Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia
Abstract
Higher education in Australia, as for many other countries, has changed greatly over the last 20 years at all levels and in many areas of operation including teaching, learning and assessment. The driving forces for these changes have been both internal and external, and have included factors such as: the increasing student population; the increasing use of part-time staff; a reduction in government funding; an increased expectation of institutional accountability; and the growing access and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in teaching and learning. Assessment has not escaped these changes but in many cases has not kept up with exemplary and recommended practice. This is especially so in the specific area of task assessment that involves professional judgement, where assessment is a timeconsuming, expensive, poorly managed, and a stressful professional activity, and is often a negative emotional experience for both learners and educators
