Alternative Assessment Case Studies

These case studies demonstrate a range of alternative approaches to assessment developed by staff at Western

Engaging Speech Pathology Students with an Authentic Task

Dr Leigha Dark | Senior Lecturer

Speech Pathology | School of Health Sciences

Summary

The Subject Coordinator, Dr Leigha Dark, wanted first year students to engage in an authentic task relating to their future profession.  The students were asked to prepare a poster educating the community about one of a range of speech pathology practice areas. The poster will be showcased to a hypothetical community audience.

View the case study Engaging Speech Pathology Students with an Authentic Task (PDF – opens in a new tab)

Smartphones and EPAs for Final Year Medical Students

Professor Stephen Tobin | Associate Dean

School of Medicine

Summary

To assist with final year medicine student hands-on assessment during the COVID crisis, and to enable these students to be part of a supplementary medical workforce, entrustable professional activities (EPAs) were developed as assessment tasks.  These consisted of tasks that junior doctors in hospitals do, and were implemented for volunteer final year students under supervision.  Eportfolio software was used to keep a record of activities and supervisor feedback.  This authentic assessment task provided a structure to facilitate feedback and continual improvement.

View the Smartphones and EPAs for Final Year Medical Students resource (PDF – opens in a new tab)

Research Project in Cardiac Sonography Multi-media Project

Dr Paul Stoodley | Senior Lecturer 

School of Medicine (Blacktown Clinical School and Research Centre)

Summary

Final year students in the Master of Clinical Sonography complete a clinical sonography research project in their capstone unit.  Due to COVID revisions this activity was completed online.  Images and interpretations, and presentations, generated by the capstone projects were included in a multimedia resource for use in teaching and learning activities by earlier year students.

View the Research project in Cardiac Sonography Multi-media Project resource (PDF – opens in a new tab)

Designing Law Apps for Access to Justice

John Juriansz & Grace Borsellino, School of Law

Summary

This unit provides students with an authentic learning and assessment activity within a partnership pedagogy framework.  External community-based partners articulate an organisational need that requires a solution.  This generates an authentic task that students, working in teams, address with an artificial intelligence system-based solution.  Authenticity is enhanced by a final assessment presentation to a panel that includes industry and client-based representatives.

View the Designing Law Apps for Access to Justice resource (PDF – opens in a new tab)