Definition of Assessment in Higher Education
Assessment in Higher Education is an on-going evaluation process aimed at understanding and improving student learning by measuring the learning outcomes in knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.
Assessment has been commonly viewed as merely the final outcome measure of students' competence at the end of a course - to determine students' grade, or as an indicator for university quality assurance. It reflects the overall effectiveness of teaching and learning, and provides insights to guide students for appropriate approach to learning, and also guide teachers for appropriate teaching styles and activities.
In fact, assessment is a core element in the overall educational process of teaching and learning in higher education. However, teachers in the past have often treated the design of assessment as an add-on component to the curriculum design. Little or no thoughts have been dedicated to it. And only traditional summative assessments such as examination and essay type of assessments were usually employed.
The Aims of Assessment