Flexible Assessment

With flexible assessment, we develop smart principles, quality, and expertise that strengthen flexible learning pathways and drive educational innovation.

Centre of Expertise Global and Inclusive Learning

groepje studenten

Flexible assessment is about smarter and fairer ways of evaluating, making learning more relevant to students and to the rapidly changing job market. It connects to key developments such as personalized learning and lifelong development. For universities of applied sciences, it offers opportunities to innovate education and align it with strategic goals. Good assessment motivates students, supports self-directed learning, and provides teachers and programs with an important tool to guide education. The challenge lies in creating assessments that are both personally meaningful and reliable, ensuring high quality for all stakeholders.

Background

This project supports the development of curricula that allow for personalized pathways while simultaneously meeting the requirements of teachers, students, and the professional field. Assessment serves not only as a measurement tool but also as a control mechanism that influences students’ experiences and learning processes. Students appreciate flexible assessment that aligns with their personal learning goals and professional context. At the same time, the challenge is to design flexible assessment with various stakeholders in such a way that quality is guaranteed and both teachers and students can participate successfully.

Goal and Target Audience

Designing, guiding, assessing, and ensuring flexible assessment are the central themes. The aim of this research line is to provide insight into the optimal design of flexible assessment while also exploring how assessment quality can be maintained. This includes examining different dimensions of flexible assessment, how they relate to various quality principles, and how assessors, guides, and learners can optimally participate in the flexible assessment process.

Method

The research line consists of four studies:

  1. Meaningful Building and Ensuring – flexible assessment design.
  2. Meaningful Guiding and Assessing – the assessment competence of guides and assessors in the flexible assessment process.
  3. Meaningful Confirming and Demonstrating – the assessment competence of learners in the flexible assessment process.
  4. Meaningful Utilizing and Balancing – use of technology in flexible assessment.

Currently, Study 1 is underway, in which a flexscan validated by assessment experts is being developed to support teachers and teams in mapping the degree of flexibility in their current assessment practices and exploring ambitions for the future.

(Expected) results

The flexscan provides insight into various dimensions of flexible assessment, such as student choice, customization of assessment formats, and adjustments in time, place, or support. By comparing the current situation with desired ambitions, the scan provides a basis for targeted improvement actions and strategic decisions while ensuring assessment quality.

Impact

Research on flexible assessment contributes to agile curricula, better self-regulation and motivation among students, and helps ensure assessment quality and teachers’ assessment competence.

More information

Start and End Date

Currently (Sept, 2025) ongoing – Study 1 is in progress.

Collaboration

This research involves collaboration with various programmes and research groups, both within The Hague University of Applied Sciences and from other universities of applied sciences. 

Team & contact 

Are you interested in the outcomes of this research? Please contact: 
Norbert Huyer: [email protected]
Joyce den Heijer: [email protected]