Securing Assessment Design
This resource outlines secured assessment types tailored to the pedagogical needs of built environments subjects.
With the emergence and exponential growth of GenAI capabilities and educational opportunities, our students require assessments that reflect these shifts and changes within both academia and industry. In response to this changing landscape, the University is undertaking an institution-wide approach to reform current assessment practices to ensure our students are provided with genuine educational achievements.
The following resource provides a tailored set of secured assessment types that reflects the pedagogical needs of built environments subjects. These assessment types and forms reflects and aligns with the University's definition of secure assessment and has been curated for ABP educators to implement into their assessment designs towards reliably evidencing students' learning.
ABP educators are highly encouraged to review the University's assessment principles that requires subjects to either implement 50% or more of total marks to be based on secure assessments, or the adoption of a form of secure 'programmatic' assessment within the degree.
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Observed exam(s) or test(s) are time-bound tasks with previously unseen/unpublished questions and/or materials. The assessment is observed and/or invigilated by trained staff. Well designed exams can be used to evaluate various forms of students' knowledge and skills, including learning outcomes centred on understanding and applying subject content material, organising and contextualising information, and structured approaches to solving problems.
Observed exam or test includes practical exams, objective structured clinical examination, invigilated written exams and mid-semester tests or quizzes. The following assessment examples are sub-types of observed exam/test that can be incorporated into subject's assessment design:
Secure Assessment Sub Type Assessment Purpose Observed practical examination - Commonly used in fields such as science (lab-based practical exams), healthcare (clinical skills assessments), engineering (lab-based problem-solving) and computing (live coding exercises).
- These examinations typically assess students’ practical and/or procedural knowledge and skills in authentic or real-world contexts.
Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
(not typically used in ABP)
- An observed practical examination used primarily in healthcare and related disciplines.
- An OSCE is a structured, timed, multi-station assessment that evaluates students' clinical knowledge and reasoning, clinical and practical skills and professional competencies.
Invigilated written examination - On paper or secure in-place digital platforms are conducted under supervised conditions with restricted access to resources and tools.
Observed mid-semester written test or quiz
(may take place across the semester at ABP)
- Typically a shorter assessment conducted in a supervised exam hall or classroom setting.
- Often more flexible than an invigilated written examination and integrated into regular scheduled classes, these may be supervised by teaching staff.
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Interactive oral assessments involve students to engage in staff through dialogue about their work. The dialogue will involve the student unpacking their understanding of a topic area they are studying. Students will respond to structured or semi-structured questions about a topic area in real-time. These assessment tasks commonly evaluate learning outcomes centred on students' understanding of the topic, students' thinking / cognitive processes or reasoning, the student's ability to apply their understanding of concepts to novel situations, and the student's ability to communicate / articulate their knowledge and understanding about a specific topic area.
Interactive oral assessments include design and research project presentations, oral exams/vivas, moots, and folio presentations. The following assessment examples are sub-types of observed exam/test that can be incorporated into subject's assessment design:
Secure Assessment Sub Type Assessment Purpose Design Project Presentation - Students present a completed project, prototype, or conceptual design to an audience and respond to questions in real time on why they made specific design choices, and how they iterated based on feedback or constraints.
Oral examination (viva)
(not typically in HDR examinations)
- Students present their work (often a significant research project or a thesis) and are questioned by a panel on the content of this and its relationship to other work in the field.
Research Presentation - Students present their research to an audience and respond to questions that require them to articulate the research developments and justify their choices.
Mooting presentation (LAW)
(not typically used in ABP)
- Students participate in simulation of an authentic scenario, in this case a court of law.
Visual art folio presentation - Students create and present a body of artistic work, articulating their process and responding to questions.
Creative process consultations - This assessment is designed for teachers to observe students’ iterative development of an artefact, and reflection on this development.
- Assessment may be separate to assessment of a mid/final submission of an original artefact (e.g. design; proposal; complex report).
Technical interview - This assessment typically assesses students’ mastery of subject material and critical thinking skills through their participation in a simulated interview where they are short-listed for a position as an environmental sustainability designer position in an internationally recognised firm.
Observed in-class oral discussion - This assessment is designed to measure students’ engagement and comprehension of required readings prescribed through the subjects’ curriculum.
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Performances involve students demonstrating a mastery of technical skills, creativity and interpretation. The assessment / examination is conducted in a controlled environment, in real-time and in person.
Performance assessments include dramatic and musical performances, rehearsals, and skills presentations. The following assessment examples are sub-types of observed exam/test that can be incorporated into subject's assessment design:
Secure Assessment Sub Type Assessment Purpose Skills presentation - Students demonstrate technical skill proficiency; commonly used in the Performing Arts in areas such as voice projection, singing or dancing, but can also be used for technical skills assessment other areas such as health, natural or agricultural sciences.
Performance (including rehearsals) - Students demonstrate their ability to master and perform a piece of music, choreography, script etc.
Site visits and field assessments - This assessment is designed to measure students’ ability to analyse and evaluate real-world sites, buildings and/or urban environments
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Observed Internship or Placement involve students in a work-integrated learning experiences where they are supervised in the workplace and assessed based on their demonstration of skills and understanding in the workplace context.
The following assessment examples are sub-types of observed exam/test that can be incorporated into subject's assessment design:
Secure Assessment Sub Type Assessment Purpose Workplace internship
(not typically used in ABP)
Students participate in a workplace and are supervised to complete activities within that context. Clinical placement
(not typically used in ABP)
Used in healthcare and related disciplines where students are taught by clinical supervisors and where students are required to demonstrate their acquired skills, often involving the completion of a clinical examination.
ABP secure assessment design catalogue
The following document is designed to act as a reference for educators during their assessment design / review process. The catalogue further expands the above types to include the following information:
- Assessment environment: descriptions of the physical learning environment conditions that distinguishes the assessment types and ensures its safeguarding
- Assessment recording/reporting: describes the process(es) of recording observed learning in students and how this evidence can be documented
- Design Considerations: list of further conditions and / or factors educators are strongly encouraged to consider during their design / review process. This includes timetabling, resourcing, student workload and assessment durations, etc.
ABP Secure Assessment Design Catalogue
Note all design of assessment must be in accordance with the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326) https://policy.unimelb.edu.au/MPF1326/