LCS Assessment Showcase

Registration

This one-day showcase will focus on the diverse landscape of assessment in LCS and the sharing of successful practices, innovative projects and reflective insights on assessment. The aim of this event is to foster a reflective, collaborative environment across the School on the design of our assessments. The event is open to all colleagues in LCSx and the Language Centre who are involved in assessment, including both academics and professional services colleagues. 

This will primarily be an in-person event, but we will facilitate hybrid attendance via MS Teams and will record sessions for those unable to attend. Please note that the Authentic Assessment Workshop, which is open to all colleagues across the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures, is in-person only.  

09.15-09.30 Arrival and tea/coffee 

09.30-11.00 Authentic Assessment Workshop 

In-person only. Led by Dr Carly O’Neill-Barrett (Academic Lead for Authentic Assessment) and Sarah Wenham (Professional Services Lead for Authentic Assessment), this hands-on session will give you insight and practical tools to design authentic assessment, exploring its definition, benefits, and practical application at Leeds. You’ll engage in interactive activities that walk you through each stage of designing an authentic assessment, discover diverse formats and their unique implications, and leave with a clear, actionable plan for implementation. 

Ideal for anyone involved in assessment design who wants to ensure their assessments are engaging, relevant, and impactful. 

Open to all Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures staff. 

11.00-11.15 Break 

11.15-11.30 Welcome to the LCS Assessment Showcase 2026 

Dr Alba del Pozo García (LCS Director of Scholarship, Co-Director of CELT, ​Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellent Incubator Lead​ for Feedback), Dr Henry Clarke (LCS Academic Assessment Lead), Dr Thuy Thai (Language Centre Academic Assessment Lead). 

11.30-12.30 15-minute Presentations 

Judith Eberharter – “Portfolio: Pitch my degree programme” 

Abstract: The assessment centres on an individual portfolio consisting of two parts in which students pitch their degree programme in a short video and reflect on the skills developed through a collaborative, seven‑university business simulation. Building on their experience as Die Produzentinnen* and Die Werbeagentur—roles that required product creation, branding, and slogan development in German—students analyse and reflect on how the project strengthened their ability to communicate in professional German‑speaking contexts. 

 Dr Isabel Molina-Vidal & Juan Muñoz-López – “Evaluating a Reflective and Experiential Assessment Model for the Year Abroad: Pedagogical Design, Implementation, and Student Feedback” 

Abstract: This presentation will explore the pedagogical design and implementation of the MODL9500/1 Year Abroad assessments, focusing on their alignment with LCS’s strategic priorities for reflective, inclusive, and authentic assessment. The written reflective report encourages structured self-evaluation through transferable skills, fostering deeper academic and intercultural awareness. The video assessment expands this by embedding experiential learning, creativity, and real-world communication in the target language. The presentation will examine development rationale, student feedback, and lessons learned, demonstrating how the combined assessment model enhances learner autonomy, engagement, and meaningful evidence of skills acquisition. 

Dr Laura Lucia Rossi – “Flexible assessment?” 

Abstract: This presentation will share reflections on the new assessment for the LCS Dante module. The objective for changing the assessment was to provide students with maximum flexibility both in terms of content and format, which meant designing seminars in semester 2 to enable students to produce meaningful digital objects. This presentation will reflect on the challenges and affordances of this new process. 

12.30-13.15 Lunch 

13.15-14.00 15-minute Presentations 

Dr Fraser McQueen – “Unessays/Creative Projects in LCS” 

Abstract: This presentation will discuss assessments I implemented in my previous position, in which traditional essays/presentations were replaced by creative projects designed by students themselves. These could, in principle, take any form, although more unorthodox proposals needed to be accompanied by a written/recorded rationale. In this presentation, I will discuss the benefits of this kind of assessment, some of the challenges I encountered, and how (and how successfully) I tried to overcome those challenges. 

Dr Alba del Pozo García & María Garcia-Florenciano – “Reflexivity and Experiential Learning: A Project-Based Language Assessment in the Age of AI” 

Abstract: Generative AI is reshaping assessment in language education, prompting many institutions to rely more heavily on traditional written examinations to ensure academic integrity. This paper proposes an alternative through project-based assessments that embed linguistic and cultural learning in authentic, critical experiences. It presents two projects implemented in first- and second-year Spanish modules for post-A level students: a comparative analysis of cultural objects and a situated investigation of Spanish in Leeds using ethnographic methods. Grounded in plurilingual literacies, intercultural reflection, formative feedback, and experiential learning, these assessments explore both the potential and the challenges of evaluating language learning without written examinations. 

14.00-14.15 Break 

14.15-14.45 Roundtable led by Prof. Becky Muradás-Taylor – Impact of pass/fail assessment on Languages for All modules 

Abstract: Languages for All modules at the University of Leeds can be taken for credit by most undergraduate students. They are marked as pass/fail rather than with a numerical grade. This enables other innovations (flexible module order, optionality in assessment) and has reduced administrative load. But concerns remain about the impact on students: are fewer enrolling because they want a grade? And are those that enrol less engaged? In this roundtable I will present data on enrolment and pass rates, facilitating a discussion to hear people’s views and identify next steps.  

14.45-15.00 Break 

15.00-15.15 5-minute Spotlight Presentations 

Jody Bradford – “Assessment Rubric Evolution on an International Foundation Year ELU module” 

Abstract: Within an International Foundation Year Arts and Social Sciences pathways context, we have been responding to both wider university stakeholders and rapid technological advances in language assistance. Current assessment of English language on the ELU module is made in part by mapping onto the CEFR framework and simultaneously addressing the use of GenAI in assessment. This feeds into ongoing work with the Language Centre criteria working group and the necessary evolution of our assessment marking criteria. 

Prof. Diane Nelson – “Blogging using Campus Press: Developing digital skills for public engagement” 

Abstract: This talk reports on the first run of a new assessment for the LING module Life Cycle of Languages. Students were asked to undertake independent research to write an illustrated popular science blog using the platform Campus Press, then reflect on their learning. I show how this assessment type can be successful in building skills in using new digital platforms and GenAI, translating specialist concepts for a public audience and introducing enjoyment and variety to the assessment portfolio. 

15.15-15.45 Roundtable led by Dr Ellie Mackin Roberts – “Four Skills, One Portfolio: Multi-Piece Assessment in Ancient History at Level 1”

Abstract: This roundtable draws on running a four-piece portfolio across Greek and Roman Worlds, where students produce source analysis, creative engagement, scholarship review, and argumentative writing in a single 3,000-word submission with significant format choice. I will briefly present the design before opening discussion around four questions: does format flexibility empower or overwhelm Level 1 students? How do we mark creativity with rigour? How do different portfolio components raise different challenges for AI-era assessment? And does the self-reflexive statement genuinely develop metacognitive skills, or is it a box-ticking exercise? 

15.45-16.00 Closing remarks 

Organised by Dr Henry Clarke, Dr Alba del Pozo García and Dr Thuy Thai with the support of the Centre for Excellence in Language Teaching.