Annoyance and frustration: Emotional responses to being assessed in higher education

• Published in: Active learning in higher education 2020-11, Vol.21 (3), p.189-201
• Main Authors: Wass, Rob, Timmermans, Julie, Harland, Tony, McLean, Angela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Difficulty Level; Emotional Response; Foreign Countries; Grading; Higher Education; Learning Processes; Negative Attitudes; Psychological Patterns; Research Universities; Stress Variables; Student Reaction; Student Welfare; Summative Evaluation; Test Anxiety; Undergraduate Students
• ISSN: 1469-7874; 1741-2625
• DOI: 10.1177/1469787418762462

Despite many articles written about assessment in higher education, surprisingly few have examined students’ emotional responses to assessment and their perceptions of this impact on their learning experiences and well-being. This article reports on a study using in-depth interviews with 40 undergraduate students who were frequently graded. A range of emotions was reported. However, responses were overwhelmingly negative and included annoyance, frustration and disappointment. These emotions were often a response to the assessment practices, such as the timing and weighting of assessments rather than to the assessment itself. When assessment loads were too high, students reported making sacrifices with respect to learning and student life. Students also reported negative emotions when assessment was perceived as meaningless, or recognised as detrimental to learning. We argue that when considering assessment practices, educators should ask questions about the emotional impact of assessment to ensure learning while also taking into account the importance of student well-being.