University assessment and quality assurance

Strategies to improve university assessment for students and educators. Here, academics offer guidance on assessment design, covering formative, summative and diagnostic approaches, authentic assessment and how to give useful feedback. You will also find advice on exam preparation, ungrading, managing GenAI, preventing cheating and upholding academic integrity.

Four students each responding differently to an assignment question

Tips (from a librarian) for creating assignment prompts

A guide to crafting and writing clear assignment instructions that students can understand and follow

Toni Carter

Athens State University

Illustration of man in suit hurdling ahead of robots

Effective assessment practices for a ChatGPT-enabled world

Assessment methods that require students to produce authentic, novel and personalised responses can help educators stay ahead of the uncertainty and workload that AI writers create

Jonna Lee

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

Assignment paper with a C-plus grade and 'satisfactory' comment

How the idea of ‘excellence’ can be misleading in higher education

A new approach to achievement could see a focus on As give way to a suite of mastery that meets students’ needs – and helps faculty balance expectations, writes Michael Dennin

Michael Dennin

University of California, Irvine

Top tips on providing useful feedback to students

From showing appreciation for effort to using game-based learning effectively, Preeti Aghalayam outlines some options for making feedback work for your students

Preeti Aghalayam

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras

A student addressing a small group of her classmates

Why students are best placed to help students understand feedback

Tips for combining classroom activities and peer-to-peer dialogue to develop students’ understanding of the language of assessment and feedback

Rebecca Westrup, Callum Perry

The University of East Anglia

Writing exam questions in a six-step process

Writing exam questions is a meticulous, complex and creative part of teaching. The habit of using a standardised process will make this frequent task more manageable, writes Fiona Lifen Liu

Fiona Lifen Liu

Macau University of Science and Technology

A man staring up at a board with a one star rating displayed

A checklist for inclusive assessment and feedback, in a post-ChatGPT world

A checklist for creating inclusive assessment and feedback practices that help to improve student learning experiences and respond to challenges posed by ChatGPT

Zheng Feei Ma, Kim Duffy

University of the West of England Bristol

ChatGPT and AI can be used to aid university assessment

How ChatGPT can help disrupt assessment overload

Advances in AI are not necessarily the enemy – in fact, they should prompt long overdue consideration of assessment types and frequency, says David Carless

David Carless

The University of Hong Kong

two mobile phones showing images of hands, digital communication

How immediate feedback motivates both students and educators

Digital tools can give teachers on-the-spot feedback from students and students access to their results and progress in real time. László Tornóci looks at a changing landscape from both sides

László Tornóci

Semmelweis University

Scales, stars and numbers: the question of evaluation

Marking schemes are a recurring source of contention in academic discussions, where the key word is evaluation. Daniel Jutras offers a brief reflection on the art of grading and feedback

Daniel Jutras

University of Montreal

AI text detectors: a stairway to heaven or hell?

The emergence of GPTZero, OpenAI’s text classifier and Turnitin’s AI detector bring a risk of over-reliance on AI classifiers. Are they a solution or a further problem to be solved?

Miguel de Carvalho

The University of Edinburgh

Female student working while referring to books

How to manage assessment feedback in large classes? Get students involved

Delivering quality feedback for every individual student in a large class can be challenging. That is where peer feedback can help if structured and guided effectively, write four teaching academics

Steven Bateman, Shi-Min How, Chew Ging Lee , Jie Zhang

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University , University of Southampton Malaysia

Reframing feedback as a valuable learning tool

How to help students appreciate feedback as a useful aid to learning so that they engage with it in a productive way

Joseph Tinsley

Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University

How can we encourage students to seek academic assistance ethically?

Following years researching paid academic support methods, Joel Heng Hartse suggests solutions that can help beat “academic help” companies at their own game

Joel Heng Hartse

Simon Fraser University

Image showing someone forging their own path, off the main road

On students’ terms: offering options in assessment to empower learning

By giving students some control over how they are assessed, educators are likely to see a marked increase in engagement and motivation, writes Paul McFarlane

Paul McFarlane

UCL

Checklists and other course quality evaluation tools

Seven steps to make an effective course quality evaluation instrument

Tools such as rubrics and checklists are increasingly common for monitoring the quality of courses, so how do we choose the best one for our purposes?

Richard McInnes

Adelaide University

Student considering a question at their laptop

How can we teach and assess with ChatGPT?

A guide to designing teaching and assessments that encourage students to learn with and about ChatGPT

Soumyadeb Chowdhury , Samuel Fosso Wamba

TBS Education

Illustration of robot working on laptop while young man with beard drinks coffee

How generative AI like ChatGPT is pushing assessment reform

AI has brought assessment and academic integrity in higher education to the fore. Here, Amir Ghapanchi offers seven ways to evaluate student learning that mitigate the impact of AI writers

Amir Ghapanchi

Victoria University

Five common misconceptions on writing feedback

Misapprehensions about responding to and grading writing can prevent educators using writing as an effective pedagogical tool. Rolf Norgaard and Stephanie Foster set out to dispel them

Rolf Norgaard, Stephanie Foster

The University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University

Student cheating using their mobile phone during an exam

Keep calm and carry on: ChatGPT doesn’t change a thing for academic integrity

ChatGPT is a technological advancement on an already present risk of academic integrity, therefore the same careful approach to assessment design is required to minimise cheating, write Patrick Harte and Fawad Khaleel

Patrick Harte , Fawad Khaleel

Edinburgh Napier University

A man looking up a steps that appear to lead into a human head

ChatGPT and the future of university assessment

Artificial intelligence-powered tools like ChatGPT are forcing a much-needed opportunity to reimagine the role of education in the 21st century, says Alex Sims

Alex Sims

The University of Auckland

Assessment and percentages just don't add up

When is a percentage not a percentage? The problem with HE marking practices

When an assessor awards a percentage to an essay, report or similar piece of work, this is a subjective mark rather than a genuine percentage – and this is deeply problematic

Andy Grayson

Nottingham Trent University

Young woman with laptop looking at paper and gesturing frustration

Can asking for students’ perception of assessment improve fairness?

Clear, fair assignments and grading criteria can improve not only students’ perceptions but also the reputation of the whole university, writes Philipp Sonnleitner

Philipp Sonnleitner

University of Luxembourg

A woman writing out equations on a glass screen

The House Cup: promoting qualitative grading in mathematics

Using qualitative instead of numerical grading in mathematics supports meaningful feedback that helps students improve the quality of their work, Jean-Baptiste Gramain explains

Jean-Baptiste Gramain

University of Aberdeen

Young woman recording audio on her phone

Hear this: a guide to writing an academic English listening test

Listening scripts need to replicate authentic lectures – but you also need to factor in subject matter, tone and question types as you go test

Anna Ziomek

University of Reading

illustration of laptop with speech bubbles oral examinations

Can online oral exams prevent cheating?

Online checking tools often flag non-suspicious behaviour along with suspected academic misconduct. Here, educators share lessons learned from using an online oral exam to check students’ understanding

Temesgen Kifle, Anthony Jacobs

The University of Queensland

Tips on boosting academic integrity at university

Strengthening academic integrity requires action from students and teachers alike

Eunice Costilla Cruz offers recommendations for promoting academic integrity in your students and how to deal with an offence

Eunice Costilla Cruz

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Everything you always wanted to know about open-book exams – but were afraid to ask

Creatively constructed open-book assessments are increasingly relevant. Preeti Aghalayam offers advice on how to design them for best effect

Preeti Aghalayam

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras

A man doing calculations at his computer

A unique approach to designing robust, calculation-based online assessments

Designing open-book, online assessments for subjects relying on calculation poses a challenge to educators. Amit Navin Jinabhai presents a model he has successfully applied to minimise student collusion

Amit Navin Jinabhai

The University of Manchester

Spreading academic integrity starts at the root of the problem

When promoting academic integrity, start at the root of the problem

Ethical behaviour can be promoted by raising awareness of what constitutes bad practice, enforcing harsh penalties and placing cheating in a wider context

Victor Markus

Near East University

Forms of assessment and how to use them in university classes

Formative, summative or diagnostic assessment? A guide

An introduction to three of the key forms of assessment along with how they can be applied in the classroom

Alejandra Govea Garza, Adriana González Nava , Paulo Mendoza Rivera

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Failure must be celebrated in higher education

Three steps to accepting failure: recognise, embrace and enculturate

Many fail to see the blood, sweat and tears that often go into both successes and failures. We must learn how to celebrate the process as well as the outcome

Kenan Kok Xiao-Feng , Oran Devilly

Singapore Institute of Technology

Using ChatGPT in your university classes and lectures right now

So, you want to use ChatGPT in the classroom?

If you’re unsure about ChatGPT but would like to start incorporating it in your classes, Ben Swift outlines methods and things to think about

Ben Swift

Australian National University

Cheating at university and how to stop it

Five tips for creating cheat-proof classes

Claudia Danelia Chamorro Urroz has implemented five simple practices into her teaching that have all but eradicated cheating. Here, she shares the secrets of her success

Claudia Danelia Chamorro Urroz

Tecnológico de Monterrey

detail of computer screen showing cut and copy commands

Cut the copying: tips to discourage plagiarism

Plagiarism is a growing problem for higher education institutions. Temesgen Kifle and Parvinder Kler share tips for instructors (and students) on how to reduce this form of student academic misconduct

Temesgen Kifle, Parvinder Kler

The University of Queensland , Griffith University

Will AI writers rob students of their agency and free will

ChatGPT and AI writers: a threat to student agency and free will?

If we resign ourselves to thinking that resistance is futile and allow AI to replace students’ voices, we are surely guilty of abandoning our responsibilities as educators

Adrian J. Wallbank

Oxford Brookes University

ChatGPT has arrived – and nothing has changed

ChatGPT may make it a little easier for students to cheat, but the best ways of thwarting cheating have never been focused on policing and enforcement, says Danny Oppenheimer

Danny Oppenheimer

Carnegie Mellon University

Balance in student evaluation of teachers SET

Tips to make student evaluation fairer for teachers

Factors unrelated to an instructor’s ability to enhance student learning can influence student evaluation of teaching. So, Temesgen Kifle shares six fair and effective ways to assess educators’ teaching capabilities

Temesgen Kifle

The University of Queensland

Analytic rubric design fundamentals

A beginner’s guide to creating an analytic rubric which can be used by tutors to accurately mark and feedback on assignments, but also by students themselves to guide their work

Jamie Gilbert Mikell

Athens State University

Engage your students with these feedback strategies

Angeles Aguirre and Jorge Mosqueda provide simple introductions to four methods of feedback, from video summaries and social media posts to rubrics

Angeles Carolina Aguirre-Acosta , Jorge Mosqueda

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Hacking their hack: how embracing online summaries revolutionised my classes

With students struggling to focus on and comprehend assignments, summaries can take some of the leg work out of learning and allow students to come to class ready to connect

Catherine Ross

University of Texas at Tyler

Student happiness versus student satisfaction

Should we be aiming for student happiness or student satisfaction?

Happiness and satisfaction are two sides of the same coin, but crucial differences exist between them – and one serves our students far better, says Doug Specht

Doug Specht

University of Westminster

Helping students to reference external ideas

Tips for designing activities that tackle cheating in digital environments

Bárbara Regina Granados Guzmán provides suggestions on how to help students who struggle with recognising the use of external ideas

Bárbara Regina Granados Guzmán

Tecnológico de Monterrey

There is no right and wrong way to do ungrading in higher education

Why there isn’t one ‘right way’ to practise ungrading

Extricating ourselves from A-F grading scales requires an inclusive, big tent approach in which we de-emphasise grades in a way that best fits our individual contexts

Multiple authors

Various

Promoting academic integrity in a massive online master’s programme

Understanding why students cheat is key to preventing it. Not only that, but three key tips turn supporting integrity into an opportunity to foster culture rather than dish out punishment

David Joyner

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

How to design a rubric in five easy steps university

Build effective rubrics in just five steps

A quick guide to the process of designing successful rubrics and recommendations for successful implementation

Ileana Alejandra Ochoa Arias , José Wbaldo Rivera Nevarez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Minecraft is just one creative assessment platform for university educators

Breaking with tradition: 10 creative assessment ideas

Monica Francesca Contrino and Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez suggest 10 methods for adding an imaginative twist when evaluating your students’ learning

Monica Francesca Contrino , Rocío Elizabeth Cortez Márquez

Tecnológico de Monterrey

Efficient methods of marking and providing feedback

Aaron Taylor and Victoria Rafferty provide advice on how to ensure formative and summative feedback is carried out with student learning in mind

Aaron Taylor, Victoria Rafferty

Arden University

Open-book assessments: dos and don’ts that foster good practice

Exam format can affect student performance and anxiety levels. Here’s how to set an OBA that gives students their best chance to excel

Hongru Zhang

Macau University of Science and Technology

How to design low-stakes authentic assessment that promotes academic integrity

Robust assessment design is more important than ever in the battle to maintain academic integrity, say Nguyen Bui and Simon Feros

Nguyen Bui , Simon Feros

Australian National University

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