Course-based Assessment of Student Learning

The University of Saskatchewan is committed to a shared pursuit of learning and to high-quality programs and activities that foster essential learning outcomes and significant discovery. Our programs and courses offer fair, meaningful, and effective assessments of student learning that reflect the degree to which the planned learning outcomes have been achieved. Because assessment practices have a significant impact on students’ learning and wellbeing, the University’s common assessment principles and practices are an essential element of an equitable and supportive learning experience. The University is committed to transparent and reliable assessments of and for learning that inspire confidence in the teaching and learning process for students, educators, disciplines, accrediting bodies, and employers.

Assessment is the process of determining the extent to which each undergraduate and graduate student is making progress toward – and achieving – what we are helping them to learn. Based on clearly articulated outcomes, reasonable and diverse criteria of success, and multiple means of representing learning, assessment should give students ongoing information about their progress toward the learning outcomes (assessment as learning) and how to improve (assessment for learning). Assessment should also quantify what students have learned at the end of a course, program, and/or period of learning (assessment of learning).

The University values evidence-informed assessment practices and seeks to align with them. This policy statement, along with its associated processes, articulates a holistic and strategic blueprint that aims to:

1. Prepare skilled graduates who can accurately describe the quality of their learning and articulate steps they can take to improve;
2. Reflect the University’s deep commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in how and what we assess;
3. Situate our assessment practices within the body of research that demonstrates a clear link between effective assessment and learning; and
4. Articulate a vision for assessment of student learning that is an effective, fair, and transparent process which follows University, college, and department regulations so that students across the institution are treated respectfully and impartially.
5. Balance the assessment load for students and educators while providing sufficient breadth and depth to maintain standards and facilitate student learning.

This policy document flows out of and acknowledges educator, student, and university community commitments made in the University of Saskatchewan Learning Charter and the types of learner competencies Our Learning Charter articulates.

The following assessment principles guide assessment-related practices at USask.

Effective assessment of students

1. Is aligned with learning outcomes and instructional strategies (assessment of learning).
2. Is inclusive and transparent, so students have equitable opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
3. Gives students multiple opportunities to learn through practice and feedback, so they have sufficient time and support to reflect and improve (assessment for learning).
4. Develops students’ ability to learn effectively and prepares students to be self-directed, reflective, and engaged learners (assessment as learning).
5. Is designed so students apply disciplinary learning under authentic, or as close to authentic as possible, circumstances.
6. Is constructed and sequenced in ways that support positive student mental health and well-being.

This policy articulates the following academic unit and system-wide approaches to assessment for which we are establishing supports and structures. As such, USask supports assessment that:

7. Provides a valid and trustworthy representation of student achievement that students, educators, disciplines, accrediting bodies, and employers can have confidence in.
8. Is manageable and sustainable for educators and appropriately facilitated by policy and resourcing.
9. Provides useful information for ongoing course and program enhancement.
10. Forms an integral part of program design, aligning with what programs of study are aiming to achieve within disciplinary communities.

The following assessment policies are derived from the assessment principles that are the foundation of this policy. They are intended to describe how assessment processes in courses and programs should be designed and conducted.

These are descriptions of expectations covered within the policy.

Validity

1. Students are graded on clearly communicated learning outcomes that were the focus the course, and/or pre-requisites. (principles 1, 6, 7)
2. Assessments ensure appropriate challenge for level, credit units, and program of study. (principle 7)
3. Grading decisions in courses are made by humans, and a human-in-the-loop is an essential part of a valid grade. (principle 1, 7)

Improvement

1. All feedback is designed to facilitate student learning by helping students self-assess and develop their knowledge and skills. (principles 2, 3, 6)
2. Students have opportunity for guided practice with feedback (assessment for learning) to give them necessary information to prepare themselves for success in major graded assessments (assessment of learning). (principles 3, 6)
3. Recognizing that students are responsible for their learning, Educators endeavour to design assessments that provide students with opportunity to engage in assessment as learning, for example: opportunities to self-assess, opportunities to reflect, opportunities for choice, or opportunities for goal setting. (principle 4)

Transparency and Fairness

1. Educators share the assessment criteria and expectations associated with each assessment task. (principles 1, 2)
2. Educators endeavour to design assessments that are equitable and consider diverse student learning needs. (principle 2)
3. The assessments must address the duty to accommodate, as legally required. (principle 2)

Integrity

1. Educators have a responsibility to clearly state the academic integrity expectations for the course. (principle 2)
2. Assessment design enables and encourages good academic practices and minimizes opportunities and incentives for academic misconduct. (principle 8)
3. Educators consider what supports and tools might be used to complete a task like the assessment task in a setting outside the course (e.g., workplace). (principles 1, 5)
4. Students do not use support or tools an educator has prohibited. (principle 7)

The Office of the Provost, or its designate, in collaboration and consultation with relevant units in the Provost’s portfolio and other stakeholder administrative and academic units, is responsible for all matters of interpretation arising from the policy and for its regular review and revision. Academic leaders, educators, and students engage with each other in the reciprocal process of assessment and essential responsibilities for the process and outcomes of assessment:

USask central leadership/administration:

1. Provide resources and education to university community members regarding evidence-informed assessment practices, the intentions behind assessment processes, and the rules that govern those practices.
2. Review student assessment practices across the institution periodically to aid consistency and take steps to address equity, diversity, and inclusion concerns.
3. Ensure fair and consistent procedures for student appeals of assessments across the university.
4. Provide appropriate academic technologies to support high quality formative and summative assessment processes across the university.
5. Oversee and lead continuous improvement of centrally managed procedures and processes related to this policy.
6. Consider resourcing of colleges and schools, in light of this policy.
7. Provide campus-wide opportunities for students to develop core competencies required to be successful completing assessment tasks (e.g., University Library's student academic support).

Academic Units with structural responsibilities for assessment

(e.g., colleges and schools)

1. Provide learning opportunities and resources for members of academic units that are focused on assessment practices, policy and procedures.
2. Regularly review student assessment practices across the college/department/ program to aid consistency and academic integrity.
3. Develop and maintain academic unit processes consistent with university policy and procedures.
4. Align assessment practices and processes with accreditation standards, if applicable.
5. Oversee and coordinate the administration of assessments within the academic unit.
6. Consider resources for courses in light of this policy.
7. Establish core competencies required for success in assessments and design them into progression across programs, as required (e.g. common capstone or practical exam).
8. Use assessment trends to inform program enhancement efforts within the academic unit.

Leaders with collegial responsibilities for assessment

(such as School or Department Heads, Undergraduate/Graduate Chairs, and/or Vice/Assistant/Associate Deans Academic/Graduate Programs)

1. Organize ongoing learning opportunities for educators to help them select and use assessment approaches consistent with the assessment principles and policies.
2. Ensure assessment committees and educators have sufficient opportunity to access advice and support to:
   • align assessments to course learning outcomes and competencies
   • provide transparent criteria for grading assessments for everyone taking, teaching, or grading in a course
   • offer feedback during the learning process.
3. Oversee the grading process, including timely approval of final grades, so grades are a valid, consistent, and trustworthy representation of student achievement.
4. Organize or delegate the administration of shared or common assessments.

Educators with responsibility for teaching a course

1. Design assessments that are aligned with learning outcomes or competencies and select appropriate instructional strategies to align with the assessments.
2. Articulate specific expectations to students for academic integrity and what supports (e.g., editorial support, GenAI tools), if any, are permissible to use in completing an assessment.
3. Monitor the fairness of the assessment process and respond appropriately to issues.
4. Ensure assessments are transparent and provide students with equitable opportunities to demonstrate their learning.
5. Respond appropriately to a student request for a grade appeal.
6. Consider assessment approaches that mimic how students are likely to demonstrate competency beyond a higher education context.
7. Sequence and construct assessments to balance rigor and student workload.
8. Provide opportunity for guided practice with feedback (e.g., guided peer feedback, polling questions, practice quizzes) to give students necessary, timely information to prepare themselves for major graded assessments.
9. Communicate marking criteria and expectations associated with each assessment task clearly.

Students taking a course

1. Engage appropriately with assessment tasks.
2. Proactively seek help if unclear about the purpose of the assessment task or what is required to be successful with the assessment task.
3. Proactively seek help for accommodation, if required.
4. Use practice and feedback to reflect and improve performance on core academic competencies and assessment tasks.
5. Monitor personal self-direction, competency, and engagement, including through self-assessment in courses and independently.
6. Seek to understand and follow expectations for academic integrity for each assessment.

The Registrar, or their delegate(s):

1. Create and maintain procedures around the management and administration of final examinations.
2. Record and report final grades in all classes.
3. Create and share official transcripts.
4. Schedule final exams or delegate responsibility for scheduling.

• Assessment as Learning or Metacognition: A part of the Assessment for Learning process in which students monitor their own learning, gather information about how they are progressing, and use that information to set goals for improvement – usually in the form of self- or peer-assessment.
• Assessment for Learning or Formative Assessment: A process of checking to see what students are understanding as it is taught, and prior to any major summative assessment. Formative assessments give students feedback about how they are doing and how they can improve, and information to educators about student understanding and what students need to do next to be successful. They are usually ungraded or have grades that may be replaced by a later final product, for example, answering practice questions in class or handing in an outline in advance for feedback.
• Assessment of Learning or Summative Assessment: An assessment delivered once learning has ceased, like a major project or final exam, where the main purpose is to determine what has been learned.
• Educators: The word educator describes anyone who has a major assessment role, like a faculty member, instructor, preceptor, teaching assistant, etc.
• Human in the loop: An educator may use AI to support the assessment process but retains responsibility for the validity of the grade a student is given and must be able to defend the thinking behind why the grade was given.
• Shared understanding: Course time has been used to discuss the assessment topic, criteria, or process completely enough that markers, educators, and most students have a similar understanding of it.
• Students: The word student describes anyone who is completing course assessments and who needs to understand the assessment process well to direct their efforts appropriately.
• Authentic: In higher education, assessment validity is linked to authenticity—the extent to which an assessment reflects what would occur in a work or community setting or professional practice in a field of study. An assessment that requires students to produce a product or perform a task relevant to their future career is considered more authentic.

• Our Learning Charter
• Duty to Accommodate
• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy
• Course-Based Assessment procedures
• Course Delivery Policy
• Course Delivery Procedures