Author: Monsurat Raji

Monsurat completed her Doctoral program in Education at the University of Ottawa, Canada, with a focus on Educational Assessment and Teaching Pedagogies. She has an M.Ed. (with thesis) from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; M.Sc. in Educational Research Methods, Assessment, and Evaluation from Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, United Kingdom, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (Educational Assessment & Evaluation) and Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from University of Ilorin, Nigeria. She recently completed a Graduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning from the University of Ottawa, and has facilitated teaching, learning, and assessment workshops for graduate students, newly recruited faculty, instructors, and tenured faculty members. She brings her international education background and career experience derived from studying, teaching, and consulting in different education systems and levels to work at Conestoga’s Teaching and Learning Department.

Scaffolding: An Overview

Reading Time: 6 minutesBy Dr. Ada Sharpe, Dr. David Baidoo-Anu, and Dr. Monsurat Raji. Defining scaffolding  In education, “scaffolding” refers to the use of assessments and instructional strategies to progressively build students’ capacity in completing a task. A scaffolded approach provides structure to increase the complexity of learning tasks over time while reducing the amount of support provided to the learner. Such an...

From Traditional to Transformative: Practicing Student-Centered Assessments in Contemporary Classrooms 

Reading Time: 5 minutesBy Dr. Monsurat Raji, Assessment of Learning Consultant In today’s rapidly evolving educational landscape, you could better support your students by reassessing and enhancing your approaches to student assessment. Traditional assessments, often limited to tests, superficial learning, and rote memorization, fail to capture the full spectrum of student learning and capabilities. You can better support your students’ growth, learning, and motivation...

Smart Solutions: Authentic Assessment for GenAI-Era Academic Integrity

Reading Time: 4 minutesThe rise of generative Artificial Intelligence (genAI) in education has brought significant benefits, but it sometimes poses challenges to academic integrity. Traditional assessments are increasingly vulnerable to misuse of GenAI tools, which can generate human-like responses to various tasks. Authentic assessment, however, offers a promising solution to this problem by focusing on real-world applications, critical thinking skills, problem-solving, and the...

The 10-Minute Countdown: Ensuring Seamless Classroom Wrap-Up

Reading Time: 3 minutesManaging the end of a class efficiently is a crucial skill for any professor, ensuring a smooth transition for the next faculty and maintaining a respectful and organized learning environment. I remember one semester when I was teaching back-to-back classes in different buildings. The rush to wrap up my teaching and make it to the next class on time was...

Practicing Student-Centered Assessments in Contemporary Classrooms 

Reading Time: 4 minutesContemporary classroom assessment emphasizes ongoing feedback, student involvement, and diverse assessment methods to enhance learning outcomes. It reflects a shift from traditional testing and grading to more holistic, student-centered approaches catering to diverse student demographics.  Research suggests a connection between faculty’s past assessment experiences and how they implement assessments and evaluate students in contemporary classrooms (Brown et al., 2019). For...

Understanding Socio-Culturally Responsive Assessments

Reading Time: 3 minutesThis post was co-authored by Dr. Monsurat Raji and Dr. David Baidoo-Anu, Assessment of Learning Consultants. As postsecondary schools continue to educate a more diverse student population, there is an increased need to ensure every student has the opportunity for success, regardless of their social, economic, educational, and cultural background and differences.   What is Socio-Culturally Responsive Assessment? Socio-Culturally Responsive Assessment...

Rethinking Academic Integrity in the Age of Generative Artificial Intelligence

Reading Time: 4 minutesAs professors, our responsibility to uphold academic integrity becomes increasingly complex with the integration of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) in the learning environment, prompting a need to rethink academic integrity in educational institutions. You may have seen some of the following effects of genAI in the teaching and learning space: Unethical Use: GenAI can be used unethically to generate complete...

Using Exemplars to Support Student Success with Assessments

Reading Time: 3 minutesExemplars are “carefully chosen samples of student work which are used to illustrate dimensions of quality and to clarify assessment expectations” (Carless & Chan, 2017, p. 1). Exemplars can help students increase their understanding of the skills, content, or knowledge and internalize established criteria or standards (Sadler, 2010). Particularly, through exemplars, your students can get a clear idea of the...

Teaching & Supporting Nigerian International Students

Reading Time: 3 minutesBy Dr. Monsurat Raji and Dr. Nasreen Sultana (Teaching and Learning Consultants) Beginning post-secondary studies in Canada for most international students is like playing a new game whereby students are expected to figure out the new rules and apply them properly in practice. It is more challenging for international students to win or play the game as they have to...

Designing Multiple Choice Questions with EAL in Mind 

Reading Time: 4 minutesA Multiple-Choice Question (MCQ) item consists of a problem, known as the stem (written as a question or as a partial sentence that requires completion), and a list of suggested solutions, known as options. The options consist of one correct or best option, which is the answer, and incorrect or inferior options, known as distractors.   Research indicates that the linguistic structure...

Planning and Facilitating Effective Peer Assessment

Reading Time: 4 minutesPeer assessment, also called peer review, is an instructional approach that allows learners to consider, evaluate, and provide feedback on the level, value, or quality of the intellectual product of a peer (Topping, 1998). This guide is intended to support faculty with important considerations in making decisions and/or planning for incorporating peer assessment into their courses. Considerations for a Successful...