How do I create relevant examinations and other forms of assessment that promote students' knowledge development?

Research shows that examinations and other forms of assessment have a significant impact on what students learn. They send a message of what knowledge, how and in what contexts students are expected to use their knowledge. Several scientific studies have found that students spend a lot of time trying to work out the content of the examination components, adapting their studies accordingly For this reason, examinations and other forms of assessment need to be designed in a way that enables students to achieve the intended learning outcomes of the course. In other words, an examination should go beyond assessing whether students have learned something and actually contribute to their knowledge development.

There are various aspects which must be taken into account when designing an examination or other form of assessment:

• The validity aspect: How can I create components that assess the relevant intended learning outcomes of the course?
• The reliability aspect: How can I design the examination as a whole so that I can be sure that the students' results are a true reflection of their knowledge in relation to the intended learning outcomes of the course?
• The plagiarism aspect: How can I ensure that the examination is fair, and how can I minimise the risk of cheating and plagiarism?

The following must also be considered when students take examinations in digital environments or with digital tools:

• The digital aspect: How can I take advantage of the pedagogical opportunities and manage the pedagogical challenges associated with examinations in a digital environment?

When designing your examination components, it is important that you think about which forms and levels of knowledge the examination should assess:

• Should the examination assess the students' factual knowledge or should the students also demonstrate their ability to apply, analyse and evaluate something?
• Should the different forms of knowledge be assessed separately or should they be integrated into the examination components?
• What should students remember and reproduce and what should students know in relation to tools and aids?

The answers to these questions can help you when choosing the form of examination/assessment, and when constructing questions or examination components.

Below you will find some examples of different forms of examination/assessment, and ideas on how to construct examination components. The different forms of examination/assessment can stand alone as an examination. They can also be combined and serve as components of an examination. If you combine different forms of examination/assessment as components of a larger examination, it is important that you make it clear to the students that it is an examination made up of different parts. The examination/assessment can also span a longer period of time with several constituent parts. This should also be clearly stated in both the course syllabus and the examination description.