Project Goals

The AAGLO project will identify the assessment tasks in a range of disciplines that generate convincing evidence of achievement of graduate learning outcomes. It will identify the assurance process trusted by disciplines in relation to those assessments. It will analyse the assessment strategies collected to identify the characteristic features of convincing assessment strategies for Graduate Learning Outcomes (GLOs). The project will articulate these features as a set of guidelines supported by exemplars for use by those interested in designing new assessments or making strategic decisions about which assessments are important in relation to graduate learning outcomes.

The process of identifying effective assessment strategies and developing a set of principles for the assessment and assurance of graduate learning outcomes will happen in close consultation with discipline-communities, relevant stakeholder groups and an authoritative Reference Group. Project consultation and dissemination and community engagement, both during and beyond project completion, will be supported by a series of accessible summary documents of key project findings and issues and a series of meetings in capital cities during 2011 and 2012.

The project will initially seek to engage the following disciplines selected from LTAS groupings: Business, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science (Veterinary Science), Science (Chemistry), Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities (Archaeology and History), Engineering, Law, and Creative and Performing Arts (Drama and performance). Two disciplines are included in Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities because further work is being done by an ALTC-funded project in History and some preliminary work from the AAGLO team in Archaeology.

A series of interviews with a range of stakeholders from each discipline will be conducted to identify examples of effective GLO assessment and assurance practices. The data will be used to develop a compendium of GLO assessment and assurance practices. The interview data will be analysed and used to identify the features of effective assessment practice supported by insights from the framework identified in the preliminary literature review. The resulting framework and examples will be used as the basis for critical review of the findings, discussion of implications, sharing and collaborative development of assessment practices and dissemination through a series state based fora in 2012. Participation in the state fora will be supported through grants to contribute further examples of practice or to investigate or modify an aspect of assessment or QA practice at their institution. The Effective practices document will be revised following the state based fora and sent to professional associations, accreditation bodies and student associations for validation.

If you would like to get involved in the project or find out more please contact Anne Bennison (Project Manager).