Experts discuss need to reform students’ assessment

Underscoring the need for comprehensive reform of students’ assessment system to improve the overall quality of higher education in the State, educationists and stakeholders at a panel discussion on Tuesday raised concerns over the paradox between exam-centric education and the limited recognition of grades by recruiting bodies.

The panel discussion was part of “Uyarkalvi Uraiyadalgal“ series of dialogues on higher education organised by the Tamil Nadu State Council for Higher Education. Among the key takeaways was the need to re-assess the purpose of student assessments. The panelists stressed the need for integrating ongoing and reflective formative assessments into the curriculum with a gradual shift away from summative assessments. At the same time, capacity building of teachers should be the top priority, and they should possess a clear understanding of learning outcomes, course outcomes, and Bloom’s Taxonomy. The panel proposed a  study on innovative examination methods to evaluate its effectiveness.