Assessment Methods

Ideally, assessments also allow students to monitor their own progress throughout a course. This is especially important, because if students are to be lifelong learners, they need to be able to monitor and control their own process of learning. Paper-and-pencil assessments (multiple choice, true/false, fill in the blanks, short essays, etc.) are most useful for determining what students know; performance tasks (demonstrations, presentations, etc.) are often more suited to assessing what students can do with what they know. The following assessments may help you collect information and distribute feedback on student learning.

• Essays
  Essays ask students to organize their thoughts and put them down on paper. They are a good way to evaluate the level of student understanding of a particular topic. Essays also benefit students by giving them practice in writing. On the negative side, essays can be time-consuming to review. Essays can also be difficult to grade objectively.
• Presentations
  Asking students to present research, homework, or a short assignment, either individually or as part of a group, is a popular assessment method for many teachers. Presentations develop speaking skills, which are important in any field. They provide insight not only into the specific content the student has learned, but the depth of her understanding and her confidence with the material.
• Demonstrations
  Demonstrations are often the most appropriate way of evaluating outcomes that ask students to do something—diagnose problems or assemble machinery, for instance. Demonstrations are often done in one-on-one settings with the instructor. They are particularly helpful at determining where students need extra study or assistance.