How is CAA used?

The following are the three main types of assessments for which CAA is used:

Diagnostic- tests which are taken to determine a student's prior knowledge of a subject.

Self-assessment - tests which are taken by students to check their understanding of particular concepts and terminology.

Formative - assessments which assist learning by giving feedback which indicates how the student is progressing in terms of knowledge, skills and understanding of a subject. In CAA, this often takes the form of objective questions with feedback given to the student either during or immediately after the assessment. Formative assessment may be monitored by the tutor, used purely for self-assessment or used to contribute marks to a module grade.

Summative - assessments where the primary purpose is to give a quantitative grading and make a judgement about the student's achievement in a particular area. Summative assessment can include marked coursework as well as end of module examinations and can incorporate feedback to the student.