Richard, I believe the ealier an instructor begins to conduct some form of evaluation the better it will be for students, especially the ones that may be struggling or performing lower than desired. With a conscientious effort early on, there is time to offer suggestions, and for the student to begin making changes to their study. I also think there should be frequent evaluations throughout the course (unless the course is only a couple of weeks) so that progress from prior discussions can be measured. Barry Westling