Every credit based course has some form of assessment in order to determine whether or not the student can demonstrate competency. The type of assessment is chosen by the faculty member and communicated to students in the Course Outline or Syllabus provided to students on day one. That in fact, is the first way of preparing students for assessment – communicating the type of assessment, the weighting of the assessment and the timing.
It is not uncommon for students to go directly to the summative assessment section of the course outline to see what the assessment strategy will be for their course. Therefore when constructing the course outline, ensure that information is provided about each assessment. Information can include the following:
- Type of assessment. Formative / Summative
- Where summative, is it a: quiz, exam, assignment, demonstration or other
- Location and date
- Content to be assessed – certain modules/units, comprehensive to date
- Time allocated or deadline
- If appropriate, resources to be used during assessment