Work-related, Group, Peer-assessed
Authentic assessment in Finance
Students are required to complete an individual assignment (20%) on conducting fundamental analysis of a listed company. This company will later be included in the team project (20%) for students to conduct extensive analysis. The team project is followed by a live Q&A session (10%) and a compulsory peer assessment evaluation. These authentic assessments use real-world data to encourage students to think critically and apply textbook-based knowledge to real-world situations.
Group, Peer-assessed, Time limited
Authentic weekly portfolio, case studies, team-based assignment, and reflection
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.
Sequence
Data Analytics Portfolio
This assessment introduces students to the theories, methodologies, and technologies related to the collection, modelling and analysis of digital social data. Students are required to operate a variety of data curation and analysis software systems to produce a dataset, and then perform both qualitative and quantitative analyses of these datasets.
Assessment method
Formative Writing Tasks and Online Portfolio
Designed with an explicit focus on developing students writing capabilities (especially in relation to professional and/or vocational genres), this assessment sees students produce weekly written pieces of varying genres for which they receive qualitative feedback. Students must then choose 4 of these written pieces for revision and inclusion in a summative online portfolioportfolio.
Work-related, Group
Historical Research Project
In this major research piece, students create a historical research project (in place of a traditional essay) that can be disseminated to a wider, non-academic audience. Approximately 3500 words (or equivalent), the project can take multiple formats including a website, exhibition proposal, eBook, oral history report, travel brochure, or documentary.
Assessment method
Manuscript Editing and Editorial Report
Students are assigned an extract from a draft manuscript (developed by a practicing author), for which they produce a professional editorial report. Students actively use skills taught throughout the course to make reasoned suggestions that improve the quality of the work, and may ultimately be realised in published copy.
Group
Personalised Multimedia Portfolio
Students complete an intensive field project (7-10 days) to produce a professional portfolio of authentic digital and/or written works. Fieldwork involves a course trip to an overseas location or high profile domestic event (e.g. 2014 G20 Summit). Students research and prepare proposals/pitches prior to fieldwork in consultation with course coordinator/s.
Assessment method
Primary Research Portfolio and Report
Designed to introduce students to the practical and methodological aspects of undertaking primary research within a disciplinary context, this assessment sees students work with research participants to plan and conduct qualitative interviews to produce portfolio of fieldwork documents and a final research report.
Assessment method
Video Experiment
Likened to a video essay, this technique sees students design and conduct an individual practical or experiential experiment based on course principles, documenting it (including background, rationale, results and implications) in a 10 minute YouTube video. Videos are edited and published online, with some being potentially translated into scholarly publications.
Work-related, Sequence
Workplace Learning Portfolio
In Phase 2 (the clinical years) of the MD program in the Faculty of Medicine, students collect evidence of observed practice of core clinical skills - Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (Mini-CEX), Direct Observed Procedural Skills (DOPS) and Compulsory Observed Procedural Skills (COPS). They also lodge Clinical Participation Assessments for each clinical rotation. The overarching aims of the Workplace Learning Portfolio course are intern readiness, to be observed practicing core skills and receive feedback, and to use that feedback to continue to grow and develop.