**1. Introduction**

Assessments in higher education are used as a tool to test understanding as well as improve on student's abilities in future or similar tasks [1]. Gibbs et al. [2], however identify the fact that because of the changing nature of higher education and the shifting emphasis to employability, and a new approach to studying which is fast paced, assessments becoming less creative, raising the question of what we are assessing for. Villarroel et al. [3], use the phrase 'authentic assessments' to describe assessments that strike a balance between learning and the employability. They argue that assessments should essentially enhance employability by encouraging the students to develop the skills that are needed in employment post-graduation. Reimann and Khosronejad [4] rightly suggest that the designing of assessments need to be an authentic process, which effectively combines pedagogy and the rationality of the assessment.

#### **1.1 Why do we assess?**

*"Assessment is a moral activity. What and how we choose to assess shows quite starkly what we value" (Knight, 1995, Cited in [5]).*

The idea of Assessment for Learning' or AfL is featured quite heavily in the discourse on the rationale for assessments, as well as the teaching and learning strategies in higher education (HE), and assessments are viewed fundamentally as a form of testing or evaluation [6, 7]. The Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) policies also highlight the importance given to assessments and this is evident in their argument that assessment strategies need to have a combination of challenge, opportunities for learning and growth [8].

The literature on assessments in HE acknowledges the shift in assessment strategies from the traditional mode of frequent assessments which have only been maintained by traditional institutions such as Cambridge, Oxford and the Open university to fewer assessments and less feedback being received by students. This raises the question of the purpose of assessments in the current climate and the impact on assessment strategies [6, 9, 10]. To answer the question on why we are assessing, it is important to look at who we are assessing, what we are assessing and the value of what we assess as seen in the outcome of our assessments.

#### **1.2 Who are we assessing—the cohort**

Jones and Wehlburg [11] highlight the need to be mindful of the need to have assessment tasks that inspire engagement from the students, and this is important as we consider who our students are. The student engagement is often influenced by a number of factors, but the diversity of the cohorts is a significant element that needs to be considered when evaluating why we assess. Northedge [12] argues that HE has seen a 'diversification of students and courses' over the years and our student cohorts now have diverse life experiences and multiple responsibilities in work, study and personal lives. Therefore, we must recognize that students a bring their lived experiences with them to their learning [13].

Looking more closely at the students we are assessing; it is important to start with the course they are studying. The Health and Social Care degree has remained a highly popular one with recruitment growing steadily across the industry over the last few years. The Health and Social Care Act 2012, and the 2022 Health and Care Act has led to increased investment in the Health and Social Care sectors, and this means more and more people have become interested in pursuing a qualification in Health and Social care with a view to securing employment in the field [14]. There is a greater awareness of the benefits the course offers, and the course fundamentally aligns with the vision of widening participation. Internal data suggests that many our students have limited access and opportunities due to a lack of social capital. As a course team with large numbers per cohort and a range of learning abilities, the challenge to design our assessments in a way that strikes a good balance across the range of abilities and levels of commitment remains evident. The course (Health and Social care) continues to increase in popularity due to the rising awareness of the opportunities in the health and social care industry as well as the opportunity to be a stepping-stone for applicants hoping for a career in the professional subjects such as nursing and social work.

This has led to the decision to revisit the current curriculum and assessment strategy to ensure that we are actively offering an inclusive practice in both teaching and more specifically in our assessments [15]. Having an inclusive practice as described by Leeds Beckett [16] will mean that as a course team, our assessments are designed to be meaningful (clear and unambiguous) and authentically contextualized. This is important because it is easy to get focused on comparing our strategies and methods with close competitors in an attempt to benchmark our provision, but the focus should arguably be on our students and their improving their overall learning experiences and outcomes.
