Practitioners often criticise higher education curricula for the disconnect between theory and practice. I designed this authentic assessment (case studies, team-based assignments, report writing) to 'inoculate' my students with managerial challenges (e.g. conflict management) while connecting theory and practice to resolve these challenges in the real world of work.

In this formative assessment, students select a recent news media item (print, electronic, multimedia, social media etc.) and conduct a short (500-700 word) critical reflection that draws on the foundational theoretical and disciplinary concepts from the course.

Designed explicitly to provide student flexibility and cater to diverse learning styles, this technique has students produce a piece of written or audio-visual content in response to a provocation from a course practicum or theoretical perspective. Content can take numerous forms including a blog, critical review, documentary, or reflexive essay.

Students submit an argumentative piece on a contemporary topic relevant to their discipline of study. Pending staff approval, students can submit this assessment in a number of written or multimodal formats such as an editorial for The Conversation, a government report, or a short audio-visual documentary.