LAUSR

ABSTRACT Assessment practices play a critical role in shaping student approaches to learning. This study investigates student perceptions and experiences of current assessment practices in a South African engineering school to understand how assessment can be used more effectively by both academic staff and students to facilitate deeper approaches to learning ultimately leading to improved student performance. A student survey was conducted to investigate student distribution of work, student approaches to learning in different assessment contexts, student perceptions and use of feedback and development of self-evaluative expertise. It was found that assessments have a significant impact on student approaches to learning with assessments often driving surface approaches to learning. The results indicate that a clear assessment strategy that understands student interpretations and use of assessment and is aligned to assessment for learning literature is critical in driving preferred learning behaviours.