3-Minute Assessment Talk – The Difference Between Course Grades & Learning Outcomes Assessment

Are you able to explain an assessment topic and engage an audience with limited knowledge or experience in under three minutes?

Three minutes is kind of a big deal in Australia. Originating at the University of Queensland, the ThreeMinute Thesis (3MT) is an annual competition (now held in over 350 institutions worldwide) for PhD students from any discipline. The rules: participants must explain their research in under three minutes to an audience presumed to have no background or expertise in their field of study. Being able to explain a complex topic both succinctly and persuasively to an audience with limited time, knowledge, or even interest, is a tremendous skill to have at your disposal.

This got us thinking; what a great tool this would be for assessment coordinators! At Watermark, we frequently hear questions like, “How is assessment different from grading?” or “What is the difference between course and program assessment?” Often, we only have a few minutes to answer such questions and don’t always have a fancy PowerPoint deck on hand to explain.

We decided to create a series of 3-Minute Assessment Talks (3MATs) which will focus on key areas of assessment that can sometimes be challenging to explain. You only need three minutes!

This 3MAT focuses on the differences between course grades and learning outcomes assessment. Grading (individual assignments/final course grades) and learning outcomes assessment (at the course or program level) should always be viewed as complementary activities that work together to support and improve teaching and learning. They both aim to identify what students have learned; they just approach it differently. It’s valuable to have specific and quick examples at your disposal on the differences between the two, as this question comes up a lot. Furthermore, this is a great conversation starter for engaging people in assessment and, some may argue, the most important to make clear from the beginning.

The following pages are intended to take no more than 30 seconds to present each, which adds up to 3 minutes total!

Start the clock!