Assessment for Experiential Learning - Practical Guide for Educators

In this review of Assessment for Experiential Learning the author presents a thoughtful examination of how universities assess learning gained through practical, real-world activities. The book is aimed at educators, curriculum designers and assessment leads who need a clearer framework for evaluating experiential learning outcomes; its single biggest reason to buy is the way it interrogates the purpose and limitations of current assessment practice and pushes readers to think more critically about alignment between activities and assessment goals.

Key Features

• Clear focus on purpose: The book explores why assessment matters for experiential learning and encourages readers to rethink assessment intent rather than rely on traditional tests.
• Discussion of holistic competencies: It links experiential learning to 21st century skills and shows why assessment must capture transferable and soft skills, not just content recall.
• Practical examples: Chan draws on university practice to illustrate common assessment approaches and the tensions they create for students and teachers.
• Critical perspective: The text challenges unclear or contested assessment practices and prompts readers to consider fairness and validity in experiential contexts.
• Readable academic style: The writing is aimed at researchers and practitioners who want an evidence-informed conversation about assessment design.

Who It's For

This book is best for university educators, programme leads and assessment designers who run or evaluate experiential learning activities and need conceptual tools to improve alignment between learning activities and assessment. It is also useful for doctoral students and researchers in education theory and educational psychology who study assessment practice.

Those seeking step-by-step rubrics, extensive quantitative measurement tools or a how-to manual for classroom grading may find the focus here more conceptual; readers wanting ready-made scoring sheets should look for applied assessment guides instead.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides a thoughtful critique of assessment purpose that helps reshape programme thinking.
• Connects experiential activities to holistic competencies that matter in modern education.
• Uses university examples to ground theoretical discussion in real practice.

Cons

• Limited prescriptive tools or ready-to-use rubrics for immediate classroom implementation.

Specifications

Title	Assessment for Experiential Learning
Series	Routledge Research in Education
Author	Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan
Audience	Educators, researchers, programme leads
Focus	Assessment theory for experiential learning and holistic competencies
Use cases	University programmes, curriculum design, assessment review

Our Verdict

Assessment for Experiential Learning is a valuable, reflective resource for educators who need to rethink how experiential activities are assessed; its strength lies in critique and conceptual clarity rather than in providing plug-and-play assessment instruments. For those redesigning university programmes or researching educational assessment, it offers good value as a guide to aligning learning aims and assessment practice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this book give practical rubrics for grading?
The book focuses on conceptual critique and alignment rather than detailed, ready-made rubrics, so readers seeking templates may need supplementary resources.

Who wrote this book and who should read it?
Cecilia Ka Yuk Chan authored the work; it is aimed at higher education staff, assessment leads and researchers interested in experiential learning assessment.

Does it cover soft skills and 21st century competencies?
Yes, the text explicitly links experiential learning to holistic competencies and discusses implications for assessment design.