UQ is introducing a new system for describing assessment in the Course Profile System.

This new system will help: 

  • describe an assessment item at a course level
  • give an indication of assessment over groups of courses
  • identify academic integrity issues and consideration for types of assessment.

Support for staff implementing these categories is available from ITaLI. Support for students undertaking assessment is available through Student Central.

There will be 3 sections: 

  1. ‘Category’ – the type of assessment activity
  2. ‘Mode’ – how you are asking students to respond to the assessment task
  3. ‘Conditions’ – rules associated with the assessment.

Assessment category 

Computer Code: Code for a computer including pseudo-code, where judgments can be made on functionality, structure and elegance, conformance to specified style guides, commenting and communication, etc. 

Creative Production/ Exhibition: Tasks that have an inventive, original, imagination-centred, and/or innovative focus or component, including a public display of works of art or items of interest.  

Paper/ Report/ Annotation: A written work with a specified structure or genre, including project proposal, various types of report (e.g. design, lab etc.), conference paper, case study, journal, literature review, plan, team charter, etc.  

Essay/ Critique: A written work with a specified structure or genre that focuses on developing a coherent argument through the work. 

Examination: Typically, any assessment item worth more than 20% that occurs for a student at a specified time, with a working time of less than or equal to three hours.  Examples include multiple choice questions, short answer responses, unseen essay questions, vivas, OSCEs and practical exams.  

Notebook/ Logbook: Students’ notes and records from a specific activity or activities, including laboratory notes, notes collected from visiting a site, a log of skills demonstrated, meeting notes, observation notes from observing a class or court, etc.   

Participation/ Student contribution: Student contributions to a specified activity beyond attendance where the quality of the student’s contributions is considered in relation to specified criteria and standards.  

Performance: For disciplines where performance work is standard including video submissions, set designs, theatrical performance pieces, dramaturgical mock interviews, news broadcasts, television/ gameshows, soap operas, and movie pitches. 

Placement: Students’ performance while in an industry, professional or community placement, assessed via direct observation of performance, recording of skills completed, collection of artefacts, feedback from supervisors and/or client/ personal reflection.   

Portfolio: A collection of artefacts for learning, assessment, reflection or showcasing about an individual learner, including ePortfolios. 

Poster: A visual summary of a project, research or activity for a specific group that may be accompanied by an interview or questions. 

Practical/ Demonstration: A practical activity using specific equipment, completing a specific process, or building/ demonstrating an artefact/ outcome that is assessed directly through observation activity, the outcomes of the activity, or documentation of the activity.  Assessment may also include an interview. 

Presentation: Oral, online, video or poster presentations, either individually or as a group/ team. 

Product/ Design: The creation of a design or product for a specific purpose and/ or audience assessed by direct examination of the product/ design, the creation process, and/or evidence of the effectiveness of the product/ design.   

Project: A task with established goals set by the course coordinator. 

Quiz: Similar to examination but focused on providing students with practice and feedback through lower weighting (<20%), less time pressure, repeated attempts, and/ or greater flexibility in timing and/or location.  

Reflection: Consideration of a student's own actions, contexts, and outcomes with a view to improving future work. 

Role play/ Simulation: Authentic assessment that allows students to practice real-life decision-making with minimal risks through playing a particular actor, stakeholder, or operator either in person or virtually. 

Thesis: Research or project-based documents that are usually worth 50-70% of a course mark. 

Translation/ Interpretation: Ability to translate a written or spoken text including writing the translation, live oral translation, or consecutive interpretation. 

Tutorial/ Problem Set: A set of questions used to assess a skill or concept. 

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Assessment mode

Activity/ Performance: Observation of the student doing a prescribed activity either live or via a recording. This could include observing a student’s creative performance, professional activities, or technical skill.

Oral: What a student communicates verbally, either in-person, through synchronous communications technology, or recorded. 

Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia: A physical or digital object created by the student. May include text, images, audio and/or video compiled, built on, and/or produced by the student.   

Written: Text written or selected by the student. This mode includes tasks such as MCQs, hotspots, ordering responses, etc. 

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Assessment conditions

Hurdle: Specific compliance or performance outcomes must be satisfied for students to receive a specific grade or grades. 

Identity Verified: The student’s identity is checked and/or monitored through the assessment.  

In-person: Some or all the assessment must be completed at a specific location.  

Longitudinal: The assessment is conducted over an extended period (e.g. weeks or months).   

Online: The assessment is completed and submitted completely online. 

Peer Assessed: The assessment is peer marked, with moderation provided by the course coordinator.  

Peer Assessment Factor: A peer assessment factor is applied to an individual student’s mark. 

Sequence: A set of two or more assessment tasks of similar nature or common purpose that provide developmental learning opportunities or comprehensive assessment of a particular learning outcome.  

Student specific: Assessment details/ requirements are individualised through negotiation with students or allocation.  

Team or Group Based: Students are required to complete all or part of this task in a group or team of students.  

Time Limited: The working time available to students is not greater than 8 hours.  

Work integrated learning: The assessment requires students to engage with industry or community activities related to potential future employment.

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 Ready to Teach Week

Twice a year, ITaLI puts together a program of online and in-person activities designed to help you prepare course materials for the upcoming semester.

Need help?

ITaLI offers personalised support services across various areas, including providing guidance on assessment categories.