Student Assessment in a Problem-Based Curriculum

In this chapter, the basic principles behind a successful, fair and reliable assessment will be discussed. The following will be addressed: context (including whether summative or formative, high stakes or low stakes); reliability and the importance of having assessment criteria and marking schemes; the importance of sampling and blueprinting; validity (including content, face, consequential and criterion validity); generalisability; standard setting; assessor training; and the importance of having a programme of assessment. Types of assessments which can be used are described, and these are illustrated with examples in the field of psychology. Finally, an outline of assessments which could be used in the course described in this book is presented.