Title: How does assessment support learning?
Course: Digivisio - Assessment

How does assessment support learning?

The learning outcomes, learning experiences and assessment should be commensurate and coherent, ensuring that the learning acts guide learners towards achieving the course’s learning outcomes and that the assessment will focus on the attainment of learning outcomes.  The learning outcomes are described in the curriculum. The drawing up of curricula, the planning of learning paths and the selection of assessment tools alike are guided by the conception of learning and evidence-based knowledge of learning. This is illustrated by the figure below.

In their work "Innovative assessment in higher education: A handbook for academic practitioners", Bryan & Clegg identify a number of things that should happen in order for assessment to support learning:

1. The assignments to be assessed require sufficient study time and effort.
- Assessment strongly guides the learners' work and time use, which is why the assignments to be assessed should be sufficiently versatile and require adequate concentration.
- The scope of the course contents and the coverage of the materials are not yet enough; the assignments to be assessed should guide familiarisation with them and their use.

2. The assignments to be assessed divide the learners' work evenly between topics and weeks.
- Assessment has a significant effect on guiding time use – continuous assessment produces continuous activity, whereas a final assessment tends to result in cramming on the last few evenings.

3. The assignments to be assessed guide learners towards appropriate learning acts.
- Does the assessment lead to students’ active participation and in-depth reflection on questions relevant to the topic, or do they attempt to learn things by heart and only comment on them superficially?

4. Assessment clearly describes the expected competence level at a sufficiently high standard.

5.Learners receive adequate feedback often enough and in sufficient detail.

6. The feedback is as immediate and useful as possible.

7. The feedback focuses on learning, not on grades.

8. The feedback is linked to the objectives and targets of assessment.

9. The students understand the feedback, and their competence levels are taken into account when giving it.

10. The students accept the feedback, respond to it and improve their work or learning process.