Assessment in Higher Education

Definition of Assessment in Higher Education
Assessment in Higher Education is an on-going evaluation process aimed at understanding and improving student learning by measuring the learning outcomes in knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Assessment has been commonly viewed as merely the final outcome measure of students' competence at the end of a course - to determine students' grades, or as an indicator for university quality assurance. It reflects the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning, and provides insights to guide students for appropriate approach to learning, and also guide teachers for appropriate teaching styles and activities.

In fact, assessment is a core element in the overall educational process of teaching and learning in higher education. However, teachers in the past have often treated the design of assessment as an add-on component to the curriculum design. Little or no thoughts have been dedicated to it. And only traditional summative assessments such as examination and essay type assessments were usually employed.

• Formative assessment: Guide student approaches to study and provide students with feedback on their progress – the developmental “formative” process. Provide students the opportunity to demonstrate whether or not they have achieved the Intended Learning Outcomes and what levels have been achieved.
• Summative assessment: Provide teachers the evidence to make a judgement on what level a student has performed against the Intended Learning Outcomes in order to proceed to the next level of study – the judgmental “summative” process. This also protects academic standards.
• Feedback for students: Provide feedback for students so as to monitor the student’s learning difficulties.
• Feedback for teachers: Provide feedback for teachers to diagnose students’ prior skills and abilities and adjust the curriculum or provide additional assistance accordingly. The information on our website will suit your needs.