'Give me an assessment that matters!': connecting higher education assessments to real world needs

The gap between higher education assessments and real world needs is rightfully being challenged. Students want engaging, real-world assessments and applications; industry leaders seek individuals who can think critically and creatively, able to adapt within ever-changing contexts; and educators need assessments that reignite their own desire to guide students along disciplinary ways of thinking.

Rather than being just a box to tick, assessments can provide the means of engaging students with real world problems. We can move beyond essays written to the professor without student engagement; we can move beyond standard, multiple choice tests that quiz learners on factlets easily answered with a smart phone. Assessments are more than just stagnant evaluations of knowledge; they can be the pinnacle of an engaging learning experience.

This workshop will combine research in rhetoric, composition, curriculum development and literacy to showcase a pedagogically-sound and thoughtful approach to developing written assessments (known as the 'RAFT' Technique). We'll review before and after applications of the RAFT to assessments across disciplines, including Business and Social Sciences. Regardless of your discipline, this workshop will provide you the means of developing real-world written assessments that satisfy the needs of students, industries and educators.

After exploring the approach and reviewing multidisciplinary examples, we'll brainstorm our own assessment goals, focusing on authentic audiences and roles. In the end, you will walk away with at least one draft of a new, engaging written assessment and a model strategy to create more.