A Study on Good Assessment in University Courses: Focusing on Students’ Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the characteristics of good assessment based on university students’ assessment experiences and to interpret them from the perspective of sustainable assessment. Reflective journals written by 12 students in a teacher education course were analyzed thematically. First, five characteristics of good assessment were identified: fairness and understandability, support for learning, reflection of process and growth, alignment with course objectives and disciplinary characteristics, and learner participation and interaction. Second, four characteristics, fairness and understandability, support for learning, reflection of process and growth, and learner participation and interaction, were related to key aspects of sustainable assessment, including the exploration and application of criteria and standards, self-monitoring of learning progress, use of feedback for subsequent learning, and interaction with peers and others with expertise. These findings indicate that key experiences within four characteristics of good assessment are related to sustainable assessment in supporting future learning and judgment, while alignment with course objectives and disciplinary characteristics remains a distinct contextual consideration.