As the demand for online learning environments grow in higher education, so does the need for systematic application of learning and educational theory to the design, development and delivery of assessment strategies within these environments. The assessment literature suggests a number of imperatives that should drive a renewed focus in assessment including; capturing the potential of online assessment, designing efficient and effective assessment, fostering academic honesty, and supporting effective group work. However, there is little guidance in the form of frameworks for the development of online assessment strategies.

As a group of instructional designers engaged in a collaborative process of developing assessment strategies with online instructors, we present in-situ qualitative case studies that articulate our design practice in support of the development of online assessments, in line with the imperatives identified above. We discuss a range of assessment strategies and how these have been designed and developed, including professionalism and peer assessment, virtual patients, collaborative writing, and problem solving with extended case studies. We present and discuss the reflections of our co-instructional designers, the instructors, on the impact of these approaches on their teaching practice and the experience of their learners. We discuss our successes, failures and challenges, and the next steps in our continued efforts towards articulating practice-driven innovation and frameworks in online assessment.