Final Thoughts

Feedback

One thing that that always arises when creating and administering assessments is to always re-evaluate the data. Many times we may follow these guidelines and create an assessment that still does not work the way we hope, and that is OKAY! The reality of education is that many times it is a learning process, and assessments that are tweaked and reflected upon both before and after administration are the ones that develop the most. Therefore, after administrating the assessment, it is always effective to get feedback. Ask the students how they felt about the assessment; ask them their perceptions PRIOR to receiving any marks, which may lead to emotional biases. Moreover, spend time reflecting on the assessment after it has been administered. Many times we gain clarity only after we go through the event. Here are a few questions to ask yourself to help in this reflective process

1. What was the overall impression of the assessment
2. What were the most common questions asked during the administration of the assessment
3. Did students finish on time?
4. What was the general mood of students as they left the assessment

By reflecting on your feedback, you are able to refine and adapt your assessment over time to create a better version of it. Just remember, assessment design is a process. Many times it takes a few iterations before we start feeling confident in our assessment design.