ABSTRACT
The powerful impact of assessment on student learning has long been recognized. One of the earliest formulations of this notion runs as follows: “the quickest way to change student learning is to change the assessment system” (Elton & Laurillard, 1979, p. 100). Assessment affects the content, mode, and orientation of students’ learning (Gibbs, 2006). Students, being essentially pragmatic, have a primary focus on achieving a high mark rather than demonstrating deep understanding of material (Greer, 2001). Following from this, summative assessment practices have tended to dominate the assessment process, frequently to the detriment of formative aspects (Knight & Yorke, 2003). It is increasingly being recognized that these formative dimensions or what is commonly referred to as assessment for learning, have a powerful potential for enhancing student learning, yet are often not exploited fully (Black & Wiliam, 1998; Gibbs & Simpson, 2004).
