26 Assessment Approaches

The following table outlines advantages and disadvantages of commonly used assessment approaches. Please note that how the assessment is constructed and implemented will impact its advantages and disadvantages.

Assessment Advantages Disadvantages
Multiple-choice questions
  • Easy to grade
  • Limited authenticity
  • Limited assessment range
  • Dependent on reading skills
Essays or papers
  • Displays analytical and synthetic thinking well
  • Easy to grade with a rubric
  • Easy to integrate peer and self-
    assessment (PSA)
  • Limited authenticity
  • Time-consuming to grade
  • Dependent on writing skills
Case study
  • Authentic
  • Displays application, analytical, and
    synthetic thinking well
  • Time-consuming to create and grade
Problem-solving
  • Authentic
  • Displays application, analytical, and
    synthetic thinking well
  • Time-consuming to create and grade
Verbal presentation
  • Potentially authentic
  • Displays analytical and synthetic
    thinking well
  • Easy to grade with a rubric
  • Students benefit from one another’s
    learning
  • Easy to integrate PSA
  • Takes course time
  • Dependent on verbal skills
Debate and discussion
  • Students benefit from one another’s learning
  • Easy to integrate PSA
  • Challenging to create rubrics, given the interactive elements of the assessment
Product development
  • Potentially authentic
  • Students benefit from one another’s
    learning
  • Easy to integrate student choice
    and PSA
  • Challenging to create rubrics, given elements of personalization
  • Time-consuming to grade
Concept map or flow chart
  • Displays analytical and synthetic thinking well
  • Easy to grade with a rubric
  • Dependent on visual communication skills

Performance
  • Authentic
  • Displays skills the best
  • Easy to grade with a checklist or
    rubric
  • Easy to integrate PSA
  • Time-consuming and potentially resource intensive to create
  • Takes course time
Team project
  • Potentially authentic
  • Easy to integrate PSA
  • Challenging to grade individuals in team setting
Reflective essay
  • Displays metacognitive skills
  • Easy to integrate PSA
  • Potentially time-consuming and challenging to grade
  • Dependent on writing skills

This table was adapted from Choosing the Right Assessment Tool by M. J. Allen

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