You get to know your students on a deeper and personal level. You may even consider conducting an Interactive Oral Assessment (IOA) early in the semester to help you know your students.
IOAs prepare students to act like their future selves in a work environment helping develop graduate attributes employers’ value
IOAs can be more engaging and stimulating to mark than an exam. Each one is slightly different so the tedium and repetition of marking written exams is reduced.
Assessors can gauge the student’s true skill level, as students can’t hide their lack of knowledge
You are able to prompt students struggling to form a response (if desired), unlike an exam
When conducted in person, IOAs are a secure form of assessment regarding academic integrity
Considerations
If you have a large unit and a team of markers, you will need to ensure your markers have the right skill and training to conduct the IOA in a way that is consistent, valid and reliable.
If you are conducting the IOA via video call, there is an increasing risk that this is vulnerable to generative AI use. We would strongly recommend conducting IOAs in person.
Takes considerable forward planning and expertise. It’s best to work with someone who has already designed and conducted IOAs.
Marking time remains the same, as each IOA session will be a specific amount of time. There is no ‘getting on a roll’ as you can with marking written assignments. However, after a few IOAs you will develop a process you are comfortable with and the cognitive load of marking an IOA may be reduced
The design of the marking rubric is critical to ensure you’re assessing the required skills rather than simply English language ability. For instance, first time markers may give higher grades to extroverted native speakers who present well but may not know the content.
IO Assessment 