7. Evaluating
After your course is over, it’s good to evaluate the whole assessment process in order to improve the quality of the assessment and your teaching in general. This can serve as input for the design stage of the assessment for this course, but also for other courses. This is why the assessment process is cyclical.
It’s helpful to involve your colleagues in the evaluation of the assessment process. What went well, and what could be improved next year? How did students evaluate the assessment? Do any changes need to be made in the course learning outcomes, the assessment, or the teaching? It helps to make a list of points for improvement right after your course ends.
Sample questions to evaluate the assessment process:
- Did the chosen assessment methods align well with the learning outcomes and the teaching?
- Do the assessment results reflect the extent to which the students have mastered the material? If not, would a different assessment method be more suitable?
- Did students have enough opportunities to practice with the chosen assessment and question formats?
- Were there aspects of the assessment that students misunderstood?
- Were the answer keys, assessment forms and/or rubrics easy to use for instructors?
- Were the results higher or lower than expected?
- Were the chosen assessment methods effective and feasible within the time available, for both instructors and students?
- Does the assessment of this course build on / pave the way for that of earlier or later courses?
- What can my assessment tell me about my teaching?
Frequently Asked Questions
Make a list of points of concern or intended improvements and discuss these with your colleagues or programme director. You might already be able to update the assessment regulations in the Course Catalogue for next year, or you can already work on the Syllabus.
Make an appointment with your faculty’s assessment specialist.