Teachers’ views on combining assessment elements into a holistic assessment concept

Abstract

Assessments of students’ knowledge and skills are sometimes habitually performed, but the design of proper assessment concepts – beneficial to both teaching and learning – ought to be a central issue for all course planners in higher education. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss a variety of assessment elements, as well as ways in which to combine them. It uses experiences from Lund University’s Faculty of Engineering (LTH) to provide suggestions and advice for course planners. The discussion is based on the combination of a literature review in the field of teaching and learning, of empirical material obtained from surveys and group discussions with 22 teachers at LTH, and of the authors’ own experiences in their capacity as course leaders and teachers. The study reveals a preference for projects and written assessment, as compared with the less preferred individual oral assessment. The paper indicates potential for quality enhancements through the adapted tailoring of assessment elements into holistic assessment concepts.