Quality and diversity in assessment within programmes
The project involves developing the assessment quality and diversity within the programmes and courses at EECS, the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Important quality aspects are validity, reliability, legal certainty, authenticity, fraud prevention, timely feedback and cost effectiveness.
Project context
There are many reasons to review how we examine our courses. Generative AI tools provide new opportunities for students to work with assignments, why alternative assessment forms may need to be used. There are new technical possibilities for digital examination and new examination forms that can be spread. Goal-related assessment criteria and examination that require each student to meet all learning objectives to be approved are not yet implemented in all courses. KTH strives for more continuous examination and loosens the previously rigid division of the academic year into study weeks and exam weeks.
The task of planning examination forms is not easy. There are many quality aspects of examination that need to be weighed against each other, for example validity, reliability, legal security, authenticity, cheating protection, rapid feedback, implementation cost. Depending on the learning objectives to be examined, the student group, resources, etc., different quality aspects need focus in different examinations.
At the same time, there is a lack of knowledge about quality criteria and the importance of diversity in assessment among many programme directors (PAs) and teachers, and the school's (EECS) requirements and expectations for the examination have not been clear and known. Due to time constraints, PAs and teachers have to prioritise their time, and in many cases analysis and work with examinations are not prioritised.
A holistic approach to summative assessment at EECS is needed, for all compulsory and conditionally optional courses in the school's educational programmes.
Purpose (outcome)
The purpose of the project is to ensure that students can handle different situations when they need to reproduce knowledge, and to take advantage of technological developments and the pedagogical development of examination forms, in order to:
- create clearer expectations for assessment in the school's courses and programmes.
- raise the quality of examinations
- increase the diversity of examination forms
- raise the level of knowledge about assessment among teachers
- increase the clarity and reliability of the assessment of the school's degree projects.
Project results (output)
- Defined objectives for the quality and diversity of examinations at the school, published on the school intranet
- Information and discussion (e.g. workshops) about possible examination forms, quality aspects, AI tools, etc.
- Inventory and analysis of examination forms in all the school's programmes and defined ambition level per programme
- Competence development for teachers
- Plan for structured changes to ensure the diversity and quality of examination forms per programme (changes to syllabi and development of new assessment criteria).
Time plan
Start date: 2023-06-01
End date: 2024-05-31
Project documentation
If you have a KTH ID, you can read the latest project documents when logged in:
- Poster: Poster_FrU24vt_2313-EECS_KvalitetMångfaldExamination_240506.pdf (English)
- Project initiation document: Projektdirektiv_FrU23_2313-EECS_KvalitetMångfaldExamination.pdf (Swedish)
End results
- EECS objectives for quality and diversity in summative assessment (Canvas)
- EECS code of honour (docs)
Practices that can be shared
- Identify differences between the exam schedule and the Ladok components.
- Aligning course exam descriptions in course syllabuses and course memorandums.
- Evaluating quality/diversity in examination in courses with PA.
- Committee to oversee course syllabus changes before decision.