Principle 5: Assessment as Learning

What is Assessment as Learning?

Assessment as learning (AaL) occurs when students are their own assessors. Students monitor their own learning, ask questions, and use a range of strategies to decide what they know and can do, and how to use assessment for new learning.

Assessment is the area of practice that has changed least over the last twenty years and remains something often considered only at the end of the design process. As a result, assessment is typically designed to focus only on ‘assessment OF learning’ (AoL) and designed with an emphasis on summative assessment. Traditional (and potentially less effective) assessment methods tend to be adopted that may not align well with, and truly demonstrate the relevant learning outcomes.

Developing approaches to assessment that foreground tasks that students can use as ‘assessment AS learning’, and that prompt ‘assessment FOR learning’ (AfL) will have a beneficial impact on student engagement and on the quality of outcomes typically achieved.

These approaches fit well with a more active approach to  curriculum design promoting a range of assessment methods (see Assessment Compendium).  By ensuring a balance between AaL, AfL and AoL, we can align with the key  themesof inclusivity, sustainability and employability and strive towards more effective assessment practice. Please refer to the strategic approach to the Enhancement of Assessment and Feedback which details this further.

Further resources

The toolkit has several pages on the topic of assessment which may be of use to you: