Assessments are important tools when planning for outcomes because you cannot create lessons without them. When it comes to assessment of student learning, there are two major considerations.
When to Assess Learning
Many teachers approach assessment as a continuous process, collecting evidence of learning over time through observation, pop quizzes, journals, and some kind of culminating project that allows students to demonstrate learning in context.
How to Assess Learning
Assessment generally comes in two forms: traditional paper-pencil assessment (multiple choice, true/false, short essay, etc.), which can be useful for assessing WHAT students know; and performance tasks, which enable us to assess WHAT STUDENTS CAN DO with what they know. For these, instructors gather data as students complete tasks.
(For additional information and guidance in choosing assessments for your course, see Module 6.)
