Assessment Design for Professional Development

When you're creating professional development that drives real behaviour change, every element matters – especially how you measure and showcase the skills your learners develop. The right assessment strategy doesn't just evaluate learning, it accelerates it.

Working professionals need assessments that connect directly to their real work, fit into their busy schedules, and help them demonstrate new capabilities with confidence. When you get this right, you'll clearly show ROI to buyers, provide meaningful feedback that drives development, and gain valuable insights into your course effectiveness.

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Role of Assessment

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AI in
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The Role of Assessment in Professional Development

Learn whether your course needs assessments and discover the key differences between award program assessments and professional development evaluations.

Does Your Course Need Assessment?

Some course providers default to including assessment simply because it feels like the right thing to do, or because other courses in their field include it. Others shy away from assessment in professional development as they worry it adds too much complexity to a program.

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Assessment Decision Template

Resource

If you’re not sure, you can use this template to determine whether or not your program needs assessment and what approach would work best for your learners and context.

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Your Assessment Strategy

A well-designed assessment strategy serves as your roadmap for measuring learning progress, ensuring educational quality, and demonstrating the value of your program to both learners and their organisations.

Your assessment strategy should be developed early in the program design process. It should be aligned with your learning objectives to create a cohesive learning experience. This approach ensures that every assessment serves a clear purpose and contributes meaningfully to learners' professional development.

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A4 paper with Assessment Planning Template

Assessment Strategy Worksheet

Resource

Here’s a template you can use to develop your strategy.

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Assessment in Professional Development Courses

This video shows you how to create meaningful, manageable assessments that connect directly to learners' real work contexts and respect their time constraints as working professionals.

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Designing Your Assessment

Effective Assessment Design Principles

In this video, discover five essential principles for designing assessments that enhance learning rather than just measuring it. We cover how to use various assessment types, balance formative and summative approaches, create consistent feedback loops, and design assessments that mirror real workplace challenges while prioritising accessibility and equity.

Digital Transformation for Operations Teams

1

Foundation Assessment: Learners complete a self-assessment tool to assess current processes in their department, identifying inefficiencies and digitisation opportunities. This assessment builds their analytical skills and systems thinking.

2

Building Assessment: Learners design a digital solution for a problem they have identified in their department or function. They prototype their solution and test with colleagues. This assessment develops solution design and user-centred thinking.

3

Capstone Assessment: Learners create a comprehensive digital transformation proposal for their team, including a business case, an implementation timeline, a change management strategy, and success metrics. This assessment brings together technical and strategic thinking with organisational change skills.

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Leadership Development for Mid-Level Managers

1

Foundation Assessment: Learners complete a leadership style self-assessment and analyse a provided case study of a leadership challenge, identifying key issues and potential approaches. This assessment establishes a baseline understanding of leadership concepts and self-awareness.

2

Building Assessment: Learners observe a real leadership situation in their workplace, applying leadership frameworks learned to analyse the dynamics and effectiveness. They complete a reflective exercise related to their findings. This builds observational skills and practical application of theory.

3

Capstone Assessment: Learners develop and begin implementing a leadership development plan for their own role, including specific goals, strategies, and success metrics. They present their plan to their manager and receive feedback. This brings all the learning together into personalised, actionable career development.

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Writing Effective Assessments

Master the art of writing clear, unambiguous assessment briefs that set learners up for success. This video covers how to lead with purpose, use familiar terminology, set realistic timeframes, provide clear expectations, and align assessments directly with your learning objectives.

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AI in Assessment

Many course providers are understandably concerned about AI's impact on assessment validity and academic integrity. However, rather than trying to prevent AI use, effective assessment design works with this reality to create meaningful evaluation that focuses on human judgment, critical thinking, and professional decision-making.

The Current Landscape

Your learners are likely already using AI tools as part of their daily work routines, from drafting emails and summarising reports, to analysing data and generating initial project frameworks.

Attempting to design assessments that completely exclude AI use often results in artificial constraints that don't reflect real workplace conditions.

Used well, AI tools amplify human capabilities rather than replace them. AI collaboration skills are becoming essential professional competencies that deserve attention in assessment design.

Tips and Tricks for Managing AI
in Assessment

Focus on Process, Not Just Output
Traditional assessments relying on final products are less reliable as AI tools generate sophisticated responses. Shift focus to thinking processes, decision-making frameworks, and professional judgement. Assess how learners evaluate information and adapt their approach based on context.
Build in Transparency
Rather than detecting AI use, make it part of learning. Include reflection components where learners document their AI use and demonstrate how they verified AI-generated content. This treats AI collaboration as a professional skill worth developing.
Use Multiple Assessment Modes
Combine different demonstration methods for robust evaluation. Pair written analysis with video reflections or live presentations. Completing assessments across different modes requires authentic engagement that's difficult to outsource to AI tools.
Emphasise Human-Unique Capabilities
Design assessments around skills AI cannot replicate: professional communication, relationship building, and nuanced decision-making. Focus on human insight, emotional intelligence, and cultural understanding beyond current AI capabilities.

Assessment in an AI World

This video explores practical strategies for designing AI-integrated assessments that address these concerns whilst preparing learners for modern workplaces and maintaining assessment integrity.

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Build and Manage Assessments in Academy

Visit our help page for step-by-step instructions and video tutorials on setting up and managing your assessments in Academy.

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If you’re interested in discussing how Academy can help you grow your short course business, share your details and we’ll be in touch.

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Assessment Design for Professional Development