Beyond grading: Assessment practices that support learning

Assessment plays a critical role in shaping how students learn. At this year’s Teaching Café, University of Manitoba educators came together to explore innovative assessment practices that support student success, encourage deeper learning, and respond to the evolving realities of higher education.

Held on May 5, 2026, the Teaching Café focused on Innovative Assessment for Student Learning, bringing together faculty, researchers, and staff to share practical approaches that enhance learning while addressing questions of equity, student well-being, and the growing presence of artificial intelligence in the classroom. 

As student needs continue to evolve, educators are rethinking how assessment can better support learning. The Teaching Café created space for faculty to share ideas, reflect on their practice, and explore approaches that help students engage more deeply with their learning.

When asked what drew her to attend this year's Teaching Café, Dr. Yetaotao Qiu, Assistant Professor in the I.H. Asper School of Business, pointed to the relevance of the topic to her own teaching practice.

“I was drawn to this year's Teaching Café because the theme of innovative assessment connects closely with my own interest in designing assessments that support learning rather than simply evaluate performance. And I think this topic is even more important in the context that the use of AI is more widespread in the classroom.” 

Speakers represented a wide range of disciplines and teaching contexts, including Nursing, Education, Microbiology, Computer Science, Mathematics, and Kinesiology. The program featured a series of lightning talks followed by lunch and a facilitated question-and-answer session.

The lightning talks offered brief snapshots of assessment practices drawn from real classroom experiences, prompting participants to reflect on their own teaching and identify emerging themes. During lunch, attendees worked in small groups to synthesize questions that later shaped a panel discussion with the speakers.

The Teaching Café’s collaborative format is designed to foster meaningful dialogue, critical reflection, and peer learning, creating opportunities for educators to learn from one another’s experiences and perspectives while exploring ways to enhance student learning.

One of the ideas that resonated most strongly throughout the day was the relationship between assessment, student well-being, and learning. 

Throughout the Teaching Café, participants reflected on what they heard, what they learned, and how they might apply new ideas within their own courses. 

Dr. Fabiana Turelli from the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management shared that the event reinforced her confidence to continue exploring innovative teaching practices.

“The presentations and discussion were both inspiring and reassuring of a pathway that may be unusual by being innovative, but is corroborated among great passionate instructors. [The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning] increases my confidence in trying different strategies as I see its investment in education as, if I may, a tool for freedom and empowerment, and as consequence, social change.”

Events such as the Teaching Café are one way The Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning supports teaching excellence at UM, creating opportunities for educators to reflect on their practice, share ideas, and explore approaches that enhance student learning.