Assess as you go: the effect of continuous assessment on student learning during a short course in archaeology

A continuous classroom assessment technique, ‘Five‐minute’ essays, was applied during a short course called Scientific Methods in Archaeology—Applications and Problems, given at the Archaeological Research Laboratory, Department of Archaeology and Classical Studies, Stockholm University, Sweden. There was a strong positive and statistically significant correlation between the grades obtained by the students and time into the course. The results showed no significant difference based on gender but there might be a gender‐based difference in approach. The ‘Five‐minute’ essay was generally appreciated by the students even though some found it stressful. There was no significant difference in this appreciation based on gender. Several advantages of this assessment procedure in comparison with the more traditional final exam are presented.