There has been a remarkable growth of interest in the assessment of student learning and its relation to the process of learning in higher education over the past ten years. This interest has been expressed in various ways - through large scale research projects, international conferences, the development of principles of assessment that supports learning, a growing awareness of the role of feedback as an integral part of the learning process, and the publication of exemplary assessment practices. At the same time, more limited attention has been given to the underlying nature of assessment, to the concerns that arise when assessment is construed as a measurement process, and to the role of judgement in evaluating the quality of students' work. It is now timely to take stock of some of the critical concepts that underpin our understanding of the multifarious relationships between assessment and learning, and to explicate the nature of assessment as judgement. Despite the recent growth in interest noted above, assessment in higher education remains under-conceptualized. This book seeks to make a significant contribution to conceptualizing key aspects of assessment, learning and judgement.

There has been a remarkable growth of interest in the assessment of student learning and its relation to the process of learning in higher education over the past ten years. This interest has been expressed in various ways - through large scale research projects, international conferences, the development of principles of assessment that supports learning, a growing awareness of the role of feedback as an integral part of the learning process, and the publication of exemplary assessment practices. At the same time, more limited attention has been given to the underlying nature of assessment, to the concerns that arise when assessment is construed as a measurement process, and to the role of judgement in evaluating the quality of students' work. It is now timely to take stock of some of the critical concepts that underpin our understanding of the multifarious relationships between assessment and learning, and to explicate the nature of assessment as judgement. Despite the recent growth in interest noted above, assessment in higher education remains under-conceptualized. This book seeks to make a significant contribution to conceptualizing key aspects of assessment, learning and judgement.

Oral assessment of student learning has a long history in tertiary education, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and features in examinations for entry into many professions. Despite its ubiquity, little is known about how oral assessment is experienced from the student's perspective. Based on intensive student interviews, this book presents contrasting ways in which one common form of oral assessment - the oral class presentation - can be experienced by students. Students who saw presentations as persuasive arguments found their assessment to be intensely engaging - they prepared thoroughly, interacted vigorously with their audience, and developed complex understandings of their topic. The study shows that oral assessment, if conducted in the right way, can be significantly richer and more personally engaging than written assignments. The book therefore offers important insights into the nature and function of oral assessment and will be of interest to any university or college teacher seeking to use oral forms of assessment to evaluate their students' learning while promoting deep approaches to that learning.

Invites teachers in higher education to rethink the purposes of assessment and to revise their assessment practices in the interests of improved student learning. It combines practice, theory, research and extensive examples of assessment techniques to support academics in this vital part of their multi-faceted role.