The assessment of learning and teaching can be viewed as two

complementary and overlapping activities that aim to benefit both the

quality of student learning and the professional development of the
instructor. Assessing learning alone is not sufficient because the
ultimate success of students is also dependent upon their motivation
and commitment to learning. Similarly, assessing only teaching
behaviors and course activities is not sufficient because qualities of the
instructor may be appreciated by students but not optimally helpful to
their learning and growth. Done in tandem, assessing teaching and
learning can help instructors improve and refine their teaching
practices and help improve students learning and performance.

Assess Student Learning

Techniques and tools:

Most of these methods are designed as formative assessments but

they can also be adapted for summative use.
Assessing Prior Knowledge
Classroom Assessment Techniques (pdf)
Concept Maps (pdf)
Student Response Systems (Clickers) (pdf)
Performance Rubrics

Students' Self-Assessment

Exam Wrappers

Assess Your Teaching Practice

There are a range of tools and methods available for assessing your
teaching. The Eberly Center provides many of these, such as:
observing or video-taping your class and providing you with
constructive feedback
helping you design and interpret early course evaluations
conducting one-on-one consultations
To explore these and other possibilities, contact the Eberly Center.

Additional methods for assessing your own teaching:

Early Course Evaluations
Classroom Assessment Techniques

Feedback for TAs: Sample end of course-evaluation forms

Recitation Section form (doc)

Project Section form (doc)
Lab Section form (doc)

assessment types and goals

There are two major types of assessment, formative and summative,

that can be similar in structure but have different goals.
The main goal of formative assessment is to gather feedback that
can be used by the instructor and the students to guide improvements
in the ongoing teaching and learning context. These kinds of
assessment activities are low stake for students and instructors. Some
examples include early course evaluations, having a classroom
observer give feedback on your teaching, asking students to submit
one or two sentences identifying the main point of a lecture, or to
submit an outline for a paper.
The main goal of summative assessment is to measure the level of
success or proficiency that has been obtained at the end of an
instructional unit, by comparing it against some standard or
benchmark. Assigning a grade to a final exam or a senior recital or
results from the University Faculty Course Evaluations, are examples
of summative assessment. The outcome of a summative assessment
can be used as formative, however. When students receive comments
on a final paper, or instructors receive comments on their FCEs, that
feedback can serve as formative assessment to guide their efforts and
activities in subsequent courses.

assessment types and goals