WHY ASSESS?
Assessment is a public map of what's happening at an institution; it shows a constant state of institutional revision, not a fixed end result.
We assess because we love to teach and want to do it well, and if we already do it well, we want to do it even better. Who among us does not want to improve student learning? And who among us feels we have all the answers to doing this? The process—not merely the results—of assessment plays a vital role because of the thought and discussion it generates within and across departments.
Communication about the assessment results can enhance thinking about the way we approach skill development and lead to dynamic interactions that improve general education over time. The goal of assessment is not just to get ‘results’ that show we are achieving quantifiable success, but also to provide data, even if subject to various interpretations, that stimulate discussion and thought about what we do for general education.
We also assess if we are interested in research, intellectual inquiry, about our students’ ways of becoming part of the academic community and our own ways of teaching them, inviting them into that community.
What do you think? Please e-mail Doug Rawlings with your comments. rawlings@maine.edu or join our discussion board:
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