Campus Talks: How to create university assessments that serve learning

Campus Talks: How to create university assessments that serve learning

Author: Campus by Times Higher Education May 21, 2026 Duration: 43:10
What purpose does, or should, assessment serve? How can educators shift the focus of assessment towards feedback? Who is really driving higher education’s unhelpful obsession with grades? And how does GenAI affect all this? In this episode of Campus Talks, we explore all these questions and more with David Boud, Deakin distinguished professor at Deakin University and a leading scholar on assessment and feedback. David is the foundation director of Deakin’s Centre for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning and an Emeritus Professor at the University of Technology Sydney. He has been a pioneer in learning-centred approaches to assessment and is one of the most highly cited academics in the world on teaching, learning and assessment in higher and professional education with dozens of books bearing his name, including The Impact of Feedback in Higher Education (2019) and Assessment for Inclusion in Higher Education (2022). We discuss what constitutes good feedback, strategies for engaging students in the feedback process, how to design assessments that centre feedback and learning and where universities have been going wrong on assessment and grading.

What does it really take to run a modern university? Campus Talks by Times Higher Education moves beyond the headlines and policy papers to explore the human stories and practical challenges shaping colleges and universities today. Each episode features candid conversations with the academics, administrators, and staff on the front lines, offering a ground-level view of the forces transforming education globally. You’ll hear nuanced discussions about reinventing teaching methods, navigating the complexities of international partnerships, pursuing meaningful research, and building institutions that are both excellent and sustainable. This isn’t a series of abstract lectures; it’s a forum for genuine problem-solving and shared experience. The podcast draws on the extensive network and editorial expertise of its host, Campus by Times Higher Education, to connect listeners with diverse voices from campuses worldwide. Whether you’re a faculty member, a university leader, or simply fascinated by the inner workings of higher education, these dialogues provide actionable insights and a deeper understanding of the academy’s evolving role in society. Tune in for thoughtful analysis that respects the complexity of the issues while searching for tangible solutions.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Campus Talks by Times Higher Education
Podcast Episodes
Campus Talks: The crucial skill of self-editing for academics [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:06
So, you’ve finished writing your book, the ideas are on the page and all that’s left is to send your opus off to the publisher, right? Not so fast. In between draft and submission is the revising stage, one that many sch…