Learning and Teaching Centre

Assessment and Feedback

Assessment is an evaluative process through which a judgment is made about the extent to which a student has demonstrated graduate capabilities objectives and has achieved required learning outcomes.

Assessment is about several things at once - It is about reporting on students' achievements and about teaching them better through expressing to them more clearly the goals of our curricula. It is about measuring student learning; it is about diagnosing misunderstandings in order to help students to learn more effectively. It concerns the quality of the teaching as well as the quality of the learning. (Ramsden, 2003, p 177).

The main purpose of assessment is to provide:

  • a guide to student learning, directing students' attention to what is important.
  • feedback to students on their progress towards the achieving of desired learning outcomes.
  • feedback for teachers so that they can identify where it will be most productive to direct their teaching efforts.
  • a tool to determine, report and certify student learning outcome achievement.

Resources from Carrick Projects

There are a range of Carrick projects that have as their focus either assessment and even though some are related to specific disciplines they are useful for providing prompts and ideas related to assessment:

Jackson, M., Watty, K., Yu, L., Lowe, L. (2006). Inclusive assessment. Improving learning for all. A manual for improving assessment in accounting education. Strawberry Hills: The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, online at Inclusive Assessment Manual (pdf file, 71 pages)

Jackson, M., Watty, K., Yu, L., Lowe, L. (2006). Assessing Students Unfamiliar with Assessment Practices in Australian Universities. Strawberry Hills: The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, online at Assessing Students (PDF, 119 pages)

Krause, K., Harris, K., Garnett, R., Gleeson, D., Peat, M., Taylor, C. (2007) Enhancing the assessment of learning in Australian higher education: Biological sciences. Strawberry Hills: The Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education online at Enhancing Assessment (PDF, 33 pages)

Methods of Assessment
Oxford Brookes University Learning and Teaching Methods
External web site discussing the selection of assessment methods

James, R; McInnes, C. & Devlin, M. (2002). Assessing Learning in Australian Universities. Centre for the Study of Higher Education Web : The University of Melbourne and The Australian Universities Teaching Committee, online at Assessing Learning (pdf file, 67 pages)

Developing a Personal Grading Plan University of Iowa
External web site describing how to develop a grading system and the issues of standards versus norm referencing.

Assessment for Learning University of Queensland (pdf files, 16 pages)

Assessing Group Tasks University of Queensland (pdf file, 32 pages)

Types of Assessment  University of Technology Sydney
External web site describing the various types of assessment methods

Guide for Reviewing Assessment University of Melbourne (pdf file, 22 pages)

Assessment Portfolio Template
The University of Queensland Assessment Portfolio Template
External website with very detailed information on what to take unto account when designing and assessment program

Supportive Resources from Other Australian Universities

  • University of Canberra External website listing publications and resources related to assessment
  • University of Melbourne External web site with tips for new staff on assessment describing the fundamentals of effective assessment.

Back to top