Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development OCSLD

Learning and Teaching Briefing Papers Series

Selecting methods of assessment

There is a wealth of assessment methods used in • Problem scenario
higher education to assess students’ achievements, Lee Dunn
• Group work
but how to choose?
• Work-based problem 27 June 2002
The primary goal is to choose a method which most • Prepare a committee of enquiry report
First published in
effectively assesses the objectives of the unit of study. • Draft a research bid to a realistic brief 2000 on the
In addition, choice of assessment methods should be OCSLD website at:
• Analyse a case
aligned with the overall aims of the program, and http://www.
may include the development of disciplinary skills • Conference paper (or notes for a conference brookes.ac.uk/
(such as critical evaluation or problem solving) and paper plus annotated bibliography) services/ocsd/
2_learntch/
support the development of vocational competencies methods.html
(such as particular communication or team skills). 3. Performing procedures and demonstrating
techniques
(Computation, taking readings, using equipment,
Hence, when choosing assessment items it is useful to
following laboratory procedures, following protocols,
have one eye on the immediate task of assessing
carrying out instructions)
student learning in a particular unit of study, and
another eye on the broader aims of the programme • Demonstration
and the qualities of the graduating student. Ideally • Role play
this is something you do with your academic
• Make a video (write script and produce/make
colleagues so there is a planned assessment strategy a video)
across a programme.
• Produce a poster
When considering assessment methods, it is • Lab report
particularly useful to think first about what qualities • Prepare an illustrated manual on using the
or abilities you are seeking to engender in the equipment, for a particular audience
learners. Nightingale et al (1996) provide eight broad • Observation of real or simulated professional
categories of learning outcomes which are listed practice
below. Within each category some suitable methods
are suggested. 4. Managing and developing oneself
(Working co-operatively, working independently,
1. Thinking critically and making judgements learning independently, being self-directed, managing
(Developing arguments, reflecting, evaluating, time, managing tasks, organising)
assessing, judging) • Journal
• Essay • Portfolio
• Report • Learning contract
• Journal • Group work
• Letter of advice to... (about policy, public
health matters...) 5. Accessing and managing information
• Present a case for an interest group (Researching, investigating, interpreting, organising
information, reviewing and paraphrasing
• Prepare a committee briefing paper for a
specific meeting information, collecting data, searching and managing
information sources, observing and interpreting)
• Book review (or article) for a particular journal
• Annotated bibliography
• Write a newspaper article for a foreign
newspaper • Project
• Comment on an article’s theoretical • Dissertation
perspective
• Applied task

2. Solving problems and developing plans • Applied problem

(Identifying problems, posing problems, defining
problems, analysing data, reviewing, designing 6. Demonstrating knowledge and understanding
experiments, planning, applying information) (Recalling, describing, reporting, recounting,

© Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development 2002 www.brookes.ac.uk/services/ocsd/ 1

 recognising, identifying, relating & interrelating)
• Written examination
• Oral examination
• Essay Adapted by Lee Dunn from: Morgan, Chris (1999)
• Report Southern Cross University, New South Wales,
Australia. (Unpublished material for Southern Cross
• Comment on the accuracy of a set of records
University booklet ‘Assessing Students’)
• Devise an encyclopaedia entry
• Produce an A – Z of...
References:
• Write an answer to a client’s question
Nightingale, P., Te Wiata, I.T., Toohey, S., Ryan, G.,
• Short answer questions: True/False/Multiple Hughes, C., Magin, D. (1996). Assessing Learning in
Choice Questions (paper-based or computer-
Universities Professional Development Centre Sydney:
aided-assessment)
University of New South Wales Press
7. Designing, creating, performing
Brown, S., Rust, C., Gibbs, G. (1994). Strategies for
(Imagining, visualising, designing, producing,
Diversifying Assessment Oxford: Oxford Centre for
creating, innovating, performing)
Staff Development.
• Portfolio
• Performance
• Presentation
• ‘Hypothetical’
• Projects

8. Communicating
(One and two-way communication, communication
within a group, verbal, written and non-verbal
communication. Arguing, describing, advocating,
interviewing, negotiating, presenting, using specific
written forms)
• Written presentation (essay, report, reflective
paper etc.)
• Oral presentation
• Group work
• Discussion/debate/role play
• Participate in a ‘Court of Enquiry’
• Presentation to camera
• Observation of real or simulated professional
practice

Variety in assessment
It is interesting to note that the eight learning
The Oxford Centre for Staff
outcomes listed above would be broadly expected of
and Learning Development any graduating learner from a higher education
Oxford Brookes University
Gipsy Lane Campus
programme. Yet, when choosing assessment items,
Oxford OX3 0BP we tend to stay with the known or the ‘tried and true
Tel: 01865 484610
methods’, because they seem to have the ring of
Fax: 01865 484622 academic respectability, or possibly because it was
Email:
the way we were assessed as undergraduates
ocsld@brookes.ac.uk ourselves.
Web:
www.brookes.ac.uk/services
/ocsd/ From learners’ perspectives, however, it often seems
Date modified:
22 February 2002
as if we are turning them into ‘essay producing
machines’ or ‘examination junkies’. When choosing
Other papers in this series are
available at
methods it is important to offer variety to learners in
http://www.brookes.ac.uk/ the way they demonstrate their learning, and to help
services/ocsd/4_resource/
4_resource.html
them to develop a well-rounded set of abilities by the
time they graduate.

2 OCSLD 2002 © Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development 2002