The Arqus Alliance announces the third webinar in its English-Medium Instruction (EMI) seminar series for the academic year 2025–26, hosted by Maynooth University. This year’s series explores effective assessment in English-taught programmes and classes.

Titled “Developing strategies for assessment in English-medium instruction”, the webinar will be delivered by Katherine Ackerley and Fiona Dalziel from the University of Padua. It will take place online on Thursday, 12 February 2026, from 12:00–13:00 (CET).

The session addresses challenges lecturers may encounter when designing fair and effective assessment in EMI contexts. Drawing on data from a student survey and focus groups with both students and lecturers, the speakers will reflect on differing stakeholder perceptions of written and oral assessment of content knowledge. For international students in particular, concerns may relate not only to language and academic literacy, but also to adapting to the local academic culture.

The webinar will explore lecturers’ assessment strategies in EMI alongside students’ affective responses, including issues connected to collaborative knowledge construction in exams and the concept of positive washback. The session will conclude with an open discussion on how greater awareness of, and familiarity with, a broad range of assessment practices can support student success in English-taught programmes.

For more information and registration, click here.