Supervised assessment can be implemented in two main ways: integrated or standalone. Both approaches provide evidence and assurance of student learning than products alone, but they serve different purposes.
When introducing supervised assessment, the key question is whether the supervised component should complement an existing product or stand alone as the central task.
We compare the two approaches below, highlighting when each is most effective and the types of tasks that typically align with them.
Use this approach when you want to strengthen assurance of learning for an existing assessment. This works well if the product demonstrates depth of work, but you also need direct evidence of authorship, reasoning, or process.
Use this approach when the assessment purpose is best achieved through direct observation of performance, judgement, or decision-making in real time. This is often used where accreditation, professional standards, or authentic performance contexts are critical.
Integrated supervised assessments build on an existing product by adding a short, authentic, supervised element. This approach strengthens assurance of learning while minimising additional workload, as the supervised component verifies and extends the student’s submitted work.
The product demonstrates the student’s ability to create, research, or produce, while the supervised component provides direct evidence of authorship, understanding, and applied capability.
This approach strengthens assurance of learning by combining the depth of a product with the authenticity of live verification. Both aspects are considered together equally when evaluating student performance, meaning a student must demonstrate capability in the product and through the supervised element.
The supervised assessment – integrated option page outlines examples of integrated supervised assessment types, describing what they involve, when to use them, and example prompts to elicit evidence of student learning.
Standalone supervised assessments operate as distinct assessments in their own right. Here, the supervised assessment is the central piece of assessment, allowing students to demonstrate knowledge, skills, or judgement in real time under observation.
This approach provides enhanced assurance of learning by requiring students to act, respond, or perform under observation, with prompts or conditions that elicit their thinking and competence. Student performance is judged on the supervised activity itself, not on a separate product.
The supervised assessment – standalone option page provides examples of standalone supervised assessment types, describing how each works, when to use them, and example prompts to elicit evidence of student learning.