Assessing student learning in work-integrated learning (WIL): A systematic review on assessment methods and purposes

Under increasing pressure from quality assurance and other accountability concerns, it is easy to fall into the trap of assessing students only for the sake of assessment. This review aims to help educators rethink assessment in work-integrated learning (WIL) courses with purpose in mind by identifying the assessment methods used to assess student learning in such courses over the last 20 years, together with the underlying purposes of assessment. Based on the analysis of 103 selected articles from four databases and additional searching, 22 assessment methods and seven broad categories of assessment purposes were identified. One key finding is that the assessment of student learning in WIL courses outlined in the results was mainly implemented as assessment for learning to support students’ development as self-regulated, lifelong learners. Based on this finding, we propose three assessment design principles for self-regulated learning with recommendations on how to utilize different assessment methods to their fullest potential in preparing students for their futures.