Assessment & Feedback

Guidance Home Page

An Academic Developer's View on Assessment & Feedback

Assessment is a complex part of teaching and learning. There are no universal solutions, and what works well in one discipline, programme or learning context may not be right for another. For this reason, these pages are not intended to prescribe how you should assess. Rather than offering fixed rules, checklists or one-size-fits-all models, they are intended to help you think critically about the choices you make in designing assessment and feedback. Our LTA principles support a reflective approach to assessment design, prompting us to consider whether we are assessing what really matters, supporting the learning we want to see, designing inclusively and practicably, and generating reliable evidence of student achievement.

Across these pages, you’ll find resources to support reflection on the purposes, alignment, authenticity, integrity, inclusivity, and GenAI resilience of your approaches to assessment, feedback, and learning. They are informed by practice, scholarship, and our experiences working with lecturers and programme teams across TU Dublin. However, we believe that you are the expert in your discipline and educational context. These resources are designed to support, not replace, that expertise, by offering evidence, ideas, practical guidance and opportunities for reflection.

Assessment design inevitably involves judgement and trade-offs. There is rarely a single perfect approach, and uncertainty is a normal part of designing for complex learning environments, not a sign that something has gone wrong. We therefore see assessment design as an ongoing process of reflection, evaluation and iterative development.

We hope these resources are useful in supporting that process. If you would like to discuss any of the topics in more depth, please contact me or a member of the team, or consider taking part in our CPD opportunities for TU Dublin teaching staff.

Dr. Derek Dodd

Academic Developer