Flexible Assessment in Higher Education: A Comprehensive Review of Strategies and Implications

The article highlights the growing significance of flexible assessment in higher education as institutions adapt to the increasingly diverse needs of their student populations. The demand for customizable educational experiences, heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, has made flexibility in assessment essential for sustaining and improving student engagement, satisfaction, and outcomes. This review explores various strategies for implementing flexible assessment, including flexible tasks, formats, weighting, deadlines, feedback, and deliberate planning. It also addresses the challenges, such as choice overload and increased instructor workload, that can arise when flexibility is not carefully implemented. Through a comprehensive review of existing and recent research, the article reiterates the proven benefits of flexible assessment while offering evidence-based recommendations for effective implementation. It calls for further research to develop assessment practices that can contribute to a more adaptable and equitable assessment environment for today’s modern learners.