Discussing assessment tasks

How specific should you be with an assessment task? On the one hand, students need to understand what you want them to do and how they will be marked. On the other, trying to specify everything is (1) laborious and (2) discouraging of students’ creativity and imagination. Sonia Bartoluzzi and Peter Goodyear suggest that the solution is to have a discussion topic for each assessment task, where students can request further clarification if they need it (and everyone can see the tutor’s response) or negotiate their own adaptations or customisations. By not pre-empting students’ concerns, you can encourage them to engage with the task at a deeper level. Follow the link for the full discussion in the TELL Pattern Book, pp. 27-28.