University assessment and quality assurance

Insight on 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. 

By kiera.obrien, 30 June, 2025

Test students’ understanding, not their memory

Students sit an exam in a classroom
Exams have become more about students’ ability to recall answers to questions asked in past papers rather than testing their understanding of the knowledge they gained. Here’s how to challenge their cognitive ability instead
Reading time
5minutes
By kiera.obrien, 12 June, 2025

What happens when AI writes the appeal

A robot hand types at a laptop
As students increasingly use generative AI to craft assessment appeals, university staff face new challenges in maintaining the integrity of academic feedback. Here’s how we can adapt to preserve meaningful learning relationships in the face of optimisation
Reading time
4minutes
By kiera.obrien, 6 June, 2025

Build better doctors with programmatic assessment

A doctor takes notes on a clipboard
Programmatic assessment offers a better way to train doctors, making them more resilient and giving them the tools to manage their own professional development. Gozie Offiah explains how it works
Reading time
4minutes
By kiera.obrien, 26 May, 2025

How to support students with dyslexia in your teaching

A finger follows text in a book written in question marks
Students dealing with dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties may struggle in the classroom more than their peers. With their number increasing, here’s how to give them the space they need to learn
Reading time
4minutes
By miranda.prynne, 23 May, 2025

AI and assessment in higher education

Spotlight guide: AI and assessment
Threat or opportunity? Advice for using, managing and embedding artificial intelligence in university assessment, skills development and task design
Reading time
5minutes
University assessment and quality assurance