Assessment in higher education - John Heywood

Assessment in Higher Education - Student Learning, Teaching, Programmes and Institutions is John Heywood's latest contribution to the assessment debate. Building on his previous work it examines not only the assessment of student learning but the assessment of institutions, the programmes they offer, and the teaching they provide. He describes in detail the significant developments that have taken place over the last decade in the field, and clarifies the many different meanings of the term assessment that are now in use. A practical guide for all those involved in design and implementation of outcomes-based assessment, the book also explores the issues that arise for policy makers and managers.
The author argues that there has been a decisive shift towards the accountability of the institution and the teacher for the quality of what they deliver. Therefore, the form of assessment used to determine quality in practice dictates the style and content of learning. He looks back at what this means for higher education particularly in times of economic cut-back and demands for greater choice. Drawing on these world-wide developments and his own experiences, the author emphasizes the importance of using a wide range of techniques, to suit individual assessment needs. These are discussed in detail. He lays out his own multiple strategy assessment model for the assessment, curriculum, learning and teaching process in education.

John Heywood is a Fellow Emeritus of Trinity College Dublin where he was Professor and Head of the Department of Teacher Education. He has taught in technical colleges and at the Universities of Lancaster and Liverpool in the UK. He is a visiting Professor in Higher Education at the University of Salford.

technical detail underpinned by theory and empirical evidence were potential strengths of the book, making it useful for programme designers wishing to make different measures and approaches more rigorous.
Higher Education Review