Since assessment focuses on improvement it looks at the quality of performance for future development without established criteria (McArdle, 2007). The process of assessments looks at improving the level of quality but not creating or evaluating quality. Assessments find areas of strengths and weaknesses so that the strengths can continue and the weaknesses can be highlighted and tackled for improvement. The process of assessments is for the learner but it focuses on the performance of the student not the actual student themselves because that would suggest individual improvement plans not the knowledge that needs to be gained. Assessment can be the most effective if the learner actually seeks out the help because it shows interest for improvement and will most likely actually use it. Assessment literature cautions that assessment should only be used when there is a significant possibility for improvement and when the feedback comes from a respected source otherwise feedback will continue to be used as a crutch or it will disregarded completely if the source is untrustworthy (Rossett & Sheldon, 2001). Instructional design assessment determines if learning has occurred and can happen during or after a segment of teaching and even during or after an entire course.
At the end of an assessment there should be findings or a report. Student assessments are generally not graded or do not have a large impact of the students grade. The purpose of an assessment is to guide improvement (Rossett & Sheldon, 2001). Since assessments are not judgments the report should include statements that describe strengths and weaknesses in a non-judgmental fashion by offering suggestions on specific ways to improve.
Evaluation
Evaluation is distinctly different as its focus in on judgment and success after specific criteria has been laid out. During an evaluation the learner must know exactly what and how they will be evaluated. Evaluations focus mainly on the quality of the end result so having established criteria that does not change allows the student or training changes to be fairly judged (McArdle, 2007). Evaluations are set up to determine if the instructional designer was successful in the intervention of a unit lesson or course. It is a process of identifying the value of training and sets up the means to improve it. Evaluations are used to find out what is and isn’t working and give insight as to why deficiencies are occurring (Rossett & Sheldon, 2001). Evaluations also need to be evaluated themselves for improvement to make sure they meet the needs of the evaluator and are also fair to those being evaluated.
Evaluations can be either direct or indirect. A direct evaluation looks at the quality of a learner’s performance using whatever was produced such as a report, test, or skill. An indirect evaluation would involve two groups in which the performance of one group is graded on the performance of the other (Rossett & Sheldon, 2001). This type of evaluation could be seen when an instructor’s performance is evaluated in relation to how well their students perform.
When producing or conducting an evaluation certain elements need to be taken into account which affect the evaluation results. Factors affecting results could include the setting or circumstances in which the evaluation is conducted. Norms and standards should be established as well as what would be considered successful. Evaluations can only be successful if the evaluator is committed to the standards and time and costs are budgeted properly.
McArdle, G. E., (2007) Training, Design, and Delivery, ASTD, VA
Rossett, A. & Sheldon, K. (2001). Beyond the Podium: Delivering Training and Performance to a Digital World. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer
