Perceptions of Assessment Among Undergraduate and Postgraduate Students of Four Health Science Disciplines

Abstract

The use of different types of assessment to improve student learning needs to be balanced with reports that student perception, rather than the objective features of the task, significantly influences how students approach learning. The present study surveyed 492 undergraduate and postgraduate students from four health science disciplines (occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech pathology, and audiology) at a large Australian university on how helpful different types of assessment had been in assisting their learning. Between 73.4% and 90.4% of the students valued practical exams, individual tasks, written assignments, and written exams requiring application of knowledge. Between 29.1% and 59.7% of the students valued oral presentations, group tasks, portfolios, online assessment, and multiple choice exams. Entry level and type of program were found to influence perceptions. Postgraduate students valued tutorial participation more than undergraduate students (p