A panel of leading education researchers and practitioners convened to discuss how assessment practices must evolve to meet the changing needs of learners in a digital and societally shifting world. The session, part of the RIDE 2026 conference, brought together Professor Chie Adachi, Naomi Winstone, and Dr. Patricia Broadfoot to explore assessment as a flexible design space rather than a fixed tradition.
The panel emphasized that assessment profoundly shapes how and what students learn, but engagement varies widely based on format, content, and perceived value. As technological and pedagogical changes accelerate, student expectations are also transforming. The discussion focused on intentionally reshaping assessment to support learning, agency, and inclusion.
Key topics included the role of feedback in supporting active learning, how assessment practices influence students' academic identities, and the need for institutions to create conditions for thoughtful evolution rather than reactive reform. The panelists highlighted realistic pathways for change over the next three to five years while also imagining longer-term possibilities.
Participants left with practical ideas for keeping assessment both academically rigorous and educationally meaningful in a rapidly changing world.