The relationship between assessment and learning in higher education often comes down to a single thing: a grade. Despite widespread criticism of grades as inexact tools, whose overemphasis undermines student learning and negatively affects student well-being, they continue to be the norm in the assessment of student learning. This paper analyses…

Paragraphs from students' writings are cited to exemplify specific benefits students derive from the opportunity to write without fear of grades or criticism. (HTH)

Describes a grading option used by technical writing faculty members at Ohio State University that allows students to complete reports on their own in order to learn to work without supervision. (FL)

A study of students who elected to take courses and receive a satisfactory or unsatisfactory (S-U) grade. (IR)

The proposal in this document is based on the assumption that learning to learn is the most important outcome of professional and all formal education. It is suggested that a primary task of instruction is to assist the student to move from external motivation to internal motivation for learning and continuing to learn. It is proposed that these…

Ungraded writing is a way of increasing the amount of writing by geography students without unduly burdening the teacher. Two examples of ungraded writing assignments are described: in-class writing and periodic writing in a private journal. (RM)

An alternative method of measuring the knowledge of students is to use mental models, and specifically concept maps. Concept maps provide a visual representation of conceptual and relationship knowledge within a particular domain. This study builds on previous studies and attempts to reduce their methodological weaknesses. Students in several…

This chapter consists of a conversation between a third-grade teacher and a teacher educator about the advantages of the portfolio method of assessment. The advantages of portfolios are that they are a powerful learning tool as well as an assessment tool, they can make the separate subjects in a curriculum come together in an integrated way, and…

Describes a teaching method that provides instant assessment of student learning and allows instructors to take corrective measures in the same class period. The method is based on asking a multiple-choice question after every 10-20 minutes of lecture and getting responses from students. This methods allows all students to actively participate and…

This study compared the impact of three forms of evaluation on the mastery of course content by special education majors. Results indicated higher levels of mastery were achieved by students during short- and long-term formative evaluation conditions, relative to summative evaluation. Students also viewed formative evaluation formats more…

This study examined factors that affect student learning and growth in four student populations: seniors who began as freshmen immediately after high school, students who transferred from two-year colleges, students who transferred from four-year colleges, and students who entered Bachelor of Arts programs after military service or work. The data…

A first year accounting course at an Australian university implemented strategies to develop skill areas valued by industry. Small groups of students collaborated on case studies downloaded from the course Web site, which also provided support resources, past tests and answers, and a discussion room. Assessment was based on preparation and…

Authentic assessment, as referred to in this book, encompasses meaningful tasks, positive interaction between teachers and students, methods that emphasize higher-order thinking skills, and strategies that allow students to plan, monitor, and evaluate their own learning. Most important, authentic assessment means helping students to apply and…

This publication is a compilation of twenty-four studies on Asian experiences with new educational techniques for preparing educational personnel in response to demands for the universalization of education. Ten of the studies were originally presented at a study group which met in Bangkok, Thailand, in the fall of 1978. These studies have been…

The essentials of Piaget's theory and its application to teaching at the college level are described as part of the Learning and Evaluation Service workshop, Teaching Students to Reason, offered at Michigan State University. Objectives are to enable the teacher to: (1) diagnose and classify reasoning patterns of students; (2) evaluate current…