As is the case in all sectors, theories and practices in higher education evolve over time and, we hope, the changes that we make or which happen (some we can control and some we cannot) are those which are for the better. Those changes might be big and far reaching or perhaps very small and local, but all of us teaching or supporting learners in some way or by carrying out research within universities do that in order to improve not only our own knowledge of the subject matter within the discipline of education per se but to use what we know in helping our learners to thrive and grow, as learners. This is not only during their very short time with us within universities (only 1 year, in the case of postgraduate study in certain countries, for example) but in order to best help them to prepare for whatever challenges they will face afterwards, whether in the work environment or elsewhere. Whether this is termed ‘lifelong learning’ or anything else, this has been at the heart of higher education since the time when universities first came into being very many centuries ago; this has not changed, despite claims by some that the mission and/or purpose of universities has changed over recent years. Regardless of discipline or context, the university, as a university, remains what it has always been, that is, one of perhaps many means by which knowledge is advanced, either by way of research or teaching or both and by making its contribution to society, either locally or more widely or both. Whilst organisations and the practices within it change, and this is the case whether it is a university or any other organisation, certain elements of it remain fixed, unchanged, as elements. A core element of the university experience for both our students and for ourselves as educators and those in our support services more widely in the university is assessment. The argument often heard is that whilst assessment is important, it has, over recent years, become too much of a driving force, that is, it has too high a priority and focus, for various reasons. Those reasons include, for example, the cost of that education to students themselves and to the government which to a greater or lesser extent might fund it but also the shift towards a need for graduates and those working in the sector to make more of a contribution in terms of the economic growth and success of the country itself. Whatever the reasons, and they are complex, assessment plays an enormous part. This is not just assessment itself but also the ‘checks and balances’ that, these days, form an important part of the quality and standards which are expected. And, rightly so.

中文翻译：

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社论

就像所有部门一样，高等教育的理论和实践会随着时间的推移而发展，我们希望，我们所做或将发生的变化（某些我们可以控制而某些我们无法控制）则是变得更好的变化。这些变化可能是巨大而深远的，或者可能是很小的并且是局部的，但是我们所有人都以某种方式或通过在大学内部进行研究来教学或支持学习者这样做，不仅是为了提高我们自己对学科主题的认识，教育本身就是一门学科，但要利用我们所知道的知识来帮助我们的学习者像学习者一样蓬勃发展。这不仅是在他们与我们在大学里度过的很短时间内（例如，在某些国家（例如，某些国家/地区）进行为期一年的研究），而且是为了最好地帮助他们为以后将要面对的任何挑战做准备，无论是在工作环境还是其他地方。无论是所谓的“终身学习”还是其他任何形式，自许多世纪以来大学首次诞生以来，这一直是高等教育的核心。尽管有人声称大学的使命和/或目的在最近几年发生了变化，但这并没有改变。不论学科或背景如何，大学作为一所大学，始终如一，这就是通过研究或教学或两者兼而有之来促进知识发展的众多手段之一，无论是本地或更广泛，或两者兼而有之。尽管组织及其内部的实践发生了变化，无论是大学还是任何其他组织，情况都是如此，但它的某些要素仍然是固定不变的。对我们的学生和作为教育者以及我们在大学中更广泛的支持服务中的人而言，大学经验的核心要素是评估。经常听到的论点是，尽管评估很重要，但近年来它已成为太多的驱动力，也就是说，出于各种原因，它的优先级和重点都太高了。这些原因包括，例如，对学生本人和政府的教育成本，或多或少可为该成本提供资金，还包括对毕业生和从事该领域工作的人作出更大贡献的需求的转变。就国家自身的经济增长和成功而言。不管原因是什么，而且原因很复杂，评估都起着很大的作用。这不仅是评估本身，而且是如今的“制衡”，构成了预期质量和标准的重要组成部分。而且，正确的是。