Benefits of Assessment
Assessment can facilitate improvement through a variety of venues. When faculty members are directly involved in the development, implementation, and analysis of assessment activities, a number of specific benefits result.
| Because Assessment can | faculty can |
|---|---|
| Because assessment can provide information about the knowledge and skills students have as they enter a course... | Faculty can design instruction to target the knowledge and skills students should have upon finishing a course and better determine the levels of thinking or reasoning appropriate for the course |
| Because assessment can provide reliable data on student learning... | Faculty can rely less on the comments that appear on student evaluations as indicators of their success in teaching |
| Because assessment can make available richer data about the effects of the curriculum or teaching methods... | Faculty can engage in more productive conversations about the status of student achievement and make better decisions about how it might be improved. |
| Because assessment can provide evidence that faculty make a difference in student learning... | Faculty can enjoy greater satisfaction in their work as educators. |
| Because assessment can offer a larger view of student needs and accomplishments... | Faculty can identify directions for future instructional development |
* Adapted from Program-based Review and Assessment, (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) Fall 2001