The Assessment Lifecycle

Assessment design involves specifying the overall assessment strategy and approach, setting the details of the assessment and ensuring students are supported to reach their potential.

In the assessment design stage you will normally determine the type of assignments that best meet the learning outcomes of your module and give an idea of the scale e.g. a 2,000 word essay or a reflective portfolio of work experience. At the same time you will be thinking about how to support the students understanding of the requirements and whether specific activities directly related to a successful assignment will be presented in class or as independent learning activities.

At this point students receive details, usually in the form of an assignment brief, about precise topics, deadlines, learning outcomes assessed, marking criteria, online submission guidance and feedback arrangements. You would also need to consider assessment scheduling to ensure workload for both students and staff is appropriately distributed.

Supporting students while they are in the process of completing an assignment is not only about helping each student do their best work for each assignment it is also about developing students' assessment literacy so that they understand what is involved in the process of making academic judgments.