Assessment design

Our guidance on the taxonomy of assessment domains (pdf) can be used widely as a working document to guide academic staff in a range of ways. For example:

• To support the design of courses and modules
• To help staff encourage students to engage in progressively deeper learning during their course
• To encourage the precise use of words to describe learning activities which the makes it easier to the develop assessments that reflect the level of demand of the learning outcomes
• To show how the learning outcomes are connected to the content of the module, to the assignment and to its criteria
• To help staff design and develop module assessment which is appropriately targeted and levelled
• To help internal and external examiners - i.e. guesswork is removed as it makes it easier to understand the demands of the assessment question and thus facilitates the grading

In combination with the taxonomy of assessment domains, there is a set of undergraduate marking descriptor (pdf) and a separate set of postgraduate marking descriptor (pdf) that can be used and adapted by courses. 

Our Marking criteria and rubrics (webpage) provides guidance and resources to help staff develop and apply marking descriptors for undergraduate and postgraduate assessments. It includes adaptable general descriptors, example adaptations, and subject-specific rubrics to support consistent marking across assessment types. Turnitin rubric files and narrated videos are provided to help staff implement and customise marking criteria for their modules.

• Generative AI tools, a guide for Leeds Beckett staff designing assessments (pdf). This guide provides higher education staff with guidance on managing student use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools. It outlines considerations for assessment design, ethical and practical issues, and recommended short and long-term changes to assessments. The page also includes tutorial activities, examples of Turnitin rubrics, and links to resources to support students’ understanding and responsible use of Gen AI in learning and assessment

• Reworking essay questions to be less AI vulnerable (pdf). This document offers practical, short-term strategies to strengthen assessment validity and promote authentic student engagement, aligned with Leeds Beckett's Course Principles

The design of  assessments should be as accessible and inclusive to maximise the opportunity for all students to achieve the best they can. You can find a wide selection of resources to aid your inclusive practice on the pages linked below. 

• Decolonising the curriculum (webpage)
• Inclusive practice (webpage)

Assessment is a key driver for learning. Good design starts with well-written learning outcomes and clear, transparent assessment criteria. Formative and summative assessment should accurately test the extent to which the student has met the intended learning outcomes. When choosing an assessment type, you must also consider whether it is appropriate for the learning outcome which you are intending to assess. Assessment design should be inclusive, anticipating students’ needs and enabling all students to undertake assessment equitably. However, where individual reasonable adjustment is necessary, this will be accommodated. The resources below will help guide staff to create inclusive and accessible assessments:

• Inclusive assessment guidance (pdf)
• Guide to alternative and accessible formats (pdf)
• Generic reasonable adjustments for online teaching and assessment (pdf)

Assessment is normally divided into two forms, formative and summative. Formative assessment is developmental and designed to monitor student learning to provide ongoing feedback that can be used by the tutor and student to guide improvements in teaching and learning contexts without the attribution of a mark that counts towards a degree. Summative assessment relates to assessment with the attribution of a mark which contributes to a student’s grade or degree classification.

Here are a number of resources around innovative assessment design for a range of levels. The University of Reading have produced an A-Z of different assessment methods. If you are looking for ideas of different types of assessment, this might be a good place to start:

• Assimilate:  Compendium of examples of innovative assessment at Masters level (pdf)
• Designing First-Year assessment and feedback: A staff guide (pdf)
• Enhance quick guide: Meeting the challenges of programme level assessment by Kay Sambell, Sally Brown, and Phil Race (docx)

Dedicated resources on supporting students undertaking dissertation style assessments are found on the supporting students undertaking dissertations (webpage).

Guidance has been produced to help staff consider best practice in using word limits (pdf) when designing summative assessments. It should be considered in parallel to a clear understanding of devising a holistic, innovative and consistent course level assessment strategy. 

You will be aware of the importance of academic integrity through your own academic work. It is also important that our students are aware of what having good academic integrity good means and what it looks like. Services across the University have created a wide range of resources to support students in using the correct referencing and citation methods.

The University also utilises a piece of plagiarism detection software called 'Turnitin'. See The Library staff pages for more information about Turnitin.