Assessment serves many purposes in higher education such as measuring student learning, allowing students to progress to the next stage of study, informing accreditation processes, meeting professional body competencies and guiding our teaching practices. Assessment is said to drive student learning in higher education (Scott, 2019) and is of central importance to any higher education curriculum. Learning occurs when a learner interacts with a social, cultural or material environment (Illeris, 2009). In the case of assessment, this environment is the task that has been designed for the learner to complete and the support they get in completing that task. In completing the task, the learner is involved in an internal psychological process of acquiring and learning the knowledge or skills required.

For the purposes of the University of Bedfordshire Curriculum Framework, the design of assessments should focus on supporting student learning and developing the graduate skills and attributes they will need to apply in the real world.

The Assessment Strand sets out five aspects to guide the design of assessments:

Authentic Assessment - Assessment replicates or simulates skills required for employment.

Choice and Flexibility - Students are given opportunities to shape their assessment experience and focus their subject expertise.

Assessment Scheduling - Assessment is considered on a course-wide basis to ensure appropriate scheduling.

Assessment Explanation - Brief clearly articulates tasks, expectations, standards and develops assessment literacy.

Feedback Rich Environment - Assessment feedback is focused, constructive, adaptive and timely.