The assessment process in universities is an integral part of learning. It involves gathering data to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of student learning. Assessment is more than grading; it measures the progress of student learning. The types of assessment tasks that students are asked to do determine how they approach the learning task and what study behaviors they use. Assessment plays an important role in the process of learning and motivation. It is important to consider how to best measure the learning that you want your students to achieve.
Assessment is an ongoing process that can be thought of as a cycle. It starts with defining the program’s mission and goals, which then drive the creation of student learning objectives. Well-designed assessment methods provide valuable information about student learning, helping instructors understand what students learned, how well they learned it, and where they struggled. Assessment allows instructors to identify invisible barriers and improve teaching approaches.
Assessment involves making expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality, systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance.
For more information about assessment in universities, you can refer to the following resources:
– [Understanding the Role of Assessment in Learning](https://www.queensu.ca/teachingandlearning/modules/assessments/04_s1_01_intro_section.html) by Queen’s University.
– [Assessment and Evaluation](https://teaching.berkeley.edu/assessment-and-evaluation) by Center for Teaching & Learning at UC Berkeley.
– [The Assessment Process](https://www.scu.edu/provost/institutional-effectiveness/assessment/the-assessment-process/) by Santa Clara University.
Please note that each university may have its own specific assessment process tailored to its mission and goals.