Assessment Training

Introduction

Assessment is an important part of learning. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of assessment when he described the role of tests in academic learning.

Assessment in seminary performs a similar purpose as tests in academic learning. Assessment can help students demonstrate their spiritual knowledge, understanding, and devotion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. These kinds of formative assessments can help students become more aware of what they are learning and how they are growing. 

Recognizing their learning and growth can be a rewarding and motivating experience for students. This is similar to when a competitive runner sees her time on a stopwatch or when a young child sees his growth on a height chart. Students often do not realize how they are growing without regular opportunities to assess their learning. Even opportunities to see that they have made no progress or even that they have fallen backward in their growth can be valuable learning experiences. Regular assessments can invite more personal revelation into their lives and help students create plans for future growth and learning. Some examples of assessment activities in seminary curriculum include Assess Your Learning lessons and doctrinal mastery practices. This training will focus on the assessment activities found in the Assess Your Learning lessons. 

Assess Your Learning Lessons

Throughout the seminary curriculum, you will find Assess Your Learning lessons. These lessons are scheduled about every four to six weeks and provide students with opportunities to assess themselves on course-level learning outcomes. These course-level learning outcomes help students:

• Explain doctrine they have learned.

• Reflect on their feelings, attitudes, and desires related to Heavenly Father’s plan and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Review plans or goals they are working on to apply what they are learning and deepen their discipleship to Jesus Christ.

It may be helpful to take the time to look over one or more Assess Your Learning lessons to become familiar with them. As you look over a lesson or two, notice that each lesson begins in a general way, providing students with an opportunity to share anything they have learned recently from their study of the scriptures individually, with their family, in Church meetings, or in seminary. Then, look at each of the assessment activities in the Assess Your Learning lesson. Pay special attention to how each assessment activity:

• Is preceded by a heading that states the course level learning outcome.

• Refers to learning experiences from previous lessons in the curriculum.

• Provides students an opportunity to do something to demonstrate their learning.

It is important to keep in mind that student learning can be accelerated as students understand clearly what the outcome is for a learning activity and are given an opportunity to demonstrate their learning. An analogy may help illustrate this. If a young person is learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, he needs a clear target to aim for, as well as training on how to load the arrow, hold the bow, aim, and release. If he is never given an opportunity to try shooting the arrow, he will never know if he learned. Only when he releases the arrow does he see clearly whether he hit the target or not. The same is true in a gospel learning experience. Students need instruction and help, but they also need opportunities to demonstrate their learning. How students demonstrate their learning needs to be clearly connected to the outcome. Every learning experience in the curriculum is designed with this in mind; however, it is even more prominently demonstrated in Assess Your Learning lessons. Consider sharing with students what the learning outcomes are in each of these lessons.

Teachers and classmates can be a resource to help students recognize their learning more clearly. You as a teacher can provide feedback on progress they are making or struggling to make. You could brainstorm ideas or share experiences from your own life. Keep in mind that it should not be an expectation that students report their goals or plans to you or the rest of the class. Some of these goals and plans can be very personal. There may be times, however, when a student feels comfortable sharing his or her plans or goals with you. Counsel together with students when appropriate. There may be other times when a student should be redirected to parents, a bishop, or a branch president.

Some activities in Assess Your Learning lessons are designed for students to share their thoughts and experiences with classmates, while other activities are more personal. For example, when students are explaining doctrine, this may be a good time to have them work together to practice explaining or role-playing. When students are assessing their feelings, attitudes, and desires, it may be a more appropriate activity for personal reflection.

Most importantly, as you teach these lessons, invite students to seek help and guidance from their Father in Heaven through the Holy Ghost. There is no better companion than the Holy Ghost to help students clearly see how they are learning and progressing on their path back to Heavenly Father. Provide students with regular opportunities to seek the help of the Holy Ghost in assessing their learning and growth as disciples of Jesus Christ.