Abstract:

Higher education system in Bahrain plays a central role in economic growth, investment and innovation. The pivotal revelation is to create Bahrain as a major center to produce highly skilled, knowledgeable and assertive graduates by providing quality higher education to compete in the global sphere while aiming towards the sustainable growth of Bahrain.

The aim of this research is to nurture excellence among teaching academicians and educational developers by demonstrating a proper way of students work assessment through different phases of assessment design which has been successfully implemented at Gulf University in Bahrain and how it serves as an aid for the students in their learning process by developmental feedback, academic progression and life-long learning. The aims is meeting the quality standards of national and international professional accreditation bodies as evaluation and assessment is the corner stone of formal education system.

A qualitative methodology is used to review and analyze range of assessment practices at higher education institutions in various regions to explore the gaps in the current assessment systems. Accordingly, the results are compared with the expectations of national and international regulatory and accreditations bodies. Secondary sources shall be relying on for this research. As secondary sources; articles, various books on assessment, printed and online journals/periodicals and researches will be considering for making this research more effective and useful for the academic practitioners and developers to meet the missions of HEIs in producing highly qualified and ready for work graduates.

The authors of this research provide the academicians with a clear picture on assessment design by explaining five major phases of alignment:
1. mapping of program courses to program outcomes,
2. mapping of course outcomes to program outcomes,
3. mapping of assessment tools/methods to program courses based on course type and level,
4. mapping of assessment tools to course outcomes and
5. mapping of assessment component (based on proper rubrics) to course outcomes.

The philosophy of effective assessment mapping processes and design will help to achieve learning outcomes to meet the roles of higher education institution and the expectation of national and international professional quality bodies as well. Eventually this entire process shall ensure basic principles of assessment design like assessments shall be valid, reliable, manageable within the student load, inclusive and equitable.

The practical implication of this research shall be creating all around assessment system by discovering and closing the existing assessment gaps in HEIs. Here the findings of this study shall be important for three reasons; first; the study has identified the central rule of regulatory bodies in creating effective assessment system. Second; the study contributes to find the gaps in current assessment system and third; the study propose all around assessment system which contribute to close the gaps.

Keywords:

Assessment Design, Assessment Mapping, Intended Learning Outcomes, Valid, Reliable, Inclusive, Equitable, Manageable.