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Next Steps and Module Summary

You should now have much of the background information you need to write an outline for your new or redesigned assessment! If you are feeling motivated after finishing the module, you could even start drafting your assessment instructions.

Writing Your Assignment Instructions

Consider the following when planning your assessment instructions: 

  • Assessment purpose (i.e. why students are completing the assessment) 
    • An essential question or goal behind the assessment 
    • Course learning outcomes being assessed 
    • Skills the assessment is intended to develop 
    • Applicability beyond the course 
  • Assessment details (i.e. what the assessment involves) 
    • Description of the assessment 
    • Tasks students are expected to complete 
    • Format or format options 
      • Length or expected effort 
    • Exemplars or short samples of work at different levels 
    • Grade weight 
    • Rubric, if applicable 
    • Due date (including late submission policy, grace period, etc.) 
    • Reference style 
    • Accessible design features 
    • What uses of AI are permitted (if any) 
  • Submission details (i.e. how to submit the assignment) 
    • Formatting requirements 
    • Naming conventions 

Adapted from the Transparent Assignment Instructions Template, Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning (University of Calgary). 

Remember to ask a colleague, teaching assistant or other willing reviewer for feedback on the clarity of your assessment instructions before debuting them with your students! 

After you have introduced your new or redesigned assessment to your students, however, it is still a good idea to get feedback from them to help refine your design. If you are new to asking students for feedback or would like some formal guidance, please refer to the Collecting Feedback on your Teaching MacPherson Institute Learning Catalogue module. You may also wish to be transparent with your students about your intentions with the (re)design (e.g. sharing your rationale or motivations, what you hope the design will accomplish, etc.) – acknowledging that such a conversation requires vulnerability, and it can be more difficult to be vulnerable in large classes, or as a precariously employed and/or minoritized instructor.

In completing this module, you should now be able to:

  • Incorporate the characteristics of authentic assessment into your assessment design 
  • Create an innovative assessment that, in addition to being authentic, anticipates the possibility of AI misuse, and is learner-centred and accessible to the greatest extent possible   
  • Plan the implementation of an assessment in a manner that minimizes the stress and anxiety felt by students and supports their successful completion 
  • Choose an appropriate evaluation approach for your assessment that measures students’ progress equitably and efficiently 
  • Explore the feasibility of adopting ungrading strategies in your teaching that support your assessment goals 

Recall that an authentic assessment (Wiggins 1998): 

  • is realistic. 
  • requires judgment and innovation. 
  • asks the student to “do” the subject. 
  • replicates or simulates the contexts in which adults are “tested” in the workplace or in civic or personal life. 
  • assesses the student’s ability to efficiently and effectively use a repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a complex task. 
  • allows appropriate opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult resources, and get feedback on and refine performances and products. 

We also explored a number of alternative assessment ideas to inspire your assessment design. 

We hope that this module has been helpful as you work to design or redesigning an assessment. 

To complete the module, please write a response to both of the following reflection questions: 

  1. Briefly propose an idea for an authentic assessment in your discipline and, using the definition of authentic assessments we have provided in the module, describe how your proposed assessment meets at least three of the criteria outlined by Wiggins. 
  2. Select one of the ungrading strategies you read about in the module and, based on your perspective as an educator or your experiences as a student, explain the benefits and challenges of the strategy you chose. Are there ways you could mitigate the challenges?  

Information Box Group

Module Reflection Form Microsoft Form

Congratulations on completing a module in the MacPherson Institute Learning Catalogue!

We hope you found the experience meaningful and relevant to your teaching and learning practice. As part of our ongoing effort to improve and grow the Learning Catalogue, we invite you to take just a few minutes to complete a short reflection form.

We know your time is valuable, and we deeply appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts.