Assessment Principles
NEW: A vision for education and skills at Newcastle University: Education for Life 2030+
Assessment involves evaluating what someone can do based on their work or performance. It spans from high-stakes exams to low-stakes formative tasks and includes judgments by educators, students, peers, and others. It also encompasses the feedback generated from these evaluations.
Assessment can be product-oriented, contributing to a learner's qualifications ("assessment of learning"), or process-oriented ("assessment for learning"). The purpose of your assessment will shape its design and the feedback you provide.
A key goal of assessment should be to foster intellectual growth in learners, helping them develop greater reflection and critical thinking skills over time.
Assessment and Feedback Principles
Newcastle University's assessment and feedback principles have been developed to help guide and inform effective teaching practice using best practice from the sector.
The principles apply at both programme and module (or equivalent) level, and underpin our formal assessment policy.
- Assessment and feedback are essential to support effective student learning.
- Effective and efficient assessment and feedback must be embedded in the curriculum design process.
- Assessment must be valid, reliable and consistent.
- Assessment information must be clear and accessible to students
- All programmes must include feedback.
- Feedback must be high quality and timely.
- Types and methods of assessment and feedback must be varied and appropriate.
- For assessment and feedback to be effective both staff and students must have clear roles and responsibilities which will be clearly communicated at the start of each semester.
Considerations for Effective Assessment
Designing successful assessments requires careful consideration to ensure they effectively measure student learning outcomes and promote meaningful learning experiences. There are several things you should consider when designing your assessment(s).
- Ensure that your assessments align closely with the module and programme learning outcomes (assessments should measure what you intend to teach)
- Use a variety of assessment types across a programme, such as quizzes, exams, essays, presentations, group projects, and practical assignments (this variety develops assessment literacy and key skills)
- Consider progression from year-to-year. Is the level of challenge (knowledge, skills) appropriate to the stage of study. Does the assessment fit within the overall progression of the degree programme? (see Programme Focussed Assessment)
- Consider the timing of assessments throughout the academic year (ensure reasonable distribution of formative and summative assessments avoids overwhelming students)
- Incorporate peer assessment for some assignments (this can help students develop critical evaluation skills and provide diverse perspectives on their work)
- Provide clear and detailed instruction for each assessment, students should understand what is expected of them (see our guidance on Writing A Clear Assessment Tasks and Writing an Effective Assessment Brief)
- Develop assessment rubrics that outline specific criteria for grading (these rubrics make grading more transparent and help students understand how they will be evaluated – see our guidance on Writing Assessment Rubrics )
- Provide prompt and constructive feedback on assessments and support students to develop their feedback literacy (feedback should highlight areas for improvement and guide students toward better performance in the future – see our guidance on Feedback)
- Design assessments with inclusivity in mind, ensuring tasks allow all learners to demonstrate their mastery of learning outcomes (see our guidance on Digital Accessibility and Universal Design for Learning)
- Provide assessment choice. Where feasible, allow students to choose from different tasks, ensuring all options assess the same outcomes equivalently. This flexibility supports diverse strengths and preferences.
- Scaffold assessments. Build formative tasks into teaching to help students prepare for summative assessments. For example, break down complex tasks into smaller steps like creating an essay plan or drafting key sections.