One of my elective law courses, Asian Legal Systems, presented a challenge. As well as enabling students understand how law and legal institutions in Asia operate in different and distinctive ways, the design of this comparative law course was to facilitate discussion and the sharing of perspectives thus maximising student input. Keeping these dynamics alive in Zoom classes led to several modifications in assessment.

In this progressive assessment students write a 1200 word argumentative essay in a supported learning environment. This assessment's innovation lies in its pedagogical underpinnings and the teaching environment in which it is delivered. Students complete weekly activities in argument mapping, effective communication, and critical reasoning as progressive learning tools to construct their essay.

Students are required to conduct field visits to two different sites of disciplinary relevance and write a comparative essay. Students are expected to draw on their first-hand, experiential knowledge of the site and link this to the broader theoretical and conceptual frameworks discussed in the course.

As a class students are set a collaborative task to produce a creative item relevant to their discipline (e.g. in MUSC3020, an original Album recorded and produced by students) and attend weekly laboratory sessions focused on relevant skill acquisition. This is scaffolded with written reflections where students outline their contribution.

Developed as an assessment for learning (rather than assessment of learning), this scaffolded task prompts students to consider how social theory is brought to bear through personal narratives. Students use digital platforms (e.g. Pinterest) to create a fictional character profile which becomes a point of reference for progressive tutorial activities.

Students construct a 2000 word essay critiquing a film from their disciplinary perspective. This involves analysing salient aspects of plot situation, thematic elements etc. by applying relevant theories/concepts from the course content. This task particularly reinforces formative disciplinary knowledge (which often challenges early undergraduates) through engaging contemporary contexts.

This five part assessment task (presented in a Blackboard learning module) is designed to build foundational research skills, provide meaningful engagement with library resources, and prepare students for a major assessment item.

Delivered as part of a flipped classroom approach, this assessment encourages and rewards students who engage with content before designated class-time. Students complete feedback-rich, online quizzes (via Blackboard) related to the weekly content which serve to increase pre-class reading, engagement and learning, and form the basis for robust in-class discussions.

Flip is an online video-based social learning platform, that allows students to see each other online, learn from one another through vlogging, and connect to each other on a socio-emotional level, in their own time (asynchronously). Students can provide video responses to other students or teacher and can provide private or open feedback to all students.

This learning experience (and accompanying assessment) sees students travel to an oversees destination and engage in extended, experiential learning. Students are required to complete a combination of on-site assessment such as practical fieldwork, fieldwork journals and presentations, as well off-site assessment such as final research essays based on fieldwork.