Implementing Continuous Assessment in an Academic Programme for More Effective Learning

Many universities, including open distance education institutions, are currently investigating the introduction of a continuous assessment framework. When introducing continuous assessment in an academic department, it is necessary to ensure that all participants understand all concepts related to such framework and the implications of introducing such a framework. This paper investigates studies on continuous assessment in the literature to identify the advantages and disadvantages of such a framework. The lessons learned are used to identify guidelines regarding the importance of feedback and to develop a model that can be used to plan and introduce continuous assessment, considering all the different environmental factors that will affect the introduction.