Valid and practical tertiary assessment of learning outcomes

2006–2008
Professor Luanna Meyer, VUW College of Education, Victoria University
  

Project aims

The project will:

• Investigate existing assessment practice by tertiary teachers and the degree to which practice meets student expectations of assessment
• collaborate with tertiary practitioners to implement and evaluate valid and practicable assessment best practices
• develop policy, guidelines, and training materials for a range of stakeholders to enhance the use of valid and do-able research-led assessment practices in tertiary education
    

Project plan

The research design includes:

• staff and student surveys of assessment practices and conceptions of assessment
• participatory research with purposive samples of lecturers across the disciplines to enhance and evaluate the practicality of research-led assessment practice
• document analyses, including assessment policy and procedures at faculty and institutional levels
• focus group interviews with key stakeholders (including academic managers)
• and student cohort analyses to investigate the impact of research-led assessment of student learning outcomes over time and across the disciplines represented in diverse New Zealand tertiary education organisations.
    

Partnerships involved

The project is a collaborative effort across four tertiary education organisations (TEOs)—Victoria University of Wellington, Massey University (Albany, Palmerston North and Wellington campuses), Manukau Institute of Technology, and Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiarangi. At each of the TEOs, tertiary teachers will work as participatory researchers with the core research team to develop valid and practical tertiary assessment of learning outcomes.
  

Expected outcomes

The expected out comes are:

• a research report on student attitudes towards and expectations of tertiary assessment practices
• a research report on current tertiary assessment practices and academic staff attitudes towards them
• a research report on tertiary institutional policy and practice in the area of the assessment of student learning outcomes
• a staff development training package with exemplary assessment measures and practices for a selection of disciplines represented at TEOs
• a national symposium on best practices in tertiary assessment
• a model policy and best practices guidelines for the tertiary assessment of student learning outcomes, designed specifically for New Zealand TEOs and our diverse student population.

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