Collaborating with industry on authentic assessments in computing degrees: lessons learnt

As an applied discipline, assessments in computing have often incorporated practical elements based on scenarios and case studies. In recent years, there has been a move towards embedding authentic assessments in the curriculum, which more closely emulate professional practice and support graduate employability through enterprise engagement. This paper critically reflects on a series of example case studies of authentic assessment that have been adopted across levels 4 to level 7 in a computing school in a UK higher education institution.

The paper first reviews the characteristics of authentic assessments before the processes of planning, preparing, delivering and evaluating authetic assessments are briefly explored. This includes the preparation of assessment materials and learning resources that contribute to making an assessment authentic. The results indicate the range of commitment required to facilitate and sustain industry collaboration to support authentic assessments. Next, lessons learnt from the experience of introducing a range of authentic assessments are shared, offering insights for academics considering collaborating with industry partners to implement authentic assessments. A model is then presented that explores authentic assessments from the perspectives of task and environmental authenticity to assist academics in designing authentic assessments