23.7.5 Assessment
We should assess learning in ways that are authentic, manageable, and supported by parents and administrations. Assessment strategies must examine what content people learned, the strategies employed in learning, and what students can do with the knowledge. Williams (1992) describes the following problems with current assessment strategies: First, students are often assessed on skills different from the ones they are taught; second, written tests of problem-solving performance are time consuming to administer and score; and third, assessment of problem-solving performance tends to be subjective. I made a number of suggestions related to assessment in the first half of the paper, but those options are probably only the beginning of new ways of assessing learning. Research needs to be conducted on all of those options to identify the most efficient and effective ways to apply them.
Peer assessment is also an area needing more research. Peer assessment is another way for students to assume more responsibility for their learning and for each other's learning within the learning community. Rushton, Ramsey, and Rada (1993) studied a group of 32 undergraduate students who participated in a peer assessment exercise. Contrary to expectations, the marks awarded by the peers were remarkably similar to those awarded by the tutors. Despite this, the majority of the students were extremely skeptical of peer assessment, preferring traditional teacher-based assessment. Rushton, Ramsey, and Rada's results need to be replicated, and we need to find ways to increase student assessment.