{"id":19768,"date":"2023-12-08T00:11:02","date_gmt":"2023-12-07T13:11:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au\/teaching@sydney\/?p=19768"},"modified":"2023-12-18T20:08:11","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T09:08:11","slug":"embracing-the-future-of-assessment-at-the-university-of-sydney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/educational-innovation.sydney.edu.au\/teaching@sydney\/embracing-the-future-of-assessment-at-the-university-of-sydney\/","title":{"rendered":"Embracing the future of assessment at the University of Sydney"},"content":{"rendered":"

In an era where generative artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the educational landscape, <\/span>Sydney<\/span> is pioneering a refreshed approach to assessment and feedback. This initiative is not just about keeping pace with technological advancements but also about enhancing the quality and integrity of our programs. Here, we explore the opportunities and principles underpinning this <\/span>exciting <\/span>and crucial <\/span>shift.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A ‘two-lane’ approach to assessment<\/h2>\n

We are taking a ‘two-lane’ approach<\/a> to assessment design in the age of AI:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. ‘Lane 1’ assessments<\/span><\/b>: These are designed to ensure students have mastered the skills and knowledge our programs require. They are supervised and designed for the ‘assessment of<\/em> learning’.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
      \n
    1. ‘Lane 2’ assessments<\/span><\/b>: These motivate students to learn, and teach them to engage responsibly with AI. They focus on productive and responsible participation in an AI-integrated society.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Most of our assessments should be in ‘lane 2’ \u2013 that is, they should be assessments that engage students in authentic learning.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      The University\u2019s refreshed assessment principles<\/h2>\n

      We have updated our assessment principles<\/a> to align with contemporary technologies, best practices, and student skill development with a strong focus on providing students with useful and timely feedback to help them succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. Assessment practices must promote learning, evaluate outcomes and facilitate reflection and judgement.<\/strong> There is renewed emphasis on assessments that promote and measure learning, supported by constructive and timely feedback.<\/li>\n
      2. Assessment practices must be clearly communicated.<\/strong> There is additional emphasis on helping students appreciate how assessment tasks are related to learning outcomes.<\/li>\n
      3. Assessment practices must be inclusive, valid and fair.<\/strong> This reiterates our commitment to standards-based assessment, and provides additional impetus to moderate standards to ensure inclusivity and equity.<\/li>\n
      4. Assessment practices must be regularly reviewed.<\/strong> New emphasis is placed on keeping assessments up to date in alignment with new technology (including AI), and including the student voice in evaluating assessments.<\/li>\n
      5. Assessment practices must be integrated into program design.<\/strong> This newly developed principle introduces the integration of assessment and feedback across the program, supporting student development from enrolment to graduation. There is an emphasis on validation of students\u2019 attainment at various points across a program, through trustworthy and coherent assessment tasks. This principle also reminds us to equip students with skills for their studies and the future, including with appropriate technologies.<\/li>\n
      6. Assessment practices develop contemporary capabilities in a trustworthy way.<\/strong> This newly developed principle focuses on enabling students to develop and demonstrate skills with relevant technologies, whilst ensuring academic integrity. It emphasises the role of assessment practices in helping students build the ability to work ethically with technologies like AI, through assessments that may be unsupervised and serve to motivate and drive learning (\u2018lane 2\u2019 assessments). It also emphasises the importance of having other assessments that can assure learning, across a program (\u2018lane 1\u2019 assessments).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Helping to understand how we are going<\/h2>\n

        To help Associate Deans (Education) and other staff keep track of and support assessment redesign, two new fields will appear for each assessment item in Sydney Curriculum.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        \"Screenshot<\/a>
        New options available in Sydney Curriculum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

        A selection in the new dropdown field is required, and if you genuinely have not had a chance to consider this, we encourage you to select the \u2018Not considered\u2019 option so that the appropriate supports can be made available.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        There are various combinations of these two fields:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

      This model ensures that we meet Australian Government\u2019s Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) guidance<\/a>, advocating for inclusive, contextualised, and trustworthy assessments and preparing students for an AI-infused world.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n