3. Design nested or staged assessments

This strategy also emphasises process and involves designing assessments that build on each other over a semester so that they lead to a large complex piece of work that demonstrates students’ achievement of the subject’s intended learning outcomes. This strategy involves breaking the larger assignment into 3-4 steps toward completing the larger task.

The benefits of this strategy are that students can receive feedback (either automated, from peers, or teachers) after each step and better understand the process of planning and completing the complex task. By assessing various stages of the project, you can evaluate students’ ability to apply knowledge and adapt their plans based on feedback.

This strategy can be designed to make it more difficult for students to complete using generative AI (e.g., by requiring group work and reflections on specific individual contributions).

Examples of assessment design over a semester

Case study analysis and recommendations

• Task 1 Case analysis (early in semester): Students are presented with a complex scenario or case study that highlights key challenges/issues relevant to the topics covered in your subject. They are then asked to identify key issues and apply relevant concepts and theories to discuss the case.
• Task 2 Recommendations (later in semester): Based on their analysis of the case study and feedback (from peers and/or teacher) received, students make feasible and evidence-based recommendations to address the issues.
• Final task- Implementation plan: (end of semester). Students present their detailed implementation plan for the recommendations to address their case analysis. This could be in the form of an oral presentation video-recorded or live, poster presentation or written assignment.

Project-based group work

• Task 1 Individual task (early in semester):  In groups, students identify a specific problem to address, and individuals find five authoritative sources, and present short written summaries and reflections on each.
• Task 2 Group project plan (later in semester): Groups prepare a detailed project plan that synthesises individual work from Task 1 and outlines team roles, the team’s planned approach to the project and justification for decisions.
• Final task part 1- Group presentation: (end of semester): Groups present their analysis and evidence-based recommendations for addressing the problem. This can be in the form of a poster presentation, PechaKucha (https://www.pechakucha.com) or other oral presentation format (video-recorded or in person).
• Final task part 2- Individual reflection (end of semester): Individuals write a short critical reflection on peers’ and their own contributions to the group work and their learning from feedback on earlier tasks.

Case Studies

For more practical examples of this strategy, see also the following case studies:

Fostering genuine student engagement with personalised, context-specific assessment tasks

Authentic assessment design in a highly scaffolded environment

Designing continuous assessment to support experiential and project based learning