Classroom-Based Assessments (CBAs) are important milestones in a student’s learning journey. They offer opportunities for our students to demonstrate understanding through oral presentations, creative writing, and multimodal projects. As the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) explains, CBAs are ‘distinct markers in the student's learning journey, whilst still being an integral part of ongoing assessment and routine classroom practice’.
The iPad is uniquely placed to support CBAs because it combines portability, creativity, and accessibility in one device. It empowers students to research, create, reflect, and present — whether they are compiling a portfolio of texts, preparing an oral presentation, or producing a short documentary. In short, the iPad makes assessment authentic, inclusive, and engaging.
Multiple Means of Representation
CBAs encourage students to express their learning in a variety of formats, and the iPad excels at supporting this diversity. Students can record podcasts or oral reflections using GarageBand, create documentaries in iMovie that blend interviews, visuals, and narration, and build writing portfolios in Pages enriched with images, hyperlinks, and embedded audio. The Mark Up tool and Freeform allow students to annotate texts and visuals with ease.
Sometimes, iPads are criticised for their lack of a built-in keyboard, but this can be easily overcome. The iPad supports a wide range of external keyboards, from lightweight Bluetooth models to Apple’s own Magic Keyboard and Smart Keyboard Folio. When paired with one of these, the iPad is transformed into a powerful word-processing tool, enabling students to type comfortably, edit efficiently, and work for extended periods without fatigue. This simple addition not only increases functionality but also broadens the ways in which the iPad can be used for learning, assessment, and creative tasks. Similarly, the iPads incredible battery ensures that students can move more freely around the classroom and indeed the school.
This flexibility supports a wide range of strengths and learning preferences, ensuring that every student can present their work in a way that plays to their abilities. As a result, assessment becomes more equitable, personalised, and meaningful.
Real-Time Feedback and Reflection
CBAs are as much about the process as they are about the final product. The iPad makes formative assessment simple and dynamic. Teachers can provide personalised voice feedback using the built-in Screen Recording tool or Voice Memos, while students can capture their learning journey through video diaries or digital journals. Collaborative apps and shared documents make peer feedback straightforward and immediate.
This approach reflects the NCCA’s emphasis on “supportive feedback and scaffolding”, allowing students to learn from each stage of the process, not just the outcome.
Supporting Teachers and Enhancing Practice
The iPad also simplifies the logistics of managing CBAs. Teachers can organise student work in digital folders or through apps such as Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, or Showbie. Built-in version history in tools like Google Docs and Microsoft Word allows teachers to review the development of a piece of work over time – an especially valuable feature in an era where artificial intelligence is influencing student outputs. In addition, rubrics can be embedded directly into apps, enabling transparent assessment criteria and encouraging students to self-assess their progress.
Inclusive Assessment Practices
With its comprehensive accessibility features – including text-to-speech, dictation, and screen magnification – the iPad ensures that all learners can fully participate in CBAs. Whether a student needs a lot of additional support with reading, writing, or communication, the device adapts to meet their needs.
Apple Professional Learning: Building Teacher Confidence
Technology has the greatest impact when teachers feel confident using it. Apple Professional Learning offers hands-on training, mentoring, and resources to help you make the most of iPad in your assessment practices. You can learn more about how to integrate iPad tools into CBAs, design creative and curriculum-aligned tasks, and build collaborative digital learning communities. With this professional support, the iPad becomes more than just a device – it becomes a key tool in delivering high-quality, student-centred assessments.
Conclusion: A Tool for Authentic Learning
CBAs are designed to capture real learning in real time. The iPad enables students to express ideas in creative, personalised ways; it helps teachers manage the process efficiently and give feedback that moves learning forward. When assessment is woven through purposeful tasks and supported by accessible tools, everyone benefits.