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Current perspectives on (digital) assessment

Documentation from Lunch 'n' Learn December 1, 2021

Published Dec 07, 2021

Assessment for learning can be done in many different ways. During the webinar, Ida Naimi-Akbar, doctoral student and lecturer at Learning in STEM, presents and problematizes some of the perspectives on (digital) assessment for learning.

(References to the literature on which the presentation is partly based can be found at the end of the page)

Table of contents for the video (presentation)  

Please note that the videos are in Swedish.  

Here is a list of links that serve as a table of contents for the recording. Click on the link for the part you want to watch. When you get to KTH Play, click on the play button, and the video will start in the right place. All links lead to KTH Play.

Related content and further reading

Webpages

KTH's long-term strategy - Vision 2027

Learning in STEM

Book tips

"Re-imagining University Assessment in a Digital World" (researchgate.net) . Bearman, M., Phillip, D., Rola, A., Tai, J., & Boud, D. (2021). Springer.

Articles

"Outcome based education enacted: teachers' tensions in balancing between student learning and bureaucracy" (KTH's publication database DiVA) . Barman, L., Silén, C. & Bolander Laksov, K. (2014). Advances in Health Sciences Education, 19(5), 629-643.

"Elaborating a framework for communicating assessment aims in higher education" (tandfonline.com) . Thomas, D., Moore, R., Rundle, O., Emery, S., Greaves, R., te Riele, K., & Kowaluk, A. (2018). Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(4), 546–564.

Summary of contents

The webinar takes a starting point in KTH’s vision 2027, where the education is described as innovative and taking advantage of digitalization. This of course also includes how student’s performance is assessed. Assessment, digital or not, needs to be addressed early in the design process of the course and be in line with the purpose of what is actually assessed. And, in order to stay relevant also assess the type of knowledge and skills that are important after the students graduate from KTH. The perspectives brought up in the webinar is briefly described in the following sections, watch the recording for the in depth perspective.

Digital assessment

Digital assessment includes that the full or parts of the assessment is digitally mediated and managed, taking advantage of what digital tools has to offer us today. Reflections, brought up in the webinar, are from experiences of working with teachers and could be summarized that digitalization could be: To replicate a previous analog assessment digitally, a (digital) transformation of the form of how the assessment is carried out, or be a (digital) transformation of what is actually assessed.

Authentic assessment

Authentic assessment takes place in a situation that is as similar to real life situations, i.e. how the student actually can apply their knowledge once they have graduated. What and how the student learn is affected by how they will be assessed and therefore authentic assessment is a good approach for student’s learning. This could for example be project courses, with a good blend of what is given to the student and what they need to find out themselves.

Continuous examination

Continuous examination is carried out by doing assessment throughout a course, e.g. with laboratory experiments, smaller partial exam etc. When designing for continuous examination it becomes important that the assessment create a whole that utilizes the different parts of the assessment. By utilizing continuous examination, the student is encouraged to study throughout the course, which also strengthens the retention of gained knowledge.