Foundation Skills/Role, jargon and principles of assessment/What is assessment and why do we need it?

What is assessment and why do we need it?
Whether we like it or not, assessment drives students' learning. A wise old academic once said that higher education institutions "live or die by their assessment practices", and despite a huge amount of research, assessment is still a hotly-debated subject. Are we getting it right for our students?

To explore the concept of assessment, we need to first start with a definition of assessment and work through the purpose and jargon of assessment.