ASSESSMENT TECHNIQUES

Graduate students in Tufts' Tisch College of Civic Life in a workshop at Lincoln Filene Hall. (Ian MacLellan for Tufts University)
Graduate students in Tufts’ Tisch College of Civic Life in a workshop at Lincoln Filene Hall. (Ian MacLellan for Tufts University)

There are many approaches you can take to design feedback you will give to students. These resources offer techniques to help implement a variety of assessments —

Providing Feedback to Learners

One key purpose of assessment is to provide feedback that students can use to adjust their study techniques and learning processes —

In-class Assessment Techniques

In the classroom there are many ways to improve students learning through assessment activities. These can provide students with feedback about their learning, and give faculty feedback about the class.

Assignments

Out-of-class work is a common way to scaffold student learning. Here are some approaches to consider when designing assignments.

Testing & Test Design

Testing can function in different ways in the classroom. Low-stakes quizzes and tests can provide students with feedback on their learning throughout a course. Final exams, on the other hand, provide an assessment of the student’s level of achievement of the larger course learning objectives.

Tests are also an opportunity for students to consolidate their learning and integrate new ideas with their existing knowledge.  Careful design of test questions can maximize student learning opportunities, while adhering to the constraints of course resources and instructor time.

Assessing Group Work

Group work may be graded or not. When ungraded, group work is still effective as an assessment approach, because students get feedback about their own learning in the context of the group activities.

Peer Feedback Among Students

Creating opportunities for peer feedback helps students understand how to receive feedback from multiple perspectives, and learn from each others ideas.

Student Self-Assessments

Self-assessment becomes sustainable when it builds the student’s ongoing ability to evaluate their own learning, and improve their work. These techniques support sustainable assessment:

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