Embedded Assessment in Higher Education: a case study

Assessment should be seen as a strategic process through which university students can actively improve their learning, rather than a standardized practice through which teachers merely verify and measure the knowledge that students have learned at the end of a course. Given the need to rethink and innovate assessment methods, especially at university level, in the academic years 2022-23 and 2023-34, we experimented with a new form of assessment in a first-year course of master’s degree in Primary Education at the University of Macerata. We designed an embedded assessment to support students' learning as they progressed through the course and to encourage reflective thinking and awareness of their learning processes. Data analysis on student participation seemed to confirm the effectiveness of these innovative ways of thinking about didactics and assessment. Indeed, most of the students took and passed the final exam in the first session. The design of the course structure and assessment proved to be valuable. The regular use of reflection forms, filled in by the students at the end of each lecture allowed them to review what had been covered and to request follow-up or clarifications. The alternation between modules and midterm tests encouraged regular and gradual study, dialogue feedback, and constant reflection on one's own learning path leading to a greater self-confidence. The many opportunities for discussion and reflection in plenary and in small groups enabled the students to develop and train their professional vision.