University assessment and quality assurance

Strategies to improve university assessment for students and educators. Here, academics offer guidance on assessment design, covering formative, summative and diagnostic approaches, authentic assessment and how to give useful feedback. You will also find advice on exam preparation, ungrading, managing GenAI, preventing cheating and upholding academic integrity.

Advice on designing online assessment that reduces the opportunity or temptation to cheat

Design online assessment to prevent academic misconduct

Traditional proctored exams rarely work when teaching online so instructors must rely on careful assessment design to minimise the risk of cheating, explain Patrick Harte and Fawad Khaleel

Patrick Harte , Fawad Khaleel

Edinburgh Napier University

Webinar discussion how to reduce student drop out rates in the context of the pandemic and online learning

What is the secret to quality control in online teaching?

Four higher education professionals discuss what universities and faculty can, or should, do to ensure a top quality digital teaching across their institutions

Helen Carmichael, Joshua Fleming, David Lefevre, Gunter Saunders

University of Southampton, Office for Students, Imperial College London, University of Westminster

How to design online courses and assessments to minimise plagiarism and cheating

Fair assessment: tackling the rise in online cheating

The move to online learning has seen a big increase in academic misconduct such as plagiarism. Camilla Roberts explains how careful planning of online teaching and assessment can minimise cheating

Camilla Roberts

Kansas State University

Effective assessment of written work when teaching online

Efficient and effective assessment of written work remotely

Hear about some tried and tested methods for effective assessment of written work when teaching online from Sara Clarke and Katy Dumelle of Oregon State University

Sara Clarke, Katy Dumelle

Oregon State University

How to establish a robust quality framework to ensure top quality remote teaching

Establishing a robust quality framework for online education

How can universities monitor and guarantee the quality of their online courses? Here Geo Laws talks about how establish a robust quality framework for online teaching

Georgianna Laws

United States Distance Learning Association

Negotiated assessment boosts student engagement online and lowers the risk of cheating

Negotiated assessment in online teaching – the same learning outcomes measured in different ways

Authentic assessment is one of the biggest challenges associated with online teaching and learning. Here Katherine Baverstock explains why negotiated assessment engages remote students and lowers the risk of cheating

Katherine Baverstock

RMIT University

Using Blackboard learning journals as a form of online assessment

Translating creative assessment styles online: Blackboard learning journals

Traditional exams can inhibit students, while more creative assessments provide a forum where their talent and knowledge can shine. Madeleine Davies discusses a technique to offer creative assessments online

Madeleine Davies

University of Reading

How to ensure quality in digital teaching and learning

Expert Q&A: Ensuring quality online – every learner, everywhere

Penny Ralston-Berg, senior instructional designer at Penn State World Campus, discusses how to ensure quality in digital teaching and learning

Penny Ralston-Berg

Penn State University