ABSTRACT
Most training and educational institutions have a raft of assessment policies dealing with all manner of issues such as conduct of examinations, marking and grading, provision for disabilities, special consideration, plagiarism, cheating, and so forth. Much assessment policy, such as appeals procedures, may exist at an institutional level, whereas other policies, such as the granting of extensions to assignments, may be left to the discretion of individual teachers or trainers. This chapter looks as some key assessment policies affecting open and distance learners. It already discusses the importance of a whole-of-course approach to assessment, to ensure that the key graduating qualities are consistently developed. A whole-of-course approach to assessment assumes a high level of collegiality among teachers in a programme, a shared vision about the qualities of graduating learners, and a willingness to explore integrated assessment approaches and new assessment methods to achieve those aims.
