Assessment Types at Niagara College
The collective agreement (effective to September, 2021) identifies three types of evaluation factors; EP Essay/Project (0.030), RT Routine or Assisted (0.015), and IP In-Process (0.0092). Each course can be made up of assessments that fall in to one or a number of these types. Before the method(s) of evaluation and feedback are established for a course, the supervisor will consult with the affected teachers as a group. Normally, the group will consist of the teachers working within the affected program. The group may consist of teachers teaching a course that is being taught across programs. If only one teacher is assigned to a program, that teacher shall be deemed to be “the group” for the purposes of this article (in the Collective Agreement).
- “Essay or project evaluation and feedback” is grading:
- essays
- essay type assignments or tests
- projects; or
- student performance based on behavioral assessments compiled by the teacher outside teaching contact hours.
- “Routine or assisted evaluation and feedback” is grading by the teacher outside teaching contact hours of short answer tests or other evaluative tools where mechanical marking assistance or marking assistants are provided.
- “In-process evaluation and feedback” is evaluation performed within the teaching contact hour.
Assessment Options and Opportunities
Within these three categories, faculty have many options for assessing their students. As you decide on assessments for your course, give some thought to the many options that are available to you and which options would support authentic assessment that will demonstrate student learning.
As you plan your assessments, you may want to offer students a choice in how they show what they have learned. For instance, a student research project might be submitted as a report, presentation, video, or infographic. This approach can help students be more invested in their work and is an excellent way to engage Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles through multiple means of action and expression and multiple means of engagement.
Essay or Project Evaluation
| Essay | Research paper or report | Poster | Business or financial plan |
| Case study or scenario | Infographic | Video | Discussion board |
| Presentation | Interview or mock interview | Portfolio | Advertisement |
| Reflection | Data analysis | Self-assessment | Blog |
| Budget | Journal | Decision analysis | Checklist |
| Essay test or exam | Model | Plan or schematic | Design |
| Lab report |
Routine or Assisted Evaluation
| Multiple choice test or exam | Short answer test or exam | Oral test or exam | Group test or two-stage test or exam |
In-Process Evaluation
| Clinical experience | Work experience | Interview or mock interview | Lab |
| Role play | Debate | Presentation | Practicum |
| Simulation | Pitch | Case study | Oral test or exam |
| Scenario |
In the next section, we’ll explore authentic assessments and their value in the teaching and learning process. We’ll also discuss ways to create authentic assessments in your course.
A legal agreement between a group of workers or employees, who have organized themselves into a union or bargaining unit, and their employer. The bargaining unit must be formally organized according to relevant provincial labour laws.
Measures a student’s ability to complete “real world” tasks; “authentic” refers to how closely an evaluation resembles what an employee in the field actually does.
A learner-centered approach to curriculum design to address learner variability or diversity and remove barriers to learning.
A principle of Universal Design for Learning; provide learners with alternative methods of demonstrating what they comprehend and different ways of managing information (e.g., assignments, multimedia presentations, concept maps).
A principle of Universal Design for Learning; connect with learners’ interests, supporting self-reflection of learning, fostering collaboration and varying levels of challenge (e.g., open class discussion, question and answer period, applied problem-solving, goal-setting).