Advancing assessment - now and into the future

Students’ views are shifting in how they want to engage in higher education, driven by complex socio-economic landscapes they are operating within (Hughes 2023). This has prompted higher education institutes (HEIs) to re-consider how they support students with diverse ranges of needs and wellbeing issues (Firth et al 2023). Central to this is their experience of assessment and feedback which remains as a point of weakness in their overall university experience. Therefore, it is imperative that HEIs hear their voices around learning development and assessment journeys, especially given the other demands on their time (Neves et al 2024) and work in co-design to build connectiveness (McIntosh and May 2025).<br/><br/>In response, the University of Southampton has developed a 5 year major assessment project to enhance assessment thinking and embrace new ideas across the institution. A set of principles to guide the work with inclusivity, accessibility and student partnerships at the core of the development. e. This has included the introduction of an Assessment Consultancy, which provides bespoke individual and whole programme development with a core ethos of student co-design. It also delivers the Southampton Transformative Assessment Redesign with Students (STARS) programme providing an evidential base to support enhancements (CHEP 2025). <br/><br/>This session will aim to set the scene with how the assessment landscape is changing and discussing the challenges around this. The session will then encourage rich discourse around approaches to enhance learning development of assessment and feedback practices drawing from our experience of the Advancing Assessment Project. Focus for discussion will centre around how HEIs can respond to our post-Covid lockdown/emerging GenAI education environment and build on previous innovations. We are keen to draw out identified trends in assessment and feedback f including optionality of assessment and cohesive programme development design (Walker 2025). <br/>