Assessment

Schooling and learning cannot properly occur without assessment. For both teacher and

learner, assessment is a tool of education. It is an essential component. The importance of

assessment stems, first, from its capability to inform and challenge a student on their knowledge.

The student can make a judgement on how well they comprehend the material of the lesson from

the given assessment strategy. With assessment, the pupil knows if they should move forward.

Secondly, assessment also informs the teacher on the understanding of an individual or the class.

Assessment then guides the educator, as it did the student. A teacher may continue with the

curriculum, if the student body sufficiently followed the lesson, or the teacher may elect to return

to the content or make corrections if there is misunderstanding. This dual relationship within the

realm of assessment, where both the learner and the teacher benefit, allows for a successful

support for education.

Learning occurs with assessment. It is a support to learning, in other words. Discovery is

an innate element of assessment. Through related activity, students come to realize their

strengths, their weaknesses, their passions, and their overall progress. This is learning, both of

course material and of the self. Students can only move forward in their learning if they

comprehend those factors. In addition, if progress, passions, strengths, and weaknesses are not

tracked, the learning is entirely lost in the teacher’s assumptions. Assessment, therefore, allows

for a methodical observation of improvement.

In defining assessment, one finds three branches of the practice: assessment as learning;

assessment of learning; and assessment for learning. Educators utilize these assessment forms to

foster ownership of learning, achievement, and goal setting. In order to accomplish this feat, a

teacher must stress the importance of reflection and its reward. Reflection is what converts
assessment and feedback into learning and progress. When a student can contemplate on their

mistakes and their thinking, they sharpen their reasoning skills. Likely, a student regards

assessment of learning, that which is evaluated, as related to their academic goal. However,

schooling and teachers should demonstrate assessment for/as learning as the process towards one

goal. Consequently, students understand the two assessment styles as important to the goal

setting process, and the overarching process of learning. Finally, students must recognize

achievement in their formative assessments, not just in the evaluative work. The enlightenment

of knowledge and self-development, and not mere grading, should be the mission of education.

The former is attained if the student values more the learning attached to assessment.

With assessment, there is also instruction and feedback. These three aspects exist in a

harmonious procedure. Assessment is typically in response to instruction, and feedback is a

reaction to assessment. Ultimately, each of the three elements are for the benefit of the student.

They are constructed so that a learner comprehends course material. In addition, instruction,

assessment, and feedback establish learning and growth as ongoing. Assessment may lead into

instruction, or vice-versa; feedback follows assessment. At the conclusion, the process repeats.