UCalgary unveils new guiding principles for student assessment

In November, the University of Calgary’s General Faculties Council (GFC) officially endorsed the 11 Principles for the Assessment of Student Learning, providing a foundational framework to guide assessment practices across the institution. In a post-secondary context, assessments support student learning through meaningful engagement and feedback, help educators and academic units reflect on and adjust their teaching and learning approaches, and support institutional commitments to discovery, innovation and contributions to society.

Developed in response to the evolving landscape of post-secondary teaching and learning, the principles were created to provide a foundation to help guide teaching and learning practices, discussions and decision-making processes across multiple organizational levels.

"Assessment choices are core to the work of instructors and directly impact how students navigate their learning," says Dr. Wendy Benoit, PhD, interim vice-provost (teaching and learning). "These research-informed principles support meaningful reflection and dialogue on learning and assessment, which are essential for transformative, future-focused education."

Formed under the direction of the vice-provost (teaching and learning), the Assessment Principles Group (APG) led the initiative to identify core principles that would inform meaningful, relevant and inclusive assessment practices at UCalgary.

The development of the principles involved extensive consultation with the university community. More than 450 students, academic staff and support staff participated in campus consultations, contributing nearly 1,000 comments that were coded and analyzed to shape the final set of principles. 

“The principles are intended to guide reflection, dialogue, and continuous enhancement of assessment practices across UCalgary,” says Dr. Natasha Kenny, PhD, co-chair of the APG and executive director at the Taylor Institute for Teaching and Learning. 

“We recognize that great work is already happening across the academic community. With the principles in place, we are now looking to gather examples and co-create resources that will bring these principles to life across disciplines and academic context.”

Members of the university community are encouraged to share examples of how their work aligns with these research and community-informed principles. Your contributions will help create resources, share knowledge, and inspire incremental shifts in the many processes and practices that impact student assessment across UCalgary.