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, although they should be contextualised within disciplines and across levels.
Assessment and feedback are integral to supporting effective student learning
Assessment and feedback are integral to supporting effective student learning.
- Set expectations for students and staff on assessment, how feedback is given and how to make use of it
- Use examples from student work to demonstrate how marking criteria are applied
- Include assessment information in handbooks and the institutional virtual learning environment
- Consider using self- and peer-assessment to improve students’ assessment literacy
- Ensure that the language used to describe assessment is clear, concise and appropriate for each stage
Effective and efficient assessment and feedback must be central to the curriculum design process
Effective and efficient assessment and feedback must be central to the curriculum design process.
- Consider assessment and feedback in the module design process at the same time as content and teaching methods
- Regularly review assessment and feedback at programme level to ensure clear progression from first to final year
- DPD and module leaders should regularly review assessment across a programme
- Review assessments to ensure they address module learning outcomes
- Design assessment that requires students to engage with the subject material
Assessment should be valid, reliable and consistent
Assessment should be valid, reliable and consistent.
- Appropriate assessments should be part of a moderation process to help ensure consistency and reliability of marking
- Review assessments to make sure that they reliably and consistently demonstrate a student's ability
- Where appropriate, use double marking to ensure that marking is reliable and assessments consistent
Opportunities for feedback and formative assessment will be included in all programmes
Opportunities for feedback and formative assessment will be included in all programmes
- Where appropriate have students take a diagnostic test and use the results to determine what (if any) additional support is required
- Have students work in groups to solve problems and provide feedback to one another
- Ask students to peer assess drafts of written work, developing their ability to give constructive feedback
- Encourage students to work in "buddy groups", or through a mentoring project to provide peer feedback for each other
- Use online tests as a form of formative assessment, and release feedback immediately
Feedback should be high quality and timely
Feedback should be high quality and timely
- Use feedback comment banks supplemented by individual comments to provide consistent feedback and save staff time
- Ensure you give feedback that provides guidance on how students can improve future work
- Provide whole cohort feedback to students in person or via the VLE
- With academic guidance, have students devise assessment criteria, mark and provide high quality feedback for low stakes assessment
- Use online tests with automated feedback
- Meet or exceed the University turn around time. If this is not possible provide an explanation
Forms and methods of assessment and feedback should be varied and appropriate
Forms and methods of assessment and feedback should be varied and appropriate
- Review the curriculum to ensure that a range of assessment and feedback methods are used throughout the programme
- Provide students with a clear opportunity to seek individual feedback on specified aspects of large pieces of work
- When a new assessment method is introduced give students the opportunity to practice it
The University will provide the appropriate environment and resources to ensure staff and students are supported adequately
The University will provide the appropriate environment and resources to ensure staff and students are supported adequately
- A range of workshops for staff are available from LTDS. Likewise, staff can call upon the expertise and resources developed by LTDS
- Technology to support assessment and feedback - Canvas, Online Assessment and Feedback and Turnitin
- Explore the case studies database to investigate approaches you could adapt for your teaching
Roles and responsibilities for both staff and students will be communicated clearly
Roles and responsibilities for both staff and students will be communicated clearly
- Set out students and staff expectations and roles clearly at the start of the module
- Include assessment information in handbooks and the institutional Virtual Learning Environment
- Signpost students to support to help with their academic skills
Key Elements of Authentic Assessment
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?
- 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 (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.