthermore, the reality is that of all our
teaching and learning activities, assessment is the most influential
determinant of the quality of student learning. Correspondingly, it is
imperative that our assessment tasks and all our expectations and
behaviours around assessment are in keeping with the learning that we
hope will happen for our students.
ISSUE 5: NOVEMBER 2008
Teaching Development Unit
Office of Deputy ViceChancellor
Private Bag 3105
Hamilton 3240
New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 838 4839
Fax: +64 7 838 4573
[email protected]
www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
In this edition, we focus primarily on the broad principles of assessment
and in particular the need to align assessment with our learning goals and
teaching strategies. We hope that the ideas and suggestions will help you
as you plan your courses for the next academic year.
Best wishes
Dorothy
Our good wishes to you all for the Christmas holiday season. Thank you
for your support in 2008!
Preetha, Trudy & Dorothy
•2•
From the Appraisals Administrator
ANONYMOUS
Many thanks to the
artist who contributed
to this section.
Hello everybody, Trudy Harris
the Appraisals Administrator
here.
It is that time of the year again,
and the Christmas holiday season
is fast approaching. It has been a
difficult year for most, and this is
true for both TDU and Appraisals. Nonetheless,
there does appear to be a sense of optimism
growing as the Teaching and Learning Plan
develops ready for the New Year.
I would like to say a very big thank you to all
academic staff who have taken the time to talk to
me about their teaching, and the ways that the
appraisals systems can aid their understanding of
the student learning process. There is still some
way to go in developing the system to being a
truly useful tool for institutional, teaching
development and student learning needs, but we
have made a good start.
I hope you all have a good holiday, and I look
forward to being of service to you next year.
Trudy
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
•4•
The Purposes of Assessment
Dorothy Spiller
It is useful to rehearse the purposes of assessment, because it is
often our lack of clarity in this respect that muddles our assessment
thinking and practices. Matters are not helped by the sometimes
contesting ways in which assessment is used. Broadly speaking
assessment is:
A means by which the institution can certify that students have
the knowledge and competencies that are identified in paper,
programme or qualification learning outcomes and which meet
most internationally recognised standards and professional
requirements where appropriate. The completion of assessment
tasks to an acceptable standard may be used for a variety of
purposes such as progression through a programme,
selection to another programme or as an indicator of
competencies for entering into employment or the
professions. The grading which accompanies
assessment of papers or institutional programmes gives
stakeholders an indication of the extent to which students
have mastered the knowledge and competencies of the paper or
programme. Assessment which is primarily used to measure
performance on the completion of a paper or programme is
generally referred to as summative assessment.
...assessment is
the most
influential
determinant of
how students
think about and
approach their
learning.
•5•
A primary teaching and learning tool. The literature suggests that
assessment is the most influential determinant of how students
think about and approach their learning. Therefore, assessment
needs to be well aligned with paper and programme learning goals
so as to help students become proficient in developing the
knowledge and competencies required by any paper, programme
and qualification. Assessment tasks can be used to diagnose
student learning at the outset of a programme, to coach students in
the articulation of course knowledge, discipline language and
thinking and practice of particular learning skills. Students’
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
engagement in ongoing assessment provides lecturers with an
insight into their learning progress. Feedback and feed-forward
associated with assessment for learning or formative assessment
should indicate to students the extent to which they have attained
learning goals and advise students on what else needs to be done
to align their performance more closely with learning goals.
Formative assessment should also help students to develop their
ability to judge the quality of their own learning performance.
There will always be some potential tension between institutional
requirements of assessment and its developmental aspects. In fact,
Kvale (2006) argues that the learning aspect of assessment has
traditionally played a very minor role in making of assessments in
institutions. “There exists a contradiction between the designated
purpose of institutions of higher education to promote learning
and the minor role that assessment for learning has played in these
institutions.” (Kvale, 2006, p. 57) As teachers, our challenge is to
make sure that the goal of quality learning rather than institutional
imperatives has primacy in assessment decisions.
As teachers, our
challenge is to
make sure that
the goal of
quality learning
rather than
institutional
imperatives has
primacy in
assessment
decisions.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
A way of preparing students for lifelong learning. Boud and
Falchikov (2006) argue that this is a third distinctive purpose of
assessment which is often not considered or addressed. They
suggest that as part of this process, the assessments offered in
higher education need to help to equip students to evaluate their
own performance. They suggest that assessment in undergraduate
higher education has typically been about performance on tasks
designed by others, whereas workplace success requires people to
constantly make judgements about their own performance.
Moreover, Boud and Falchikov (2006) contend that assessment
often emphasises “problem solution rather than problem
formulation” (p.403). In order to provide learning that is more
sustainable, it is suggested that higher education practices should
more closely resemble the demands of the workplace.
•6•
When implemented appropriately, assessment tasks can provide
an excellent opportunity for teachers and students to engage with
each other and understand their mutual needs and expectations.
Rather than being the final statement that ends the learning
conversation between teacher and students, assessment tasks can
be the basis for dialogue between teacher and students in a way
that enriches understanding on both sides and enhances the
possibilities for learning. The Assessment Reform Group in the
United Kingdom describes five key factors in the process of
developing assessment for learning:
i. Active involvement of pupils in their own learning
ii. The provision of effective feedback to pupils
iii. Adjusting teaching in response to feedback from assessment
iv. The need for pupils to be able to assess themselves
v. A recognition of the profound influence that assessment has on
the motivation and self-esteem of pupils, both of which are
crucial influences on learning.
(Stobart, 2008, pp 145-146)
When
implemented
appropriately,
assessment tasks
can provide an
excellent
opportunity for
teachers and
students to
engage with each
other and
understand their
mutual needs and
expectations.
•7•
TEACHING
10 December 2008
[email protected]
www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
Improving Induction
The University is currently refining its vision of the induction process for new
staff members. We hope to reframe induction as an extended process in
which new staff members are offered a number of supportive people, learning
opportunities, events and resources to help them to experience a positive
transition into a working life at the university and to equip them to develop
effectively in the future. We hope that this process will offer newcomers
hospitality, understanding of the culture and processes of the institution and
build their competencies in areas that are appropriate to their particular roles.
As part of this conception of induction, we would like to ensure that every
newly appointed staff has a buddy for a minimum of 3 months after they take
up their appointment. We would like to be able to provide buddies for all new
members of staff, whatever their level or role in the institution. We are
therefore requesting volunteers for the role of buddy from all areas of the
university - academic, administrative, support services and managerial. The
role of a buddy is as follows:
 To help provide new appointees with a hospitable and supportive working
environment
 To help the new appointee develop an understanding of the organisational
culture
 To be an accessible and available support person and professional friend
to a new appointee
 To be a first point of contact for a new appointee for all questions and
inquiries
 To help new appointees develop networks
 To provide a safe and confidential context in which new appointees can
discuss their experiences, needs and concerns.
 To provide a resource for finding out about important contacts, resources
and procedures
Personal attributes of a buddy
We are looking for people with:
 A sound knowledge of university systems, policies, procedures, people
and networks
 Good facilitation and communication skills
 A positive and friendly manner
If you would like to volunteer to be a buddy, please get in touch with Dorothy
Spiller, Senior Lecturer ([email protected] or phone extension 8697) as
we would like to begin building a pool of buddies to draw on and allocate to
people at their time of arrival at the university. You will be provided with
guidance and support in this role.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
•8•
Summary—The Purposes of Assessment
The specific ways in which assessment tasks can be used
are summarised here:
For students:
Diagnostic – to enable students to find out their level of
competency/knowledge/understanding at the beginning of a course.
Feedback – for students to ascertain their progress in relation to the
learning outcomes of a course
Learning opportunities – to provide students with the opportunities
to develop their mastery of ideas or/and practise skills and
competencies through articulating them in writing/oral work or other
activities.
Motivation – assessment tasks can enhance student motivation by
providing frameworks for developing, reviewing or extending their
understanding (for example, in a piece of research or a collaborative
investigation). For some students a series of manageable deadlines
can help to keep them engaged with the subject.
Self-evaluation – to develop students’ competencies to judge the
quality of their own work as an important part of intellectual growth,
and preparation for further study and participation in the workforce.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
• 10 •
For teachers:
Diagnostic – teachers can use assessment tasks to ascertain what students bring into a
paper so as to make the teaching and learning responsive to students’ needs and build
on existing knowledge
Feedback – teachers can gain feedback on students’ learning, detect misunderstandings,
assess the effectiveness of their teaching and make appropriate modifications and
adaptations.
Teaching and learning – teachers can use assessment tasks as teaching and learning
tools both through the nature of the tasks themselves and through formative feedback
and feed forward.
Promoting self-evaluation – teachers can invite students to co-construct or discuss
assessment criteria and can encourage self and peer evaluation. Teacher feedback and
feed forward comments can also direct students to evaluate the quality of their own
work.
For institutional and professional purposes:
Assessment is used for the following institutional and professional purposes:
To pass or fail
To select for entry
To select for future courses and programmes
To grade
To demonstrate institutional standards
To select for employment
To license for practice
To accredit for professional occupations
• 11 •
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
Key terms
In planning assessment academic teachers need to be aware of some key concepts which may influence
their assessment decisions:
Formative assessment
Formative assessment is used primarily for developmental purposes. The students have an opportunity to
learn from the assessment and improve on their performance.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment involves a final grading of student learning; students do not have the opportunity to
improve on their performance (the sum of the performance is measured). There are ways of combining
formative and summative assessment. One example is to require students to complete a series of tasks that
receive formative feedback and a percentage for completion and the final task is graded (such as an essay
broken up into a series of steps).
Diagnostic Assessment
This is a piece of assessment usually done at the beginning of a course to evaluate what students bring into
a course so that their development can be charted. Initial diagnostic assessment also enables the teacher to
make the learning more responsive to student needs.
Learning outcomes
Learning outcomes for a paper indicate the attributes that the students may be expected to acquire by the
end of the paper. Learning outcomes will usually describe a combination of paper content and particular
ways of engaging with that content. Learning outcomes for papers are generally written at the level of
learning expected from papers at a particular stage within a specific discipline and in keeping with the
university guidelines. Additionally, the learning outcomes should progress appropriately between levels.
Learning outcomes for qualifications describe the general and specific competencies expected from
graduates who have completed a programme or qualification.These will include more general attributes
which will vary with academic disciplines and include competencies like research skills, problem-solving
abilities, communication and critical thinking. Qualification outcomes should also incorporate reference to
the unique content elements of the programme and particular modes of inquiry. In professional schools, the
graduate outcomes, both in terms of content and process will be influenced by the requirements of the
relevant professional bodies.
Norm–referenced assessment
A student’s learning performance is measured in relation to the performance of the group as a whole.
Criteria-referenced assessment
A student’s learning performance is measured in relation to a set of clearly defined criteria which have been
designed in advance of the assessment and which are explicitly linked to course learning outcomes.
Threshold Assessment Criteria
These criteria designate the minimum level of the learning outcomes needed to ensure a pass.
Grading Assessment Criteria
Grading criteria indicate the level of learning above the base level of the learning outcomes that a student has
attained.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
• 12 •
Assessment to Promote Learning
Aligning learning outcomes, teaching and assessment
Dorothy Spiller
The Course Design Process
Level descriptors
Aim of module
Translate level descriptors into
subject descriptors
Write learning outcomes
Develop the module and
rethink it including the initial
learning outcomes
Write threshold assessment
criteria (criteria implied by
learning outcomes)
Development of
assessment method
to test achievement
of assessment criteria
Develop a teaching strategy to enable learners to reach the
learning outcomes/ assessment criteria
Moon, Figure, 5.1, p.23
...assessment
tasks should be
used to nurture
and develop the
required learning
competencies, not
simply to measure
performance and
assign a grade...
• 13 •
Academic teachers have tended to see assessment as an add on
component at the end of a course or module, something of a
necessary evil in order to measure student performance and also to
provide evidence of their own standards or those of the institution.
However, research on student learning has shown that assessment
is the most significant shaper of student learning. While
acknowledging the other functions of assessment, first and
foremost, an assessment task must correspond to the kind of
learning that the course claims to develop. Assessment choices
need to be governed by a vision of the kind of learning that we
want to occur. Furthermore, assessment tasks should be used to
nurture and develop the required learning competencies, not
simply to measure performance and assign a grade. The three key
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
elements that need to work in harmony are the learning outcomes,
the teaching strategies and the assessment tasks. If one of these is
out of line, then the learning process will be jeopardized. For
example, a teacher may rely solely on the transmission method, but
set exam questions that require problem-solving skills. Students
should not be expected to make an automatic leap from imbibing
information to problem-solving that applies the information.
Instead, in an instance like this, the teacher should be modeling the
problem-solving process regularly and giving students ample
opportunity to apply their understanding in the context of
problems.
Writing learning outcomes
The primary relationship between assessment and learning means
that assessment needs to be thought about concurrently with
decisions about learning outcomes and teaching strategies. The
relationship between these elements is cyclical, rather than linear.
Usually, the first step is writing precisely defined learning
outcomes, as it is these outcomes that will structure and give
coherence to the entire paper, including the assessment and
teaching.
The primary
relationship
between
assessment and
learning means
that assessment
needs to be
thought about
concurrently
with decisions
about learning
outcomes and
teaching
strategies.
Ideally, learning outcomes for the paper should have a clearly
identifiable link to qualification or programme outcomes in terms
of content, competencies and level of learning required. Paper
outcomes should also have a complementary relationship with
other papers at the same level of the programme.
When writing paper outcomes, keep in mind the broad framework
of the qualification, the level of study and the outcomes of other
papers at the same level. Then try to write a set of learning
outcomes that identify as precisely as possible the learning that you
hope students will be able to achieve by the end of the course.
Moon (2002) summarises they key components of a learning
outcome. Each learning outcome should have:
►A
verb to demonstrate as precisely as possible what the learner is
expected to be able to do at the end of a period of learning.
►A
word or words to indicate the topic or skill level that is
required.
►Words
to indicate the context of the learning or the
standard to which a skill is expected to be performed.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
(Adapted from Moon, J. (2002). The Module and Programme Design Handbook)
• 14 •
Moon (2002) suggests that it is preferable to use the phrase
“students will be expected to…” as the outcome is an aspiration
and there is no guarantee that the learning will occur. The choice of
verb is significant, because it indicates the quality and complexity
of the learning that is desired. Beginning with Bloom’s famous
taxonomy in the 1950s, many attempts have been made to develop
taxonomies that differentiate between different types of learning
and thinking. For example, Biggs (2003) developed the SOLO
framework which moves from the “unistructural level” (knowledge
of one relevant aspect) to the “extended abstract” level which
involves abstract thinking and making connection with other
knowledge domains. Essentially, most taxonomies try to represent
a range of learning levels such as recognition and identification of
knowledge, relating, connecting, applying and critiquing,
reformulating or creating. Your choice of verb indicates the way
that you want the students to engage with the subject content. The
following table provides a useful hierarchy of “intellectual
demand” and of the vocabulary that is appropriate to each level:
■TABLE 2.1
Course design and review questions
Design cycle
Rationale
Aims and learning outcomes
Content
Teaching/learning methods
Assessment
Environment
Management
Evaluation and review
Rationale
Design question
Why are we doing this?
What should the learners be able to do?
What content will be needed to achieve it?
How are we planning to enable it?
How will we know that the learners have achieved the
goals?
What support will the learners need?
How will we make it happen?
How might it be improved?
Is this still valid?
Butcher et al, Table 2.1, p.23
(NB. A more extended vocabulary list can be found in Moon
(2002) which can be borrowed from the TDU library.)
• 15 •
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
Examples of Learning Outcomes
Level 2 English (contemporary fiction)
Students will be expected to be able to compare and contrast the
theme of loss in the course texts with particular reference to the role
of the narrator, the use of symbols and the significance of setting.
Level 1 Law
Students will be expected to demonstrate elementary skills of case
analysis using simple and accessible New Zealand cases.
Level 1 Intro to Chemistry
Students will be expected to be able to write a concise, clear and
tidy report of a laboratory practical that must be laid out in the
prescribed format (taken from Moon, 2002, p.60)
Level 2 New Zealand History
Students will be expected to be able to begin to argue a position
about an historical event based on their use of primary sources.
NB. Sometimes it helps to visualize the assessment that you want to
see your students being able to undertake first and this gives you an
indicator of the kind of learning outcomes that are important to you.
It doesn’t matter which way you work as long as you try to envision
the outcomes and the assessment as interdependent elements of the
learning continuum. Often, you may need a considerable amount of
playing about with planned outcomes and assessments before you
get a satisfactory congruence between them. TDU staff
members are always happy to talk with you as you plan or
modify the learning outcomes and assessment
tasks for your own papers.
Aligning assessment tasks and learning
outcomes
Traditionally, university teachers have used a
fairly limited range of assessment methods
such as exams, essays and tests. However,
there is increasing recognition that these forms
of assessment may not be appropriate for
learning and evaluating a wide range of
competencies and do not offer students a range
of ways to make sense of and articulate their
subject learning. Consequently, many lecturers
are starting to employ a wider range of
assessment strategies. This change reflects an
awareness of the interdependence of learning
and assessment, the diversity of the student body
the importance of process learning and formative
feedback and the expectations that different
stakeholders have of university graduates.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
• 16 •
Some tips for selecting assessments tasks

Try to ensure that there is a demonstrable alignment between an
assessment task and one or more learning outcomes. You do not
have to assess every learning outcome. One task may assess a
number of outcomes simultaneously. Give priority to core
learning outcomes (assessment tasks signal to students what you
see as important). Keep an eye on the qualification/programme as
a whole to get linkage between your paper and the qualification
or programme as a whole.

Select assessment methods that enable students to practise and
learn the required competency, not just to measure its attainment.
Once you feel comfortable that you have aligned the learning
outcome(s) and assessment task(s), you need to take stock of other
factors that may have a bearing on the suitability of the assessment
tasks and make appropriate modifications.
Factors to consider/include:
Weighting of assessments
Is it proportional to the work involved and complexity of the task?
Is the weighting appropriate for the stage of the course? For
example, if it is early in the course, an assessment task should not
be too heavily weighted as students are still coming to terms with
paper concepts and processes.

• 17 •

Workplace/professional requirements

Team departmental concerns

Student and teacher workload

Time constraints

Marking

The overall assessment package

Try to offer a range of assessment methods to enable students to
represent their learning in different ways and to cater for student
diversity.

Be mindful of the range of methods used over the qualification or
programme as a whole.

Be careful not to over-assess

Assess process as well as product.

Try to build in an element of self or peer evaluation.

Balance the proportions of individual and group
assessment.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
References
Biggs, J. (2003) Teaching for Quality Learning at University. Buckingham:
SRHE & Open University Press.
Boud, D. and Falchikov, N. (2006). Aligning assessment with long-term
learning. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 31 (4), 339413.
Butcher, C., Davies, C. & Highton, M. (2006). Designing learning. From
Module outline to effective teaching. London & New York: Routledge
Kvale. S. (2006). Contradictions of assessment for learning in institutions of
higher learning. Rethinking Assessment in Higher Education (pp. 57-71).
London & New York: Routledge.
Moon, J. (2002) The Module and Programme Design Handbook London:
Routledge and Falmer.
Stobart, G. (2008) Testing Times Oxon: Routledge.
NOVEMBER 2008 • TDU TALK
• 18 •
Produced by:
TEACHING DEVELOPMENT UNIT | OFFICE OF DEPUTY VICE-CHANCELLOR | UNIVERSITY OF W AIKATO
Private Bag 3105 | Hamilton | New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 838 4839 | Fax: +64 7 838 4573 | [email protected] | www.waikato.ac.nz/tdu