A case for challenging traditional assessments: a student-led workshop as an authentic approach to assessment in law and beyond

Abstract

This study investigates the use of authentic assessment to diversify traditional approaches within higher education, focusing specifically on legal education. Responding to critiques that conventional assessments no longer align with the skills and demands of contemporary legal practice, this research examines student and staff engagement with authentic tasks across undergraduate law programmes. The study explores how authentic assessments, such as student-led workshops, shape perceptions of learning relevance in terms of employability, drawing on mixed-methods data from two university-funded student partnership projects, including qualitative focus groups and quantitative surveys. While the relationship between assessment type and student performance is multifaceted and influenced by numerous variables, the study foregrounds student buy-in and the clear recognition of authentic tasks as meaningful and professionally aligned. Rather than attempting to attribute performance outcomes solely to assessment design, the research highlights how relevance and engagement function as critical drivers of learning. The findings provide evidence-based insights and practical examples for higher education practitioners aiming to adopt inclusive, practice-informed assessment. While the single-institution focus and modest sample size may limit wider generalisability, the study contributes to growing theoretical and pedagogical conversations and offers a foundation for future cross-institutional and longitudinal research in inclusive legal education.