Creating an assessment matrix

Overview

How can you ensure the validity and reliability of each individual assessment? How many questions or assignments do you need for each learning outcome? What type of questions or tasks do you need?

By using an assessment matrix, you can make sure each assessment covers the targeted learning outcomes by using enough questions on the right topic at the right level of learning. This helps to ensure that your assessments will be both valid and reliable. It will also guard against “over assessment” which is creating too many questions or tasks aimed at testing the same knowledge or skill.

What is the difference between an assessment plan and an assessment matrix?

The assessment plan provides a course level overview of how you plan to assess the course learning outcomes. An assessment matrix focuses on the design of each individual assessment.

Steps in creating an assessment matrix

1. Look back at your assessment plan for the course. Decide which assessment you are going to create and check which course learning outcomes need to be evaluated by the assessment.

2. Consider the form of your assessment. If your assessment is an exam, you check to make sure that each learning outcome is covered by an appropriate number of questions and that the correct points total is allocated to these questions. If your assessment is a project, write appropriate criteria for to judge students’ mastery of each learning outcome assessed. If the project has several parts or tasks, you subdivide your assessment in the following way:

Summary

Your assessment matrix provides you with a clear framework for your course assessment and helps you see how to write the assessment questions or tasks.