Integrated Assessment
Assessment is an integral part of the learning process. The assessment strategy designed for the course informs the development of individual assessment activities. The assessment activities must fit the learning outcomes and be achievable for learners. A taxonomy such as Bloom’s taxonomy or the SOLO taxonomy can help you consider appropriate progression and sequencing of formative and summative assessment activities and align the learning activities to the assessment. But design is an iterative process and you might start with a preliminary idea for the assessment activities, which you refine as you go along.
In an integrated assessment approach, theory and practice are integrated in the assessment methods and activities. A combination of diverse methods and activities is used to assess learners’ performance. Formative assessment activities are included at crucial points throughout the learning pathway, and are well aligned with summative assessment tasks.
Technology opens up a range of assessment possibilities. Appropriate technological application/s can be selected to support formative online assessment or a combination of online and offline assessment.
Resources
- This is a set of criteria from NADEOSA to guide the design of quality assessment in a course, from Designing and Delivering Distance Education: Quality criteria and case studies from South Africa – Section 6: Assessment (81KB, 2 pages).
- Link to the JISC e-book: Effective Assessment in a Digital Age 2010, an informative guide on the principles and practice of assessment in online learning environments with guidelines on technology-enhanced assessment and feedback. While the focus is on online learning, the key principles and ideas for integrating assessment are applicable to the design of assessment for courses using different modes of delivery.
- This is a Saide/UNISA example of a portfolio activity in a practice-focused community development programme (581KB, 9 pages).
- See the COL practical guidelines to inform the writing of a range of assessment activities in Section 6 (Planning Assessment) in the COL resource: Creating Learning Materials for Open and Distance Learning: A handbook for authors and instructional designers (250KB, 20 pages).
Support for Assessment
Assessment activities can model teaching and learning processes that encourage participation, support and feedback to increase the likelihood of success for learners.
Providing support for assessment can include providing assessment criteria, writing clear instructions for assessment activities, and offering assistance with planning of assessment tasks. In section 3.3 of this Guide we saw the value of meaningful feedback. This is an important part of assessment for learning.
Resources
- Link to JISC Design Studio's Feed Forward, offering a reflection on the benefits of including feed forward to improve learners’ performance on assessment.
- Link to JISC Design Studio's Feedback, offering a reflection on the importance of feedback in assessment to promote effective online learning.
Design Review Questions
Use these questions to reflect on the overall quality of your course:
- How do the assessment activities align to the purpose and outcomes of the module and course?
- How are the assessment activities informed by the underpinning learning and teaching strategies and approaches?
- How appropriate and achievable are the assessment activities, given the course outcomes, the context and the target audience?