The role of assessment in the development of academic identity in tertiary bridging program students

This qualitative study examined students’ academic identity with a view to understanding the process involved in the development of a university student identity over the first seven weeks of a full-time on-campus tertiary bridging program. The sample comprised six male and six female tertiary bridging students between the ages 18 and 24 who had successfully made the transition into the tertiary bridging program. Participants engaged in a one-on-one interview in week eight of the semester. Most participants reported having developed a sense of identity as a university student. The primary event which facilitated this process was a successful engagement with the initial assessment tasks. The requirement to perform the role of a self-organising and independent learner in preparing for these assessment tasks was considered to distinguish the university student role from that required in secondary school. Good assessment results were identified much less frequently as playing a role in the process. A negative influence of peer interaction on university student identity development was identified where bridging students interacted with current undergraduates. The suitability of traditional approaches to assessment, such as tests, for use in tertiary bridging programs is raised.