Assessment

Mission
The Taskforce Assessment promotes the quality of assessment within FHML. We support lecturers, examination boards, and educational management in designing, implementing, and improving assessment practices that enhance student learning and ensure valid and reliable decision-making.
In doing so, we strive for evidence-informed assessment practices that are embedded in FHML’s educational principles (constructive, contextual, collaborative, and self-directed learning). The taskforce serves as a bridge between educational research and educational practice, and actively contributes to quality assurance, improvement, and innovation in assessment, as well as to the professional development of FHML staff.

Vision

We view assessment as an educational activity that stimulates student learning and development while also determining the extent to which learning has taken place. This encompasses assessment OF, FOR, and AS learning. Assessment is more than measurement; it is a means to enable feedback, growth, and reflection.

The taskforce strives for an evidence-informed and future-oriented assessment culture within FHML in which:

• the quality of assessment is continuously evaluated, safeguarded, and improved;
• assessment is an integral part of curriculum design and educational development;
• a holistic approach to (competency) development is central;
• assessment contributes to learning and development through feedback processes;
• AI and technology are used responsibly and meaningfully.

Within this vision, we do not see the role of the taskforce as a control mechanism. Instead, we connect research, education, and innovation, and contribute—through partnership and dialogue—to assessment quality, a future-oriented assessment culture, and continuous professional development.

Objectives

The Taskforce Assessment contributes to continuous quality assurance, improvement, and innovation of assessment within FHML through the following objectives:

• Quality and quality assurance
  • Designing and coordinating the assessment quality cycle, including construction, analysis, evaluation, and feedback.
  • Advising programmes and examination boards on valid, reliable, and meaningful assessment.
• Educational embedding
  • Positioning assessment as an integral part of curriculum design and FHML’s educational principles.
  • Promoting consistency between assessment, learning objectives, and learning activities.
• Research and innovation
  • Linking scientific research to the improvement and innovation of assessment practices within FHML.
  • Developing, evaluating, and implementing new assessment formats and technologies, including AI applications.
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing
  • Collaborating with other taskforces within FHML to promote consistent policy and knowledge sharing.
  • Clearly communicating what educational professionals can approach the taskforce for.
• Professional development
  • Providing professional development for FHML educational professionals in the field of assessment, aligned with improvement and innovation.
  • Ensuring that taskforce members remain professionally up to date, in line with identified needs within FHML.
• Visibility
  • Increasing the visibility of the taskforce within FHML (e.g. via the website, UMployee, social media, and strategic meetings).

Strategic themes

The expertise of the Taskforce Assessment focuses on six interrelated themes that mutually reinforce one another:

1. Quality assurance – strengthening knowledge and application of (psychometric) principles and data analysis to support valid and reliable assessment.
2. Selection and admissions assessment – development and safeguarding of valid, fair, and inclusive selection procedures.
3. Programmatic assessment – design and implementation of this assessment concept, in which assessment is an integral part of learning and development and holistic (competency) development is central.
4. Assessment for/as learning – fostering an assessment culture in which assessment supports learning through feedback, reflection, and dialogue.
5. Technology and AI in assessment – exploring and responsibly implementing digital and AI-supported assessment formats and analyses.
6. Psychometrics – support in addressing psychometric issues within FHML, psychometric (and technical) development, and the safeguarding and coordination of a valid and reliable national adaptive progress test (iVTG).

The Taskforce Assessment core members are: Desiree Joosten-ten Brinke (chair), Liesbeth Baartman (co-chair per 1 September 2025), Sanne Rovers, Sanne Schreurs, Saskia van Laar, Kazem Banihashem, and Jeroen Donkers.