Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers from Coursera

Are you a teacher in higher education wanting to get the best out of your students and assessments? Then on behalf of Risbo, Erasmus University Rotterdam, we would like to welcome you to this MOOC on Assessment in Higher Education. In this MOOC we will guide you through the different phases of preparing, creating and evaluating the assessments in your course.

After participating in this MOOC, you will be able to:

1. Design an assessment that is constructively aligned (content, level, methods) with the course objectives and activities

2. Apply the quality criteria with respect to validity, reliability and transparency for construction of assessments and assessment items

3. Analyze the assessment output and results, assess the quality of the assessment and make decisions about students’ grades accordingly

4. Formulate future improvements for an assessment

For the assignments, you will be working with your own teaching materials. For example you will create your own assessment plan for your course. Next to that you will become part of a learning community with teachers from all over the world.

We are offering you instructional videos, interviews, animations and checklists. In addition to these, there will be course activities, such as assessments, and discussion prompts. By participating in this MOOC, you will find answers to the following questions:

• What is the role of assessment?

• How can you select the right methods of assessment for your course?

• What is constructive alignment?

• How can an assessment plan and matrix help you in the construction of assessments?

• Is it possible to make an absolute reliable and valid assessment?

• How can the formulation of good assessment questions have an impact on that?

• What is the role of feedback?

• How can rubrics help with providing feedback?

• What are the things to consider when performing an exam or item analysis? What aspects should you look out for?

• How do you draw conclusions from an exam analysis and make plans for future improvements?

• If good students fail on certain questions, what does this say about the question… or about your teaching?

Are you ready for enhancing your teaching skills? Then take this journey with us.

What's inside

Syllabus

The role of assessment in higher education

In the first week of this course you’ll get insight in some basic but fundamental questions about assessment. Why do we assess in higher education? What are possible positive and negative effects of assessment? And in what way can we make an effort in choosing the most appropriate assessment method(s). Some leading experts on assessment are introduced to you and might enlighten your thoughts. Additionally, you will be introduced to the Utility formula, which will assist you in making purposeful assessment choices.

The Assessment Cycle

The Assessment Plan

As research shows, assessment plays an important role in steering the learning process. There is, however, not one best method of assessment. So, how can you select the right methods of assessments for your course? Making an assessment plan can help you select the right testing methods and decide on the relative weight of each assessment for the final result of a course. An assessment plan also helps to ensure that the assessment addresses the intended learning outcomes. In addition, it provides a good overview of the test arrangement for a course that will be published in the course manual. This makes an assessment plan a helpful tool for examiners and an important instrument for quality assurance. With an assessment matrix, you ensure that all the selected learning objectives are covered in your assessment. This also helps to ensure that your assessment will be both valid and reliable. Whereas making an assessment matrix may feel like additional work, using it will actually save you time as you will develop questions and assignments that exactly match your learning objectives and you avoid the risk of formulating too many questions that are aimed at the same content or skill.

Feedback & grading design

In module 1 you have learned about assessment FOR learning and the role assessments play in the learning process of students. In this module we will take this to the next step. You will learn why feedback is so important and how to provide feedback using rubrics. Did you know there are different types of rubrics? Depending on the function of the rubric each type has both its advantages and disadvantages. This module will help you deciding what type of rubric suits your needs. In the stage of grading, methods of setting a cut-off score are important. You will learn about different methods of setting a cut-off score and the advantages and disadvantages of these methods.

Assessment construction

The results of student assessments often have far-reaching consequences for their educational or even professional careers. When we allow our assessments to have such impacts on people’s careers, it is of the utmost importance that we are very sure that our measurement is reliable and accurate and a valid representation of students’ actual abilities…. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. The goal for this module is to help you to apply quality criteria for the construction of assessments and assessment items. Because, if we improve the quality of our assessments, we improve the quality of our education, and we will have a huge impact on the future education and careers of our students.

Assessment Analysis and Evaluation

When an assessment has been conducted, there is often a lot of time pressure on grading and publishing the results. However, an important step to take before communicating grades to students is to analyse students’ performance on the different tasks or questions. This will provide you, as an examiner, with invaluable information. Not only about your students’ performance, but also about the quality of your assessment as well as your own teaching. On which aspects did students perform well, and where did they fail? If good students fail on certain questions, what does this say about the question… or about your teaching? You may need to decide on how to fix certain errors or unexpected situations and think about how this affects students’ grades. What are the things to consider when performing an exam or item analysis? What do you look for? How do you draw conclusions and make plans for future improvements?

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Provides expert insights into assessment methodologies and best practices

Covers a comprehensive range of topics related to assessment in higher education

Empowers educators to enhance the quality of their assessments and student learning

Leverages real-world teaching materials for practical learning and application

Offers a collaborative learning environment with teachers from around the world

Provides a structured and phased approach to assessment design, implementation, and evaluation

Reviews summary

Higher education assessment: essential development course

According to learners, Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers is an insightful course that provides foundational principles for assessment creation in higher education. Students largely praise the course's engaging videos, clear readings, and in-depth assignments, but some may encounter challenges. Despite some learners' concerns about the difficulty of the final exam and the unreliability of peer feedback, overall, the course is deemed well-structured and beneficial for educators seeking to improve their assessment practices.

Interviews with experts in education provide real-world examples and insights into best practices.

"The course was sufficiently challenging, very well structured."

"This was the most helpful course that I have done so far in Coursera."

Challenges learners with thought-provoking assignments that require applying and analyzing concepts.

"assignments were extremely effective and entertaining!"

"I have learned a lot from the video lectures. I enjoyed doing the activities especially I can relate it to my current work."

Provides a comprehensive overview of assessment in higher education, covering learning objectives, rubrics, and evaluation.

"A very pertinent course about assessment."

"I learned a lot during this course with relevant topics and exercises I could apply directly to my own discipline."

Peer feedback on assignments can be unreliable, with some learners reporting receiving incomplete or inaccurate evaluations.

"I enjoyed the material and all of the different techniques used to go through this course."

"I did not like about the course is the way it was assessed by peers."

The final exam is considered difficult by some, requiring a deep understanding of statistical analysis.

"The course was great and I did learn alot, but sometimes too much has been said just to give the core of the specific information, great overall grazieeee"

"Excellent course. Relevant material (videos and readings). Although, the final exam had many questions that required more information and analysis that not necessarily was covered in the previous weeks (i.e. statistical analysis)."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers with these activities:

Design an Assessment Plan for a Course You Teach

Show steps

Practice creating an assessment plan for a course, applying the principles and techniques learned in the module.

Show steps

Select a course that you teach and gather its syllabus and learning objectives.
Identify the intended learning outcomes of the course.
Choose appropriate assessment methods to measure student achievement of the learning outcomes.
Create an assessment plan that outlines the assessment methods, timeline, and assessment criteria.

Develop a Rubric for Assessing Student Assignments

Show steps

Create a rubric that will help you provide clear and consistent feedback to students on their assignments.

Show steps

Identify the learning outcomes that the assignment is intended to assess.
Determine the criteria that will be used to evaluate student work.
Develop performance levels for each criterion, describing the quality of work that will receive different levels of achievement.
Pilot the rubric with a small group of students to ensure clarity and fairness.

Attend a Peer Review of Assessment Practices

Show steps

Participate in a peer review session to offer and receive feedback on your assessment practices, fostering collaboration and professional development.

Browse courses on Peer Review

Show steps

Prepare an assessment plan or assignment for review and discussion.
Attend a peer review session and actively engage in the discussion.
Reflect on the feedback received and consider how to improve your assessment practices.
Follow up with your peers to discuss any further questions or insights.

Show all three activities

Career center

Learners who complete Assessment in Higher Education: Professional Development for Teachers will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Measurement and Evaluation Specialist

Measurement and Evaluation Specialists design, implement, and evaluate assessments for various purposes, including education. This course provides a strong foundation in assessment principles and practices, which can be directly applied to this role.

See salaries and explore the career path for Measurement and Evaluation Specialist

University Professor

University Professors teach and conduct research at universities. This course provides a comprehensive overview of assessment in higher education, which is essential for university professors. By understanding the principles of assessment, you can design and implement effective assessments that accurately measure student learning and contribute to your research in the field of education.

See salaries and explore the career path for University Professor

Assessment Specialist

Assessment Specialists develop, implement, and evaluate assessments for educational institutions. This course provides a comprehensive overview of assessment in higher education, including the role of assessment, assessment methods, and assessment analysis and evaluation.

See salaries and explore the career path for Assessment Specialist

Psychometrician

Psychometricians develop and evaluate psychological tests and assessments. This course provides a strong foundation in assessment principles and practices, which can be directly applied to this role. Gaining knowledge in assessment quality criteria, analysis, and evaluation can enhance the validity and reliability of assessments created.

See salaries and explore the career path for Psychometrician

Teacher

Teachers provide instruction to students in various subjects. This course provides a comprehensive overview of assessment in higher education, which can be applied to teaching at all levels. By understanding the principles of assessment, you can design and implement effective assessments that accurately measure student learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Teacher

Curriculum Developer

Curriculum Developers are responsible for creating and implementing curricula for educational institutions. This course helps build a foundation for developing assessments aligned with learning objectives and using the results to improve teaching and learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Curriculum Developer

Educational Researcher

Educational Researchers conduct research on educational topics, including assessment. This course may be useful for gaining insights into assessment research methods and findings, which can inform educational practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Educational Researcher

Faculty Developer

Faculty Developers provide professional development for faculty members. This course may be useful for learning about assessment and evaluation methods that can be used to improve teaching and learning.

See salaries and explore the career path for Faculty Developer

Training and Development Specialist

Training and Development Specialists develop and deliver training programs for employees. This course may be useful for learning about assessment methods that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Training and Development Specialist

Instructional Designer

Instructional Designers create and develop educational materials and resources. This course may be useful for learning about assessment design and evaluation, which can help ensure that instructional materials are effective and meet the needs of learners.

See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer

Higher Education Administrator

Higher Education Administrators oversee the operations of higher education institutions. This course may be useful for gaining insights into assessment and evaluation in higher education, which can inform decision-making and policy development.

See salaries and explore the career path for Higher Education Administrator

Research Scientist

Research Scientists conduct research in various fields, including education. This course may be useful for gaining insights into assessment research methods and findings, which can inform research design and analysis.

See salaries and explore the career path for Research Scientist

Special Education Teacher

Special Education Teachers work with students with disabilities. This course may be useful for learning about assessment methods that can be used to identify and address the needs of students with disabilities.

See salaries and explore the career path for Special Education Teacher

School Counselor

School Counselors provide academic, career, and personal counseling to students. This course may be useful for learning about assessment methods that can be used to assess student needs and provide appropriate support.

See salaries and explore the career path for School Counselor

Education Consultant

Education Consultants work to enhance educational institutions by evaluating current practices and helping to develop and implement strategic plans for improvement. This course may be useful for gaining insights into educational assessment and evaluation that can be directly applied to this work. Whether you work with institutions of primary or secondary education, your assessments are informed to set learners on the right track to a successful future.

See salaries and explore the career path for Education Consultant