Assessment for Student Transitions and Success: A Scoping Review of Assessment Principles in Australian Enabling Education
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| Title: | Assessment for Student Transitions and Success: A Scoping Review of Assessment Principles in Australian Enabling Education |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Elizabeth Goode (ORCID |
| Source: | Higher Education Research and Development. 2026 45(3):554-571. |
| Availability: | Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 15 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Information Analyses |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Access to Education, Higher Education, Developmental Studies Programs, Student Evaluation, Evaluation Methods, Educational Principles, Undergraduate Students |
| Geographic Terms: | Australia |
| DOI: | 10.1080/07294360.2025.2543409 |
| ISSN: | 0729-4360 1469-8366 |
| Abstract: | Enabling education, also known as foundation, pathway or access education, provides opportunities for many students from under-represented groups to access university. Although various studies have documented the effectiveness of these programmes, little is known about the assessment principles and practices in this sub-field of higher education. This paper offers the first scoping review of scholarly literature on assessment in Australian enabling education, summarising work from 2012 to late 2022. The review outlines where and how enabling assessment in Australia is discussed in the literature, and identifies thirteen pedagogical design principles linked to 'enabling assessment'. These principles are characterised by a distinct 'human-centred' approach to assessment that focuses on personal development and empowerment alongside academic development. The deeper aim of transforming students' self-concepts and equipping them to make valued changes in their lives is a core and defining feature of enabling assessment. However, we also identify that the literature is sparse and remains theoretically and conceptually underdeveloped. We recommend that future research includes more robust articulations of the philosophical and conceptual ideas underpinning approaches to assessment in enabling education, alongside examples of how this translates into assessment practices and student outcomes. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1503663 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | Enabling education, also known as foundation, pathway or access education, provides opportunities for many students from under-represented groups to access university. Although various studies have documented the effectiveness of these programmes, little is known about the assessment principles and practices in this sub-field of higher education. This paper offers the first scoping review of scholarly literature on assessment in Australian enabling education, summarising work from 2012 to late 2022. The review outlines where and how enabling assessment in Australia is discussed in the literature, and identifies thirteen pedagogical design principles linked to 'enabling assessment'. These principles are characterised by a distinct 'human-centred' approach to assessment that focuses on personal development and empowerment alongside academic development. The deeper aim of transforming students' self-concepts and equipping them to make valued changes in their lives is a core and defining feature of enabling assessment. However, we also identify that the literature is sparse and remains theoretically and conceptually underdeveloped. We recommend that future research includes more robust articulations of the philosophical and conceptual ideas underpinning approaches to assessment in enabling education, alongside examples of how this translates into assessment practices and student outcomes. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0729-4360 1469-8366 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/07294360.2025.2543409 |
