Assessments focus on learning, teaching, and outcomes. They provide information for improving and teaching. Assessments are an interactive process between students and faculty that inform the faculty how well their students are learning and what they are teaching.¹ The information collected is used by teachers to make changes in the learning environment.¹
Assessments are learner-centered, course based, frequently anonymous, and not graded. Assessments also help provide system-wide information that assists in identifying trends and making decisions about resource allocation and support.¹
An example of an assessment might be a handout given at the end of the school year to students with multiple choice answers for questions ranging from ‘completely agree’ to ‘completely disagree’.¹ Students would look at each question or statement and fill out the bubbles.
Evaluation focuses on grades and may reflect classroom components other than course concepts. Evaluation can include discussions, cooperation, attendance, and tests. Usually, a student’s work is measured on its quality and understanding against a set of predetermined standards set out by a local school board.¹
Evaluations work as a buffer that stops students who do not understand from proceeding to the next educational level; it forces students to stay back and retake or better understand the information being taught.¹
An example of an evaluation might be a final examination at the end of a university course to give the student a letter or percentage grade of their overall performance in the class for the year.¹
Reference:
1. Duke University. What is the difference between assessment and evaluation? Retrieved May 14, 2014, from http://duke.edu/arc/documents/The%20difference%20between%20assessment%20and%20evaluation.pdf
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