On page 2.2 Make learning visible - outcome based assessment we looked at using backward design to make learning visible by aligning assessment with our outcomes. Now we we will consider how to work with assessment criteria to support learning outcomes.

Why do we need assessment criteria?

The UME Medical Education Guide nr 4: "Making Thinking Visible - Assessment and assessment criteria" by Cormac McGrath, Karolinska Institutet, from 2007 aims to offer an approach to constructing assessment criteria that support learning outcomes.

McGrath describes how the Bologna process which resulted in the implementation of an outcome based curriculum emphasized the need for a set of criteria which express how well students achieve the different learning outcomes. Thus using assessment criteria to determine how well students have achieved learning outcomes is conducive to a good learning process.

If the assessment criteria are to be aligned with the learning outcomes we should be examining what we wish to teach and the learning outcomes will cohere to student learning.

Criteria helps to make thinking and learning visible

The process of using assessment criteria helps to make thinking visible, this process, according to McGrath, is twofold:

Creating assessment criteria requires that we discuss with colleagues and peers what it is we value in teaching and what we want to examine in our courses.
Creating assessment criteria which inform students’ learning towards learning outcomes is a way of making student thinking visible, they know what is required in order to pass and also what is important for their future occupations, given that we examine that which is important (see p5).

In this module you will find out more about using rubrics to measure assessment criteria as well as seeing examples or rubrics and criteria for assessment used at KI.