TLARC Assessment Review
In the 2021-22 school year, TLARC completed a review of common assessment practices in Higher Education globally and changes to assessment theory. The review determined there were four key reasons to consider changes:
Over the course of the 2022-23 school year, a working group of TLARC including representatives of faculty, academic leaders, sessionals, student leaders and staff developed a set of 10 principles and began the process of faculty focus groups and presentations to seek feedback. The principles were refined after the feedback.
USask Assessment Principles
Effective assessment of students
1. Is aligned with learning outcomes and instructional strategies (assessment of learning).
2. Is inclusive and transparent, so students have equitable opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
3. Gives students multiple opportunities to learn through practice and feedback, so they have sufficient time and support to reflect and improve (assessment for learning).
4. Develops student's ability to learn effectively and prepares students to be self-directed, reflective, and engaged learners (assessment as learning).
5. Is designed so students apply disciplinary learning under authentic, or as close to authentic as possible, circumstances.
6. Is designed and sequenced to optimize students' success.
Effective assessment is embedded in departments, colleges/schools, and system-wide when it:
7. Provides a valid and trustworthy representation of student achievement that students, educators, disciplines, accrediting bodies, and employers can have confidence in.
8. Is manageable and sustainable for educators, and appropriately facilitated by policy and resourcing.
9. Provides useful information for ongoing course and program enhancement.
10. Forms an integral part of program design, aligning with what programs of study are aiming to achieve within disciplinary communities.
Ongoing work on Assessment
- TLARC and APC struck a joint working group to examine assessment policy and process on campus relative to the principles. This work is ongoing in 2022-23.
- Academic leaders were invited to consider implications of the principles for their colleges and schools.
- TLARC directed GMCTL to start working with individual departments on assessment based on departmental interest and direction from their academic leaders.
- TLARC directed GMCTL to offer a series of workshops related to the principles.