Following the publication of Enhancing Assessment in Higher Education, Advance HE’s Lead Consultant (Education), Dr Kay Hack, and Senior Consultant (Education), Stuart Norton, show how the new framework can enhance student success.
Assessment remains a perennial problem for educators. While practice has undoubtedly improved since the Higher Education Academy published the Transforming Assessment in Higher Education Framework in 2016, it remains a focal point for student dissatisfaction with their student experience. Data from the UK National Student Survey (NSS,2023) indicates that while students were mostly happy with the level of academic support they received (scores between 83 and 84 per cent), some aspects of assessment and feedback are still a relative weakness, with just 72 per cent of students agreeing feedback helped to improve their work and 76 per cent feeling that marking criteria were clear. While this data is from the UK perspective, it resonates with our global members who also report it as an area where students do not feel they are completely supported.
The 2016 Framework built on a range of sector good practice. It was informed by the works of ASKe (Assessment Standards Knowledge exchange) and the Assessment Standards: a Manifesto for Change; Feedback: and Agenda for Change. The focus was on transformation, encouraging educators to imagine a university where exams are stepping stones, feedback sparked curiosity, and learning was a vibrant journey fuelled by diverse assessments. This was the future of higher education – a future where enhancing assessment was at the heart of improved learning and teaching.
