Assessment for learning in higher education

UCB organized on September 28, 2017, the training seminar with topic “Assessment for learning” with the attendance of the academic staff of the university. The seminar was conducted by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tidita Abdurrahmani. The topic was chosen taking into consideration the fact that assessment plays a major role in how students learn, their motivation to learn, and how teachers teach. The different purposes for which assessment is used were discussed during the seminar where focus was made on the Assessment for learning, specifically where assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students understand in order to plan and guide instruction, and provide helpful feedback to students. During the seminar was emphasized that assessment for learning has a role to play in supporting and improving student learning, and must be appropriately balanced, the most important part, being the interpretation and use of the information that is gleaned for its intended purpose.

Assessment should be embedded in the learning process being tightly interconnected with curriculum and instruction. Teachers and students should work towards the achievement of curriculum outcomes and assessment should play a constant role in informing instruction, guiding the student’s next steps, and checking progress and achievement. The participants shared their experiences from the universities they have studied and personal experience in their teaching activities to conclude that teachers use many different processes and strategies for assessment, and adapt them to suit the assessment purpose and needs of individual students.