Understanding types of evaluation
One of the most important jobs of a university student is to understand clearly the
types of evaluation that will be used in every class. Understanding the types and
demands of different assessment tools will help students be prepared to do those
assessments. The ultimate goal is to get the best scores on every type of evaluation
in every course.
The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines evaluate as “to determine the
significance, worth, or condition of, usually by careful appraisal and study”. It offers
the words appraise, assess, estimate, guestimate, rate, set, valuate and value as synonyms.
Think about these words: they suggest how evaluation works. It is a system for
someone to know how good the work is or how well a job is done. Consider the
effect on you, as you are assessed in everything you do in a university course.
Your professor will assess your behavior in the classroom in terms of attendance,
participation, attitude and effort. They will take note of your timeliness,
completeness, and accuracy in the work you do, on assignments, papers and
examinations. They are looking for signs of excellence, but they are also looking for
how well you understood the ideas, and how well you managed the task of gaining
new ideas from the ones they have presented you. They are looking for growth.
Papers, projects, presentations and participation are all possible ways to evaluate
your learning. Formal examinations are the main type of evaluation that is used.
Formal examinations often contribute a big part of the course grade. So it is
important to understand different types of exams. There are open book exams and
closed book exams. There are in-class exams and take-home exams. Most exams
come with a number of different question types. There could be true/false, multiple
choice, matching, short answer or long answer questions. You will need to have a
strategy for dealing with each type of exam question. This course helps you with
that.
The professor will not tell you the content that is tested on their exams. But they
should tell you about the types of exams, how long they are, and how many exams
you will write during the course. You also need to know the types of questions that
will be found on those exams. Then, the evaluation job will seem a lot more
manageable.