Scientia Education Academy Lecture Series
Presented by Professor Alex Steel
Assessment is a core part of how learning and achievement is defined in the minds of students. It is also a fundamental influence on how academics view the purpose and quality of their teaching. It can have a significant impact on workload for both students and staff. Part of the complexity is agreeing on what assessment is for.
2020 forced an emergency switch from comfortable approaches to assessment to fully online versions. For many that change was unsettling and uncertain. The changes brought a range of issues into stark relief and raised questions for which there may not be easy or simple answers.
This lecture will outline some of those issues, consider some of the goals of assessment, and suggest some paths forward.
Learn more about Professor Alex Steel
Alex Steel is the Director Teaching Strategy (in the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic), and a Professor in the Faculty of Law and Justice. He is currently leading a university-wide project on digital assessment.
Alex is a member of the Australian Law School Standards Committee, and previously co-convenor of the Legal Education Associate Deans (LEAD) Network (2012-16). He is on the Executive of the Australasian Law Teachers Association and the Editorial Committee of the Legal Education Review. Alex is a member of the NSW Bar Association Education Committee, and was previously a member of the Criminal Law Committee.
Alex's legal education publications range across the pedagogy and regulation of legal education, curriculum design, assessment practices and student wellbeing. He was a member of the nationally funded Smart Casual project (smartlawteacher.org) developing online professional development for sessional law teachers. Read more.