defining innovative assessment methods

Defining what is meant by innovative assessment is notoriously tricky since its meaning varies from one subject area or institution to another and over time. The present review followed an inclusive and pragmatic approach: innovative assessment was taken to be that which was novel in the eyes of its begetters or beholders; entailed more than a minor modification; was not self-evidently traditional; and had been documented over the last decade.

(Hounsel et al., 2007, p.4)

Innovation in higher education has generally been taken to mean a planned or deliberate process of introducing change, directed towards (but not necessarily achieving) improvements or solving or alleviating some perceived problem. Such changes may be new to a person, course department, institution or higher education as a whole. An innovation in one situation may be something already established elsewhere, but its importance for this discussion is that initiative takers and participants see it as an innovation in their circumstances.

(Hannan and Silver quoted in Hounsel et al., 2007, p.16)

innovation is an idea, product, process or service that adds value, and is useful or transforms current practice in the context to which it is applied.

(Southwell et al. quoted in Hounsel et al., 2007, p.16)


References:
Hounsell, D., Blair, S., Falchikov, N., Hounsell, J., Huxham, M., Klampfleitner, M. and Thomson, K. (2007). Innovative Assessment Across the Disciplines: An Analytical Review of the Literature. Final Report. York: Higher Education Academy (HEA). http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/ourwork/research/litreviews