Formats for an assessment programme/plan on study programme level.
An assessment programme or plan on programme level (Dutch: toetsprogramma of toetsplan op opleidingsniveau) provides an overview of the way in which the education units of a study programme are assessed. Ideally, the assessments are related to the learning objectives per unit of study and weighting factors are also indicated. The total of assessments ensures that all learning objectives, which are in turn derived from the final learning objectives on programme level (also called final qualifications or programme intended learning objectives or final attainment targets; in Dutch: eindtermen) are assessed.
An assessment programme on programme level provides among other things an overview of which forms of assessment are used (and how often), the way in which certain final qualifications are assessed during the study and the balance between group assessment and individual assessment. A qualitatively well-designed assessment programme guarantees that the final attainment levels are achieved by the students.
The assessment programme ideally reflects the (teaching and) assessment vision and principles for assessment that a programme has formulated in its assessment policy. In practice, the first time an assessment programme on programme level overview is drawn up, it can also be used to sit down with all relevant actors (the programme director, programme coordinator, module coordinators, [a group of representatives for] the lecturers) to discuss the current situation and to see what stands out and how improvements can be made if the current situation deviates from what is considered desirable. An assessment plan is made by the programma management. To involve the Education Committee (OLC) and Examination Board is recommendable. A faculty educationalist from CELT may provide support. It is precisely these discussions at the time of creation or after a foundation has been laid, which are essential 1.
Role of the Examination Board
As an Examination Board it is not your responsibility to create an assessment programme or plan. But, in the scope of your role to guarantee that students who graduate have achieved their final qualifications, it is wise to have a critical look at the assessment programme. So what do you look for when analyzing an assessment programme? Suppose you see an assessment programme and you are asked to give an opinion about it. What can you pay attention to?
- Are all the programme intended learning objectives (PILO's) covered? Are there any objectives that are hardly ever assessed? Can that be justified?
- Which kind of assessment methods are used? Does it fit in with the vision or principles of the study programme regarding assessment and examination? Is there enough variation?
- What is the ratio between group assessments and individual assessments? Can this distribution be justified? Can it be sufficiently guaranteed that each individual student will achieve the PILO's?
- Is there a build-up in the development of knowledge and skills? For example, in the first year there are more knowledge assessments. In the final year, students mainly work on assignments that appeal to higher cognitive knowledge and skills and that will require the independent acquisition of knowledge and insights.
To read more about this topic and to get new insights:
- Interesting information is offered by the Northeastern University. They use the term "programmatic assessment" as exemplary for "a cycle of inquiry that enables programs to regularly evaluate their goals and the degree to which they are achieving them. During this process, a program uses data to answer questions about how its curriculum supports (and could further support) students’ achievement of identified programmatic student learning outcomes. This process enables the active and strategic iteration of a program’s design to enhance student learning." “The purpose of assessment is not to gather data and return “results,” but to illuminate ways to strengthen the curriculum, instruction, and student learning” (Pearsons, 2006). Programmatic Assessment | Center for Advancing Teaching and Learning Through Research (northeastern.edu)Links to an external site.
- The design of an assessment programme can be based on certain principles, such as programmatic assessment as defined by the Dutch educationalist Cees van Vleuten (Dutch: programmatisch toetsen). The way he uses this term is slightly different but It has the same aim: to think carefully about how to organize the assessment and examination programme so that it supports the students' learning process. For those who want to know more about this, in a very short introduction video, Cees van der Vleuten explains the basis ideas (English): Video Programmatic Assessment - Cees van Vleuten - English For Dutch speaking people: Liesbeth Baartman explains in a video (8 min.) the importance of creating an assessment programme.
1 To read more about this topic: Baartman, L., Van der Vleuten, C. (2015). Kwaliteit van een toetsprogramma. In: Kwaliteit van toetsing onder de loep, Sluijsmans, Joosten-ten Brinke, Van Schilt-Mol. Garant-Uitgevers.