1. Assessment in Adult Education
Krista Jackson
CUR/528
August 24, 2015
Justin Atwood

2. What is Assessment?
“Assessment can be anything”, (Atwood, 2015), you can develop an idea about.
What has your mind been doing since you walked into the classroom?
Each assessment is different for each adult learner.
What is Assessment?
*Ask the audience to raise their hands and give their ideas. Let them know if they are correct or not. Call on others to get more ideas flowing throughout the classroom.
-Assessment can be anything you can develop an idea about.
Take a moment to assess that idea.
-Assessment collecting information with a system and method using different information from the individuals, (Walvoord, 2010).
-What has your mind been doing since you walked into the classroom?
“So far in this class you have been assessing me since you walked in the door.”
“You have also been assessing the environment and fellow classmates.”
“There may not be specific parameters, but many of your ideas are assessments.”
-They are not just tests or grades, but the individual adult learner as a whole.
-Each assessment is different for each adult.
The assessment process and information gathered is never the same because each adult learner is an individual.
The assessment can benefit the instructor and learner throughout the class because the instructor will have a better idea on how the learner takes in information.
-The assessment can tell an instructor the individual’s intelligence level, how they learn, their perspectives, any challenges, and can take measures to assist in the learning process in the environment.
Each idea they speak in class, every paper they write, and every project, even if it is not for a grade is assessing adult learners.

3. The Steps for Assessment and the Importance
The Four-Step Cycle
Establish Learning Goals
Provide Learning Opportunities
Assess Student Learning
Use the Results
The Steps for Assessment and the Importance:
*Hand out two pieces of printer paper to all of the adult learners in the setting. Also, hand out the three page handout, and for them to just focus on the first page for right now.
-In order for adult learners to understand assessment in adult education the steps used for assessment are important to know.
-Assessment in adult education is not just one step. There are a few steps that make the circle/cycle of assessment.
The Four-Step Cycle, (Suskie, 2009):
-There are four steps to follow for an assessment to make it successful.
-Each step should be followed in order for the adult learner to be fully assessed.
Establish Learning Goals:
-First, the adult learners need to understand their goals they must achieve to complete the assessment. Goals are what the student must be able to do or show after the learning process.
*Now, the pieces of paper I have handed out go along with our goal. The adult learner will make a paper airplane will be our goal today.
Provide Learning Opportunities:
-Second, make sure the adult learners have the access to anything necessary for the assessment. Also, make sure they have time and opportunities to learn the information that is pertinent.
*”Since you were given the pieces of paper I have provided an opportunity for learning. The first page of the handout has directions of three types of paper airplanes. You also have time to use any electronic devices to learn more about paper airplanes, and we have computers in the back of the class.”
-The time given is important to make sure learning has the opportunity to occur because it is different with each individual. Give each adult learner about fifteen minutes to gather information and make their paper airplane.
Assess Student Learning:
-Third, the adult learners need to be assessed on anything relating to their work.
-Get any information possible, so the instructor has a complete idea on how the adult learner accomplished their assessment.
-All information is important to understand each individual adult learner.
*Gather all of their paper airplanes with their names on them. Assess each one quickly, and show a few good ones as examples. Picking out ones that were not successful will just embarrass the individual that made it. Instructors should want a comfortable atmosphere. Gather their information on if they researched or not, how they made it, how they picked that model, and assess what it looks like and how it flies. The handout has a few of these questions on the back for them to answer and turn in with their paper airplane.
Use the Results:
-Lastly, are the results that tell the instructor about each adult learner.
-The assessment will tell the instructor if they really learned the information, what kind of learners they are, and their strengths and weaknesses.
-The assessment will help the adult learners because the instructor will have a better idea of the learner.
-The instructor will be able to help the learner on improving their results.
-The results are all about action, and what action the instructor will take to assist the weaknesses an adult learner could have.
*In the next class bring the paper airplanes with you and graded. Attach a rubric of how well they did on which parts, and how they could have improved in certain areas. They need positive and some negative or critical feedback that is polite. The paper airplanes give them a simple idea of an assessment while bringing some fun to the adults. Ask them to take the feedback and use the other sheet of paper to make a second airplane. The improvements should show them the Four-Step Cycle in progress as they completed the in class assessment project.
-These steps for assessment are essential to the process because for assessment to be successful it has to go through the whole continuous cycle.
-If the instructor does not have a goal then there is no assessment taking place. If they do not provide learning opportunities then they will not learn the information. If they do not assess the adult learners then they will not have any idea of what kind of learners you have in class. Lastly if the instructor does not use the results of the assessment then the assessment was a waste of time because they are supposed to be helping improve each adult learner.

4. Three Types of Assessment
Performance Assessment
Traditional Assessment
Add-On Assessment
Three types of Assessment:
-There are many types of assessment, but these are three different types of assessments instructors can use.
-Each of the assessments have their pros and cons, but an instructor should not rely on just one type of assessment.
*While handing out the two blank sheets of paper you also handed out a three page packet. On the first page there was the example of a performance assessment with the paper airplanes. The second paper should have a ten question multiple choice test for them to complete in five minutes for an example of a traditional assessment. The last paper will have an add-on assessment of completing a short survey after volunteering at some type of establishment. The first two papers should be turned in on the first day, and the last paper is not mandatory, but if they want extra credit they have two weeks to complete the assessment.
Performance Assessment:
-The ability of an individual to perform an action, and can be assessed by the Instructor.
The paper airplane is an example of performance assessment.
Traditional Assessment:
-A sanctioned way of assessment is through accustomed ways of gathering information.
The test is an example of a traditional assessment.
Add-On Assessment:
-An assessment an instructor wants to conduct that has no obligation to participate.
The survey and volunteer work are an example of add-on assessments.

5. 1. Performance Assessment
Interacting and showing learning
Conducted in many ways:
Projects
Portfolios
Role Play/Real Life
Nontraditional Papers
1. Performance Assessment
*Remind the adult learners to refer back to the first page of the handout.
-Performance Assessment is showing or performing a task to be assessed, (Suskie, 2009).
-They are different and creative ways to do assignments for different learners.
-They can keep the adult learns motivated and interested in the assessment.
Projects:
-Projects can be very different depending on the class.
-Projects can be individually or in a group.
-Group projects show collaboration, and it is easy to assess if the learner is better with group learning.
Portfolios:
-Portfolios can also depend on the class the adult learner is taking.
-Some classes, for instance a Master’s Program, you need to collect work for a portfolio to be reviewed in the end.
-Portfolios can also be for art classes because you collect projects throughout the course. Then the portfolio will be assessed as a whole instead of individual projects.
Role Play/Real Life:
-Role Play could be the example of the paper airplanes that was made in class to be assessed. “You are showing your performance on an assessment that you have to complete with your hands.”
-Real Life assessments can be used as a project to assess. A good example is steps to open up your own business, and all of the standards and legal issues they must learn.
Both of these are a great assessment in getting the adult learners ready for the real world after class.
Nontraditional Papers:
-Nontraditional papers are papers that the adult learner can be creative and give their own ideas and perspective on the topic. This is a great assessment and a better look into their minds.
-Creative writing, journals, short stories, and poems show performance and learning during the assessment.
-Giving the adult learners their own opinions and voice during the assessment prepares them for the world after education.

6. 2. Traditional Assessment
Traditional class setting
Conducted in many ways
Standardized tests
Papers/essays
Tests/quizzes
2. Traditional Assessment:
*Tell the adult learners to turn to the test on the second paper in the handout. Give them five minutes to answer the ten questions.
-Traditional Assessment is not focused on learning but memorization.
-Adult learners do not have to understand the information to make an A on a test, (Suskie, 2009).
Traditional class setting:
-Assessments can be affected in many ways, and the traditional classroom setting can change the way the adult learners learn from an assessment.
-The classes are not meant for individual learners to have their own ideas and perspectives because all of the information is black and white.
Standardized tests:
-Standardized tests are given out by the state or government to assess how the students are learning and how well the school is doing.
-These tests can effect the money the school is allotted to them.
-They are not the most effective way to see if the individual is actually learning, but it assesses the information that the learners do have.
Papers/essays:
-Papers/essays are a good way to assess the adult learners knowledge and vocabulary.
-They give information on perspectives that the adult learners have that may help with assessment.
-Papers show how the learners absorb and use information for the paper that can help with improving their assessment.
Tests/ quizzes:
-Standard tests or quizzes for the class are just memorizing facts and information.
-They do not assess learning completely because the instructor does not know if the adult learners understand what they have memorized.
-They give you a basic understanding on how an adult learner has a strength with testing by using this assessment.
-They call it the traditional assessment because it is in a traditional classroom setting and it has been used for assessments since the beginning. Think back to grade school, and remember how the classes were set up and taught.
-Traditional Assessment should not solely be used to assess adult learners because it does not show all of the information needed to successfully improve the learner.

7. 3. Add-On Assessments
The assessment is added to their other assessments that are required.
The assessment is optional
Participation can be difficult
Full motivation is not as common
3. Add-On Assessments
*Tell the adult learners to turn to the last page of the handout. It is a add-on assessment to the lecture. The learners of course do not have to participate, but they will get an extra point added to their grade point average in the end. The assessment is to do volunteer work anywhere of their choice, and then answer the survey on that last page. They will have two weeks to finish the assessment and turn it in for credit.
-Add-on assessments can be anything that the teacher wants to conduct an assessment on.
-There are some barriers that can be an issue when getting your assessment together.
-It is a way for fellow peers to come together for an academic experience without worrying about a grade. It is all about learning new information.
The assessment is added to the other assessments that are required.
-The adult learners are already working on assessments for classes that are required and have a due date and grade attached.
-Add-on assessments are not required and they do not have a grade, (Suskie, 2009).
-They give the learners more knowledge and understanding on something new to them.
The assessment is optional.
-The adult learners have an option to complete an add-on assessment.
-The instructor cannot make the assessment optional unless it -becomes a part of their grade and assessment required for class.
Participation can be difficult.
-The add-on assessment makes participation difficult because adult learners are concerned about their assessments that will be graded.
-The instructor can come up with a creative prize or incentive to boost participation.
-Looking for the right candidates for participation is important to the assessment.
Full motivation is not as common.
-Even if an adult learner participates in the add-on assessment, it does not mean they will put in their full effort because they are not properly motivated.
-The instructor has to show learners the benefits of the assessment and get them excited.
-Find ways to connect with the participants, and find ways to accommodate their learning style during the assessment.
-The add-on assessment may not be the most popular assessment, but it gives the instructor a better sense of the learner.
-The instructor can assess a participant just for being one, and if they are interested and engaged then that adds to the assessment.
-Add-on assessments can give a sense of community when it is not a survey because they can connect and learn from other participants.

8. Assessment in Learning Environments
Formal Learning Environment
Non-Formal Learning Environment
Online Learning Environment
Assessment in Learning Environments:
-Different learning environments will affect how a student’s assessment turns out.
-The differences can show you about the adult learner, and even where they would benefit the most in a specific learning environment.
Formal Learning Environment:
-A formal learning environment is going to an institution for your diploma. In lower grades they have a formal learning environment too.
-The environment is stricter with ideas and their assessments.
The adult learner receives a grade, degree, and a diploma so their motivation during their assessment can be higher.
Non-Formal Learning Environment:
-Non-Formal learning environments would be any learning outside of an institution, for example taking a pottery class.
-The motivation can be higher than formal education because each subject they want to learn they can pick. The learners are learning for enjoyment and an interest.
-There is more of a community connection with the assessment because they are coming together with others with the same interests.
-Assessing this learning environment would yield high satisfaction levels and high learning levels.
Online Learning Environment:
-Online learning environments are online on a computer of course.
-Most of the time the adult learners are going for a degree, but they are not as strict as the formal learning environment.
-There is more flexibility with schedules and due dates for assessments for the class.
-The learning environment has more of a community to it like non-formal learning environments. The interactive posts and group projects bring the adult learners together.

9. References
Suskie, L. (2009). Assessing student learning: A common sense guide (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Walvoord, B. E., & Banta, T. W. (2010). Assessment clear and simple: A practical guide for institutions, departments, and general education (2nd.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.