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Mental Wellbeing

Education for Mental Health Toolkit - Assessment – how, not what

In discussing the relationship between curriculum and wellbeing, a lot of the attention tends to be drawn to the impact of assessment.

Assessment – how not what

In discussing the relationship between curriculum and wellbeing, a lot of the attention tends to be drawn to the impact of assessment. In particular, conversation and debate centres on the ways in which assessments, such as time-constrained unseen assessment tasks can lead to students experiencing high levels of stress and anxiety. Academic anxiety is undoubtedly a real phenomenon in the student population and can cause sleeplessness, avoidance behaviours, the adoption of poor health behaviours (poor diet, abandoning exercise) and academic underperformance (1). The focus on assessment, as an apparent contributory factor in poor wellbeing and mental health, therefore, has some validity.

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This focus has led some to suggest that certain types of assessment tasks and/or conditions should be abandoned altogether. In particular, these debates have highlighted exams and public speaking as assessment tasks that appear to create most anxiety (2). However, it should be noted that students can also become anxious about other assessment tasks such as group work, observed practice, and even completing essays by a set deadline (3-4). Psychological studies have shown that it is not the assessment itself that causes the anxiety – rather it is the associations and expectations that students have of the assessment (5). Rather than fearing an exam, students fear the consequences of failing the exam and the expected emotional experiences they believe they will go through during and after exams. In other words, they become anxious for two reasons:

  1. They fear the practical consequences of failing.
  1. They fear the emotional pain they expect to experience –anxiety during the exam; sadness and despair on failing the exam.

Research with students for this project suggests that it is not the type of assessment that matters but rather:

  1. How well students are, and feel, prepared for the assessment.
  1. The meaning and purpose they do or do not gain from the assessment.

Assessment can support good wellbeing when it is consistent with the principles set out within this toolkit. As Dewey highlighted (6), fulfilment is only possible as a result of challenge. An academic assessment can stretch and challenge students, developing their ability to make choices, leading to growth and fulfilment, which in turn can increase student confidence and future wellbeing. However, to deliver this, the following principles must be fulfilled.

  • Students must have clarity about what they have been asked to do (7). They must understand the nature of the assessment, the process for completing it successfully and what success looks like for this particular type of assessment. For example, they must know how a good essay is structured in your discipline or subject area if there are different expectations according to disciplinary nuances; what type of questions will feature on an exam and what types of answers are required; how to speak well in public and make an academic presentation, etc. Worked classroom examples and formative assessment can play a crucial role in this preparation. 
  • Students must have the skills to complete the assessment successfully and must recognise that they possess these skills. Motivation is underpinned by previous success – students will be more likely to approach an assessment with confidence if they have previously demonstrated their ability to themselves and others (8). However, it is important that the opportunity to acquire and develop these skills is explicitly part of the curriculum. Students cannot be presumed to possess or develop them by themselves.
  • Students must possess the necessary foundational knowledge – both factual and conceptual. Assessments must be constructively aligned with the material taught and explored through the curriculum. Attempting to address complex academic tasks without possessing the foundational knowledge in advance is highly taxing on working memory, reduces the chances of success and will undermine student belief and the possibility of deep learning (9).
  • The assessment must be based within a learning focussed culture and be designed to support deep and meaningful learning, rather than evaluating performance against a pre-agreed goal. If the content of the assessment is meaningful to the student, they will find it easier to engage, will be more likely to engage at a deeper level, will learn more and will be more likely to experience positive emotions as a result, such as fulfilment, excitement, passion and interest (10).
  • Having a learning focus can reduce the sense of risk associated with an assignment. Within a psychologically safe environment, students will be able to regard mistakes as opportunities for learning, rather than an episode of failure with dire personal consequences (11).

To summarise, assessment can be positive for wellbeing if it has clarity, students legitimately believe they can be successful, the outcomes have potential benefits and the task is meaningful to them.

Assessment can be negative for wellbeing if it lacks clarity, is not understood and students are poorly prepared, students doubt their ability to be successful, they fear the consequences and the content lacks meaning, leading them to engage in surface level, survival strategies.

NB Some students who experience academic anxiety will require additional support. Academic anxiety can often be overcome with the right intervention – in these instances, students should be signposted to colleagues in Student Services.

Key lessons

  • Students can experience unhelpful levels of anxiety as a result of assessment, but assessment can also support good wellbeing and learning.
  • The type of assessment matters less for wellbeing than how well students have been prepared for it, their self-belief in relation to the task and the meaning it contains for them. 
  • Well-structured assessment can be positive for wellbeing if it has clarity, students legitimately believe they can be successful, the outcomes have potential benefits and the task is meaningful to them.
  • Assessment can have significant, negative impact on wellbeing. If it lacks clarity, meaning, is not understood, or students are poorly prepared, doubt their ability to be successful and fear the consequences leading to a surface level approach in learning.

Top tips

  • Identify the skills and knowledge (factual and conceptual) students will need to begin work on an assessment and ensure they can learn them explicitly within the curriculum.
  • Used worked examples of assessment in the classroom to build student clarity and confidence about the task, the criteria, and the required knowledge.  
  • Use formative assessment to build student familiarity, develop skills and knowledge and increase their self-efficacy.
  • Design assessment to engage students in deep, meaningful learning, where this aligns with the related learning outcomes and assessment criteria.
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References 
  1. Mirawdali S, Morrissey H, Ball P. Academic anxiety and its effects on academic performance. International Journal of Current Research, 2018;10(06):70017-70026.
  2. Hicks-Keeton J, Babones S, Barnett K, Cowell P, Schnellman J, Spierling KE, Jones OAH.  Is it time to reassess student assessment? [Internet]. Times Higher Education. 2021 July 22. Available from: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/features/it-time-reassess-student-assessment 
  3.  Crawford F, Aburumman N, Otermans P, Fan Y. Social Anxiety and Assessment of Teamwork and Communication Skills. 2020. Available from: doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.35935.07842
  4. Pizzie RG, Kraemer DJ. The Academic Anxiety Inventory: Evidence for dissociable patterns of anxiety related to math and other sources of academic stress. Frontiers in psychology. 2019 Jan 15;9:2684. Available from: doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02684 
  5. Howard E. A review of the literature concerning anxiety for educational assessments. 2020. Available from:  https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/865832/A_review_of_the_literature_concerning_anxiety_for_educational_assessment.pdf 
  6. Dewey J. Experience and Nature. 1958. New York: Dover Publications 
  7. Titsworth S, Mazer JP. Teacher clarity: an analysis of current research and future directions. In: Witt P, editor. Communication and learning. De Gruyter Mouton; 2016. p.105-128
  8. Kirschner PA, Hendrick C. How learning happens: Seminal works in educational psychology and what they mean in practice. Routledge; 2020 Feb 12.
  9. Sweller J. Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive science. 1988 Apr 1;12(2):257-85. Available from: doi: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4 
  10. Upsher R, Li KW, Hughes G, Byrom B. Curriculum Design and Student Mental Wellbeing –Investigating the Meaningfulness and Relevance of University Course Curricula. In review    
  11. Watkins C. Learning, performance and improvement (INSI Research Matters No. 34), London Centre for Leadership in Learning. Institute of Education, University of London Insert chapter title here. 2010;27. Available from: http://www.ioe.ac.uk/about/documents/Watkins_10_Lng_Perf_Imp_ev.pdf