1. What are the different assessment
types?
The presentation explains the differences between
diagnostic, summative and formative assessments.

2. Assessment can be one of 3 types...
1. Diagnostic assessment
•
Diagnostic assessment identifies students’ prior level of understanding of
key concepts or knowledge for the purpose of defining future learning or
teaching. Typically diagnostic assessment can be used in pre-course
assessment or orientation to a subject.
•
It can assist both students and staff to work out what topics need to be
covered and where any extra support can be provided. For example, if
students indicate they have a problem with essay writing, then the support
of CLASS can be called upon, or additional exercises created to give more
practice in this skill.

3. 2. Formative assessment
•
Formative assessment helps students and staff to identify
strengths, weaknesses and ways to improve and enhance student learning.
Formative assessment is intended to support student learning rather than
determine a final grade/mark.
•
Formative assessment is also known as learning activities.

4. 3. Summative assessment
•
Summative assessment measures what the student has achieved. It assigns
marks and grades to tasks that lead to students either succeeding or failing in
their units. This ultimately provides the credentialing for students to complete
their degrees, enter their professional practice and demonstrates that standards
are appropriate. Assessment tasks conducted during the progress of a term
may be regarded as summative in nature if they contribute to the final grade or
numerical result of the students. Sometimes there can be a tension between
these two purposes. They both impact on lecturer time, including the time
available for providing feedback. Too many assessments decreases the
chances of thorough feedback.

5. What do we need? The right
assessment for right time and place
Assessments need to be considered in light of:
– Course content (mapping)
– Discipline of course content
– Position of subject in qualification e.g. first year
– Position of assessment in subject e.g. first assessment, capstone
assessment

6. Resources
Crisp, G. (2009). HERDSA Guide: Designing and Using e‐Assessment, Higher Education
Research and Development Society of Australasia, p vii .
The Australian Qualifications Framework
URL: http://www.aqf.edu.au – you can get a copy of the January
2013 framework.