How Do Course-Based Assessments Change in The Shift to Emergency Remote Teaching? - Sustainable Assessment Strategies Through an Authenticity Lens

Oct 15, 2026

The shift from face-to-face (F2F) to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in response to COVID-19 raised concerns about assessment in student learning. This study compares a health science curriculum across F2F and ERT settings, examining the count, type, and authenticity of assessments using an Authentic Assessment Tool and standardized course syllabi. Across 61 ERT courses and 62 F2F courses, tests and assignments increased, while overall authenticity scores remained similar; improvements were most evident in feedback.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages20

Reading Time50 min

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Abstract

Research comparison and methods

Key results and implications

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 15 | Issue 2 | Article 4 | | --- | --- | Summer 08-31-2024 How Do Course-Based Assessments Change in The Shift to Emergency Remote Teaching? Sustainable Assessment Strategies Through an Authenticity Lens Justine Hobbins University of Guelph, [jhobbins@uoguelph.ca](jhobbins@uoguelph.ca)[ ](jhobbins@uoguelph.ca)Emilie Houston McGill University, [emilie.houston@mail.mcgill.ca](emilie.houston@mail.mcgill.ca)[ ](emilie.houston@mail.mcgill.ca)Kerry Ritchie University of Guelph, [ritchiek@uoguelph.ca](ritchiek@uoguelph.ca) Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca) [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.15122](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.15122) Recommended Citation Hobbins, J., Houston, E., & Ritchie, K. (2024) . How do course-based assessments change in the shift to emergency remote teaching? Sustainable assessment strategies through an authenticity lens. The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 15(2). [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.15122](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2024.2.15122) How Do Course-Based Assessments Change in The Shift to Emergency Remote Teaching? Sustainable Assessment Strategies Through an Authenticity Lens Abstract The shift from face-to-face (F2F) to emergency remote teaching (ERT) in response to COVID-19 has presented concerns for assessment in student learning. This study presents the comparison of a health science curriculum in F2F and ERT settings regarding assessments (count, type, authenticity) using our Authentic Assessment Tool and institutionally standardized course syllabi. Five hundred and seventeen assessments in 61 courses in ERT were inventoried (count, type) and subsequently categorized as 1 (low), 2 (moderate), or 3 (high) on core authenticity characteristics: realism, cognitive challenge, evaluative judgement criteria and feedback. These data were compared to a recent curriculum-wide F2F scan (457 assessments in 62 courses) . Results show in the shift to ERT, the total number of both tests and assignments increased with a greater proportion of marks comprised of assignments (44% ERT versus 37% F2F). Curriculum-wide authenticity scores were similar (1.8 ± 0.4 ERT versus 1.8 ± 0.6 F2F), although this trend was because nearly an equal proportion of courses increased and decreased authenticity. The largest number of courses (n=30) making improvements on individual characteristics of authenticity did so regarding the dimension feedback. This work presents modest yet actionable items to achieve authenticity for consideration in assessment design as institutions begin to produce and consider policies regarding course structure and assessment design in the post-COVID educational context. Le passage de l’enseignement en face-à-face (FàF) à l'enseignement à distance en situation d'urgence (EDSU), en réponse à la COVID-19, a suscité des inquiétudes quant à l'évaluation de l'apprentissage des étudiants et des étudiantes. Cette étude présente la comparaison d'un programme d'études en sciences de la santé dans des contextes d’enseignement en FàF et d’EDSU en ce qui concerne les évaluations (nombre, type, authenticité) en utilisant notre outil d'évaluation authentique et des descriptions decours normalisées par l'établissement. Cinq cent dix-sept évaluations dans 61 cours enseignés à distance en situation d’urgence ont été inventoriées (nombre, type) et ensuite catégorisées comme 1 (faible), 2 (modéré), ou 3 (élevé) sur les caractéristiques principales d'authenticité : réalisme, déficognitif, critères de jugement évaluatif et retour d'information. Ces données ont été comparées à unerécente analyse d’enseignement en FàF à l'échelle du programme d'études (457 évaluations dans 62 cours) . Les résultats montrent que lors du passage à l'EDSU, le nombre total de tests et de devoirs a augmenté

FAQs

What change in teaching context prompted this study?

The study focuses on the shift from face-to-face (F2F) to emergency remote teaching (ERT) triggered by COVID-19, which created concerns about assessment practices.

How did the researchers evaluate assessment authenticity?

They used an Authentic Assessment Tool to categorize 517 ERT assessments and compare them with a recent F2F scan, rating authenticity across realism, cognitive challenge, evaluative judgement criteria, and feedback.

What were the main findings about assessment structure and authenticity?

In the move to ERT, the total number of tests and assignments increased and a larger share of marks came from assignments, while curriculum-wide authenticity scores were similar between ERT and F2F.

Oct 15, 2026

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