Evaluating the Effectiveness of Instruction Using Principles of Adult Learning

This chapter provides an overview of assessment of instruction using adult learning principles. The goal of this chapter is to examine the assessment process, describe effective assessment techniques and provide guidelines for instructor developed assessments. Bloom’s (1956) Taxonomy and the subsequent modification of levels of cognitive objectives provided by Anderson et al. (2001) are included. Various assessment exercises are described according to the modified levels of cognitive objectives. Instructors are guided in the process of developing their own assessments from objective tests to subjective essays. Readers are introduced to authentic assessment and provided ways of developing their own authentic assessments, including rubrics. Future trends of assessment practices are also discussed.