From paradise lost to paradise regained: A compassionate retuning of assessed seminars

Abstract Universities often aim to deliver a curriculum that is both research‐based and develops transferable skills in students, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the job market. At the same time, evidence indicates that university students experience significant stress owing to the competitive nature of the assessments, an aspect that is particularly exacerbated in higher educational institutions in liberal market economies. This article presents evidence suggesting that Assessed Seminars, a form of summative assessment, could deliver on the aims of universities whilst curtailing the detrimental effects of stress on students, provided it is underpinned by a compassion‐focussed pedagogy. The empirical study introduces four interventions (viz., communication of expectations and assessment, peer‐assisted learning and compassionate management of group dynamics, toolkits and practice, and detailed feedback) in the Assessed Seminars of a first‐year undergraduate course in Business and Management at a UK university. Results indicate that students engaged with the assessment and were satisfied, and that it led to both subject‐based knowledge and the development of transferable skills. While students recognise psychological responses at the onset, these challenges are overcome and transformed into strengths by the conclusion of the course. Based on the findings, the article presents a best practices protocol for Assessed Seminars that could be implemented by educational institutions.