Academics and assessment: the forgotten meat in the sandwich in the current higher education environment?

This paper reports on qualitative research into academics perceptions of assessment in an Australian law school. Some of the key concerns of academics teaching a professional degree course in the current higher education environment, in particular as it impacts on their assessment practices and student learning, are highlighted and discussed. Academics' perceptions of the importance of teaching and assessing graduate skills are also discussed in the context of the literature. This paper highlights that in the context of the current higher education environment there is a real risk that the gap between the rhetoric and reality will continue to widen, having consequences for the student, the academic, and higher education outcomes generally