How can you align assessments with new trends in higher education?

Assessments are an integral part of higher education, as they measure the learning outcomes and provide feedback to students and instructors. However, the traditional forms of assessment, such as exams, essays, and quizzes, may not always align with the new trends in higher education, such as online learning, competency-based education, and student-centered pedagogy. How can you align assessments with new trends in higher education? Here are some tips and strategies to help you design and implement assessments that are relevant, authentic, and engaging for your students.

1 Online learning

Online learning has become increasingly popular in higher education, especially during the pandemic. It offers students and instructors flexibility, convenience, and diversity, but also poses challenges for assessment. To ensure that your online assessments are valid, reliable, and secure; provide timely and constructive feedback; and foster collaboration and interaction among learners, consider using a variety of assessment methods such as portfolios, projects, simulations, and peer reviews. Utilize online tools and platforms like learning management systems, video conferencing, and digital badges to facilitate delivery, submission, and grading of assessments as well as communication between students and instructors. Online proctoring services such as Honorlock, ProctorU, or Respondus can help prevent cheating and plagiarism by monitoring and verifying the identity and behavior of students during exams. Additionally, rubrics, criteria, examples, and collaborative/interactive assessments like group projects or presentations can clarify expectations and standards while promoting social learning engagement.

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Dorothy McCrea

Doctor of Education - Ed.D, University of San Francisco
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Online learning…popular in higher education…what a surprise! Not really, we have moved to online because it is easier to teach that way and one does not necessarily have to engage in personal relationships with students..perfect for college professors, who, with all due respect..just want to conduct research. (It is what keeps them employed).

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Nathalie DREAN 📌💡🎓

🌟 Enseignement supérieur pluridisciplinaire , RH, Management, Communication, Digital, Projet Pro, Personnel Branding, Entrepreneuriat. Facilitatrice et top 1% LinkedIn ✅ Ecoles d'ingénieurs, de Management, Universités.
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Pour aligner les évaluations sur les nouvelles tendances de l'enseignement supérieur en favorisant l'apprentissage en ligne, les professeurs peuvent utiliser des outils tels que les plateformes d'apprentissage en ligne, les quiz interactifs et les forums de discussion. Ils peuvent également adopter des méthodes telles que les évaluations formatives et les projets collaboratifs en ligne pour encourager l'apprentissage actif et l'engagement des élèves. En mettant en place des mises en situation réelles et applicables dans le monde professionnel, les évaluations peuvent être alignées sur les attentes du marché du travail, favorisant ainsi une meilleure préparation des étudiants.

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Irene Smith

National Board Certified Teacher
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Online learning is growing in the K-12 realm, as well. Assessments can identify gaps in student learning, serving a diagnostic role to tailor instruction to student needs. Well written assessments (diagnostic, formative and summative) paired with differentiation for instruction, including intervention and extension, will be a powerful asset for learners and educators when instruction experts and AI team up. Excellent educators, perhaps National Board certified or proven by efficacy, should be invited to participate in creating these powerful new learning experiences and measures. Tech companies should definitely take heed. Engaging learning activities are necessary for motivating today’s young learners, increasingly moving to learn online.

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2 Competency-based education

Competency-based education (CBE) is a trend in higher education that focuses on the mastery of specific skills and abilities, rather than the completion of courses and credits. It allows students to progress at their own pace, based on their prior knowledge and experience, and to receive personalized support and feedback. Additionally, CBE emphasizes the alignment of learning outcomes with the needs and demands of the workforce and society. To design and implement assessments that support and reflect these principles and practices, one should consider using formative and summative assessments, such as self-assessments, quizzes, assignments, and portfolios. These can provide ongoing feedback to students on their progress and performance, as well as allow them to revise and improve their work. Performance-based assessments, such as projects, tasks, and demonstrations, can also be useful in measuring student competencies against predefined criteria and standards. Furthermore, adaptive assessments like adaptive quizzes and tests can adjust the difficulty of questions based on student responses. Lastly, competency maps, frameworks, and profiles can help define competencies that students need to develop and demonstrate while also aligning them with course learning outcomes.

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Nathalie DREAN 📌💡🎓

🌟 Enseignement supérieur pluridisciplinaire , RH, Management, Communication, Digital, Projet Pro, Personnel Branding, Entrepreneuriat. Facilitatrice et top 1% LinkedIn ✅ Ecoles d'ingénieurs, de Management, Universités.
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Pour aligner les évaluations sur les nouvelles tendances de l'enseignement supérieur axées sur les compétences, il est important d'utiliser des outils adaptés tels que les portfolios numériques. Ces portfolios permettent aux étudiants de présenter leurs travaux et leurs compétences acquises de manière concrète. De plus, l'utilisation de méthodes d'évaluation basées sur des projets réels permet aux étudiants de développer des compétences transversales tout en démontrant leur maîtrise des connaissances théoriques. Enfin, une mise en situation réelle peut être mise en place en utilisant des études de cas, des simulations ou des stages en entreprise pour évaluer la capacité des étudiants.

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3 Student-centered pedagogy

Student-centered pedagogy is a trend in higher education that emphasizes the active and autonomous role of students in their own learning, and that respects their diversity, preferences, and goals. This shifts the focus from the instructor as the source of knowledge and authority, to the student as the agent of learning and inquiry. To create assessments that empower and motivate students, while respecting their individuality and diversity, you can use self-assessment and peer assessment, such as self-reflection, peer review, and peer feedback. Additionally, you can allow students to choose the topics, formats, and methods of their assessments, as well as customize their learning paths and goals. Finally, providing constructive and specific feedback to students on their assessments, while encouraging them to ask questions and share their opinions can support their learning and development.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How can you align assessments with new trends in higher education?

1

2

3

4

1 Online learning

2 Competency-based education

3 Student-centered pedagogy

4 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

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How can you align assessments with new trends in higher education?

1

2

3

4

1 Online learning

2 Competency-based education

3 Student-centered pedagogy

4 Here’s what else to consider

Higher Education

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