|
|
What
is Assessment?
Definitions
Various definitions of assessment and the role it plays in teaching
and learning:
- Assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning
to refine programs and improve student learning. (Assessing
Academic Programs in Higher Education by Allen 2004)
- Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information
from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep
understanding of what students know, understand, and can do with
their knowledge as a result of their educational experiences;
the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve
subsequent learning. (Learner-Centered Assessment on
College Campuses: shifting the focus from teaching to learning by
Huba and Freed 2000)
- Assessment is the systematic basis for making inferences about
the learning and development of students. It is the process
of defining, selecting, designing, collecting, analyzing, interpreting,
and using information to increase students’ learning and
development. (Assessing Student Learning and Development:
A Guide to the Principles, Goals, and Methods of Determining
College Outcomes by Erwin 1991)
- Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of
information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose
of improving student learning and development. (Assessment
Essentials: planning, implementing, and improving assessment
in higher education by Palomba and Banta 1999)
A Taxonomy of Approaches to Assessment
(Terenzini, Patrick T., “Assessment
with open eyes: Pitfalls in studying student outcomes.” Journal of Higher Education,
Vol. 60, No. 6, pp. 644-664, November/December 1989)
|
