ABSTRACT
Assessment is a complex, nuanced and intricate activity. To make it fit-for-purpose it is necessary to take account of context, level, learning environment, students' background, individual differences and learning content. Many universities rely on a small range of assessment methods: essays, unseen written exams, reports and multiple-choice tests. Each has merit, but a wider range of assessment methods adds value concerning student learning, as long as the range of methods is not so great that students never have the chance to get used to any single method. The majority of assessment in higher education is based on university teachers undertaking the work, but other agents can make a valuable contribution. Significant amounts of assessment in higher education take place at the end of the learning process. When designing an assessment strategy, it is important to avoid giving students no assessed work for some time and then giving multiple assignments with clashing submission dates, which is stressful and risky for students.
