A low-pain assessment model for laboratories and tutorials

Abstract

Continuous assessment motivates students to become engaged with coursework, but presents challenges for staff due to the workload involved in marking and delivering feedback. Care must be taken to avoid students concentrating on simply accumulating marks, to the detriment of learning. We present a Checkpoint assessment model which strives to find a balance between these factors, and show how the Checkpoint model can be applied in tutorial and laboratory environments. Based on an evaluation of changes to student attitudes and performance within a large first-year physics course, we conclude that the Checkpoint model is effective at improving both student satisfaction and results.