Reflecting on ‘assessment’
2. The variety of approaches to assessment
Think for a few moments of all of the different types of
assessment you have completed. Have you undertaken written
assignments? Have you been assessed as part of a group? Have
you been marked on a presentation? Have you had aural and oral
exams? Did you particularly like or dislike any? Why?
There are many kinds of assessment. End of term exams are the most obvious assessment tools. However, most modules
incorporate continuous
assessment which accounts for a percentage of your final
results (this might vary from 10% up to 100% in some cases). Lecturers
will vary in how they use continuous assessment and also in the kinds
of assignments they give. Examples include in-class tests,
‘elapsed’ assignments (ones you are given a few
weeks to complete), laboratory-based or ‘practical’
assignments, etc. For elapsed assignments you might be required to
submit a piece of written work, do an oral presentation, make a product
such as a video or audio piece or many other activities appropriate to
your field of study. You might be required to work alone, in
pairs or in groups, or participate in online assignments.
You may also have on-going
assessment in the form of tasks, assignments or readings
which do not contribute formally to the final marks you achieve in a
module or award and which may or may not be
‘marked’. This kind of assessment can be
compared to the ‘homework’ you did when you were at
school, the purpose of which was similar: to reinforce what
you learned in school; to identify what you didn’t
understand; as a way of studying; as a way of learning; as a way for
teachers to give you feedback on how you are doing, etc. So, while you
are not given ‘homework’ per se in university, any
such suggested assignments can be used to improve your learning and
identify gaps in your understanding in the same way as
‘homework’ improved your learning and ultimately
contributed to your performance in the Leaving Certificate.
Even if a lecturer does not pick up these kinds of assignments in
class, you can always ask them to or ask them to address aspects which
you didn’t understand. And while lecture time is always
tight, most lecturers will at least give you sample answers or put
comments and solutions on Moodle – so ASK! |
