Unit rationale, description and aim
For higher education academics or learning and teaching (L&T) professionals (such as Academic Skills Advisers, Librarians, Placement supervisors etc.) knowledge, comprehension and skills in understanding the role that assessment design plays in higher education and its design are important to the role. Building on the students’ understanding of learning and teaching foundations and concepts in higher education and principles of curriculum design from preceding microcredentials (UNMC510, UNMC520 and UNMC530), in this microcredential students will evaluate, (re)develop and/or implement assessment activities as it relates to their role and context. In doing so, it will make students aware of the principles of assessment design, and how this extends from the principles of curriculum design. Students will examine and reflect on these principles in relation to assessment tasks in order to further develop their understanding.
Students will progressively learn in a scholarly way basing this on assessment principles literature, and evidence a real-world imperative. Along with critical reflection, these skills are invaluable in underpinning the development of their scholarship of teaching. Therefore, this microcredential aims to develop knowledge, comprehension and application of skills in assessment design, while also gaining an understanding of the role of educational evaluation practices.
Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Examine assessment activities as it relates to the...
Learning Outcome 01
Develop and justify an assessment design using sch...
Learning Outcome 02
Content
Topics will include:
- Assessment design principles.
- The concept of assessment, the purpose of assessment, formative and summative assessment, validity and reliability, principles of good practice in assessment.
- Designing effective assessment.
- Formulation of assessment criteria, marking, grading, moderation, and benchmarking.
- Policy and regulatory matters relating to assessment design.
- The concept of evaluation, evaluative critique of assessment.
Assessment strategy and rationale
The assessment strategy in this microcredential needs to consist of a developmental sequence of interconnected tasks that supports the educational purpose of each of the three stages described above as these are replicated for each topic area. The assessment needs to progressively assess the learning outcomes which are in the same constructive developmental sequence.
The first task comprises a formative learning activity that relates to the knowledge, comprehension and examination of an assessment design drawing on educational and assessment related literature. This task assesses learning outcome 1.
The second assessment task is a summative task that extends the students’ thinking from the formative task in a way that allows students to apply their knowledge and interrelationships between learning and teaching theories and concepts to the re/development and justification of assessment in a higher education context.
This microcredential is graded. To pass this microcredential, students are required to demonstrate a passing standard (or better) for the summative assessment task
Overview of assessments
Formative assessment Examine assessment(s)...
Formative assessment
Examine assessment(s) as it relates to their educational role drawing on scholarly learning and teaching theories and concepts, and curriculum and assessment related literature.
For feedback
Summative assessment Develop and justify a...
Summative assessment
Develop and justify an assessment design as it relates to their educational role drawing on scholarly learning and teaching theories and concepts, and curriculum and assessment related literature.
100%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
Students of this micro-credential are predominantly higher educations academics or teaching and learning professionals whose geographical location is widespread. Students have expertise that collectively spans the full range of disciplines taught by a university. Their experience in tertiary teaching is diverse. All students will have completed UNMC510, UNMC520 and UNMC530 (or the equivalent) and will therefore have acquired a very good knowledge of learning and teaching foundations, and principles of curriculum design in a higher education context respectively.
This microcredential will build on this foundation by helping all students to progressively develop their knowledge, understanding and skills to include assessment design through a lens of an evaluation of educational programs.
This microcredential is delivered asynchronously. This capitalises on the maturity and capability of the participants, their understanding of learning and teaching foundations from UNMC510 and UNMC520 and extending the knowledge of curriculum design in higher education from UNMC530.
The microcredential is structured as a progressive, constructive, developmental narrative that supports students learning in a progressive, constructive, developmental narrative that supports the students’ learning in a scoffolded learning trajectory which flows from the micro-credential rationale and description, and ensures the assessment of the stated learning outcomes.
Representative texts and references
Recommended and suggested readings
Angelo, T. (2012). Designing subjects for learning: practical research – based principles and guidelines. In University Teaching in Focus: A learning-centred approach. Lynne Hunt and Denise Chalmers (Eds.), pp.93-111. ACER Press.
Ashford-Rowe, K., Herrington, J., & Brown, C. (2014). Establishing the critical elements that determine authentic assessment. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 39(2), 205–222Biggs, J. (2014). Constructive alignment in university teaching: HERDSA Review of Higher Education, 1, 5–22. Biggs, J. B., Tang, C., & Kennedy, G. (2022). Teaching for Quality Learning at University (5th ed.). London: McGraw-Hill Education.
Bloxham, S., & Boyd, P. (2007). Developing Effective Assessment in Higher Education: A Practical Guide: A Practical Guide. London: McGraw-Hill Education.
Bloxham, S., Boyd, P. F. & Orr, S. (2011). Mark my words: the role of assessment criteria in UK education grading practices. Studies in Higher Education, 36, 655-670.
Boud, D., & Associates. (2010). Assessment 2020: Seven propositions for assessment reform in higher education. Sydney, Australian Learning and Teaching Council.
Boud, D., & Falchikov, F. (2006). Aligning assessment with long‐term learning, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 31(4), 399-413.
Boud, D., & Soler, R. (2016). Sustainable assessment revisited. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 41(3), 400-413.
Darwin, S. (2012). Moving beyond face value: re-envisioning higher education evaluation as a generator of professional knowledge. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(6), 733–745.
Eaton, S. (ed) (2022). Contract cheating in higher education, Palgrave MacMillian: Cham
Falchikov, N., & Goldfinch, J. (2000). Student peer assessment in higher education: a meta- analysis comparing peer and teacher marks, Review of Educational Research, 70(3), 287-322.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S., & Marshall, S. (2008). A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: Enhancing academic practice. London: Routledge.
Hunt, L., & Chalmers, D. (Eds.) (2013). University teaching in focus: a learning-centred approach. London: Routledge.
Kift, S. & Nelson, K. (2005). Beyond curriculum reform: Embedding the Transition Experience. In A. Brew & C. Asmar (Eds.), Higher Education in a Changing World: Research and Development in Higher Education, 28 225–235. Sydney: The University of Sydney.
Meyers, N. M., & Nulty, D. D. (2009). How to use (five) curriculum design principles to align authentic learning environments, assessment, students’ approaches to thinking and learning outcomes. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(5), 565-577.
McArthur, J. (2023). Rethinking authentic assessment: work, well‑being, and society, Higher Education, 85:85–101 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-022-00822-y.
Naylor, R., Baik, C., Asmar, C., Watty, K. (2014). Good feedback practices. Centre for Higher Education. Melbourne, Vic: University of Melbourne.
Nicol, D.J., & Macfarlane-Dick, D. (2016). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, (31)2, 199-218.
Norton, L. (2009). Assessing student learning. In H. Fry, S. Ketteridge, & S. Marshall (Eds.), A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: enhancing academic practice. 3rd ed, pp.132-149. Routledge, London.
Race, P. (2019). The lecturer's toolkit: A practical guide to assessment, learning and teaching (5th ed.). London: Routledge.
Sadler, R. (2005). Interpretations of criteria-based assessment and grading in higher education. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 30, 175-194.
Steele, C., Gower, G. & Bogachenko, T. (2023). Creating and enacting culturally responsive assessment for First Nations students in higher education settings, Australian Journal of Education, 0(0), 1-19 DOI: 10.1177/00049441241258496.
Stefani, L. (2009). Planning teaching and learning: Curriculum design and development. In H. Fry, S. Ketteridge & S. Marshall (Eds.), A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education: Enhancing academic practice (3rd ed., pp.40-57. London: Routledge.
Tai, J., Ajjawi, R., Boud, D., & de St Jorre, T. J. (2022). Promoting equity and social justice through assessment for inclusion. In Assessment for inclusion in higher education (pp. 9-18). Routledge.
Thomas, T. (2018). Implementing first-year assessment principles: An analysis of selected scholarly literature. Student Success, 9(2), 25-38.
Yorke, M. (2009). Student experience' surveys: some methodological considerations and an empirical investigation, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 34, 721-739.