Ako Aotearoa has funding available for up to $10,000 per project through the regional hubs. Individuals or groups from the New Zealand tertiary education sector are invited to submit proposals for either research or activity projects which should align with the vision to create and support the best possible educational outcomes for learners in the tertiary sector. The session with showcase key aspects of projects which have been awarded funding.

The project began in November 2006 to investigate innovative and effective assessment strategies employed in a range of New Zealand tertiary education organisations. The project's purpose was to focus on practices that teachers use to support effective teaching and learning.

This is a draft document for discussion and debate within the research team working on the MoE-funded project on Innovative Assessment in H.E. in New Zealand in 2007. The plan outlines roles, discussion of themes and categories as well as workload for each team member.

The purpose of this literature review is to contextualise the study of effective and innovative assessment practices. The review is in three main sections. Firstly, there is an overview of the global and local policy contexts for tertiary education. The second section provides an overview of relevant national and international research. The third section presents assessment functions, principles and current themes that reflect convergent thinking and practice within education. The rationale for using the case study method in the research process will be outlined later in the Methodology section of the final report. A later review will attend to dissemination issues.

Assessment has been identified internationally as an area in which tertiary educators need further professional development. There has also been a recent shift to ‘assessment for learning’ rather than ‘assessment of learning’ and recognition that utilising the former is one of the most effective interventions we can make to improve teaching and learning. This study documents innovative and effective assessment strategies of 39 tertiary teachers from three different New Zealand tertiary education sectors. The cases were each gathered in one-to-two hour audio taped interviews and transcriptions were used to develop narratives and ‘in brief’ versions for each case. The project also focused on disseminating the assessment strategies. This included reviewing the literature of dissemination practices and developing both print-based and website resources. Key personnel from the participating tertiary organisations provided feedback relating to the suitability of the resources. While common themes emerged from the case studies, such as the use of authentic assessment tasks and formative feedback, there was a diversity of views, preferences, and needs regarding ways in which the materials should best be used for the professional development of teachers. The researchers concluded that while the materials provide a rich resource of assessment practices used by tertiary teachers, they could not be presented in a single medium to meet the needs of all tertiary teachers. It was recommended that further research be conducted into effective methods of dissemination and subsequent development of the research materials be undertaken. It was also recommended that further research be undertaken to build on the research materials from the current study, including a focus on student perceptions of how such assessment strategies enhance their learning.