Designing Effective Assessments

Assessment is more than grading. It is about fostering learning through intentional design that gives students the opportunity to practice, receive feedback and improve learning throughout a course.

In this interactive 90-minute workshop, you will explore fundamental principles and practical strategies for all stages of assessment design from planning to implementation. Grounded in the backward design framework, this session highlights key considerations for effective assessment design, including:

• Ensuring validity and reliability: e.g., aligning learning outcomes with assessment methods; using rubrics for grading consistency
• Feedback & interaction: e.g., balancing formative and summative approaches; designing both individual and collaborative assessments with instructor and peer feedback
• Academic integrity & AI considerations: e.g., setting clear expectations including around the use of AI
• Feasibility & workload: e.g., considering workload for both students and instructors; leveraging Canvas tools and features to address workload considerations

You are encouraged to bring examples or questions from your own courses. Together, we will share challenges and explore context-specific strategies. You will leave with practical resources to support your assessment design, including hands-on guides, templates, and planning checklists.

Note: To get the most out of this workshop, please bring a laptop or mobile device for hands-on learning activities.