Two key characteristics of EL need to be considered:

1. Student learning takes place in a wide range of contexts and the forms of experiences also vary substantially (Teaching and Learning Services, 2014).

2. The learning process (i.e., the ways in which students apply the theoretical knowledge learned in the classroom in practice, to resolve real-world problems) is as important as the learning outcome (i.e., what students have acquired from the experiences) (Cooper, Orrell & Bowden, 2010).

How and when to assess

EL activities usually lasts for at least two weeks of time and there are many good opportunities to have formative and summative assessments during the process. Figure 4.1 offers some suggestions based on an input-process-output model (Qualters, 2010).
Figure 4.1 Designing assessment according to the input-process-output model

A summary of the recommended assessment methods

Designing assessment rubrics

Designing rubrics often starts with asking the following three questions (adapted from Flinders University, 2017):

• What do I expect students to know and be able to do?
• How will I know when they know it and can do it well?
• How can students effectively demanstrate their learning?

Other useful resources for assessment rubrics: