ENHANCING ASSESSMENT IN THE BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES  

It has been our experience that discussions of assessment and, in particular, enhancing assessment can be complicated by the diversity of roles that assessment plays in higher education learning and teaching.

Effective assessment of student learning is a complex and challenging task. Many factors contribute to this complexity, but perhaps the principal challenge relates to the multiple purposes of assessment.

Assessment is used¹:

Effective assessment for a unit or program of study will typically include a mix of assessment types, selected and designed to meet these multiple and various demands.     

This project and the bioassess website acknowledges these various roles, and adopts a comprehensive view of assessment.

[¹Adapted from Guide for Reviewing Assessment. Kerri-Lee Harris. Centre for the Study of Higher Education, The University of Melbourne.]

An explanation of some terms commonly used in describing assessment

The list below describes some of the terms used in discussions of assessment. We have selected terms which we know from experience are variously used, and therefore can lead to confusion if their range of use is not explained. Please note that:
The list is NOT a dictionary
The explanations are not definitive. Rather, they describe the ways in which such terms are most commonly, but not always, used.
The list is NOT a glossary
The list is not exhaustive. It provides a sample of some of the terms commonly used in discussions around assessment.

Formative assessment

Assessment tasks are described as formative if they provide students with feedback intended to enable improved performance on current or subsequent tasks. Formative assessment typically has the development of students' understanding or skills as an objective.
We would like to stress that formative assessment is not restricted to ungraded assessment, nor to within-unit tasks. An assessment task that is formative may include a grade, and that grade may contribute to the final grade in a unit of study. Many assessment tasks serve both formative and summative purposes.
[see also: Summative assessment]

Summative assessment

Assessment tasks are described as summative if they are awarded a grade (or score), and if that grade contributes to the overall grade for the unit. Many assessment tasks serve both summative and formative purposes.
[see also: Formative assessment]

Continuous assessment

A series of related assessment tasks within a unit is sometimes referred to as continuous assessment. A typical example would be the preparation and submission of weekly laboratory reports. Many within-unit assessment tasks are not 'continuous' - for example: a mid-semester test; or a single essay.

Assignment

An assessment task that students work on, at least in part, in their own time (i.e. not restricted to class time) is often referred to as an assignment. An assignment may be formative, summative, or both. The product (e.g. essay; oral presentation; poster) may be delivered during or at the end of a unit of study.
[see also: Project]

Examinations, tests and quizzes

There is no fundamental distinction between an examination, a test and a quiz. Commonly, however, 'examinations' are high-stakes tests that are largely summative in purpose, while shorter tests, that are low-stakes or ungraded, are referred to as 'quizzes'.

Feedback (to students)

Feedback is information provided to students at the completion of a task, which they can use to improve future performance. As applied in this resource, feedback is diagnostic. A single grade, with no other information, is not considered to be feedback. A single grade does not provide the student with any information beyond a measure of performance. Conversely, written comments are not an essential feature of diagnostic feedback. Even without explanatory comments, differential scoring across a range of specified criteria may be highly diagnostic and so constitute feedback (e.g. the use of detailed rubrics).
[see also: Formative assessment]

Grading and marking

Grading and marking may be used interchangeably. Both terms refer to assessment of student work that involves assigning a grade, a score or both. However, the term 'marking' is often used to describe assessment based on explicit lists of weighted criteria ('marking schemes'), and the allocation of a series of numerical 'marks' that sum to a total 'score'.

Group assessment

Assessment of a group assignment (or 'group project') is often referred to as group assessment. Members of the group may be assessed individually or collectively.

Project

Project and assignment may be used interchangeably. Project is often associated with a multi-stage or multi-dimensional assignment. For example: a research project, involving data collection, analysis, and report writing; or a group project, involving division of tasks, group management, and coordination.

Rubric

Rubrics attempt to make explicit the various levels of attainment recognised by the assessors, against each assessment criterion. They often take the form of a two-way table of criteria and grades, with each cell containing an explanatory description. Rubrics are sometimes used to facilitate consistency in grading. They may also be used to provide feedback to students. The terms rubric and matrix are used interchangeably.

To reference material from this site, please use:

Harris, K-L., Krause, K., Gleeson, D., Peat, M., Taylor, C. & Garnett, R. (2007). Enhancing Assessment in the Biological Sciences: Ideas and resources for university educators. Available at: www.bioassess.edu.au