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Assessment

The purpose of an assessment is to check how learning is progressing, and will provide practical feedback for both the learning and instructor.

Characteristics of Effective Assessment​

  • Objective: Bias should not be present, test should be honest
  • Flexible: Tone of the assessment should fit the occasion
  • Acceptable: The learner must accept why they are being assessed
  • Comprehensive: Should cover all areas needed
  • Constructive: Praise where appropriate
  • Thoughtful: Respect the learners feelings
  • Specific: Give specific, actionable feedback

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-2

Traditional Assessments​

Traditional tests are generally written tests with questions like multiple choice, true-false, fill in the blank, and have a time limit.

Good written tests should exhibit:

  • Reliability: Consistent when repeated with different students and graders
  • Validity: Measuring what it's intended to measure
  • Usability: Easy to read and complete
  • Objectivity: Single scoring of a given test
  • Comprehensiveness: Cover the range of learning required
  • Discrimination: How well it measures the quality of the performance

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-3

Authentic Assessment​

A comprehensive assessment involves students to perform real-world tasks and demonstrate application of skill.

Learner-Centered Assessment​

A four-step series of open-ended questions which guides the learner through a self-assessment:

  1. Replay: Have the learner recount a flight or procedure, interject when the account does not seem accurate. This lets the learner evaluate their own perceptions
  2. Reconstruct: Ask the learner to identify could have done differently
  3. Reflect: Imbue experiences with meaning by having the learner reflect on the experience
  4. Redirect: Have the student consider how they might apply these learnings in future scenarios

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-5

Maneuver or Procedure "Grades"​

Flight Training Rubric

  1. Describe: Learner can describe elements of the maneuver, but need assistance to do it
  2. Explain: Learner understands the concepts and procedure, but needs assistance to do it
  3. Practice: Learner can plan an execute the scenario, but some coaching/correct is required
  4. Perform: Learner can perform activity without instructor assistance

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-6

Assessing Risk Management Skills​

  1. Explain: Learning can identify, describe, and understand risks, but needs prompting to make decisions
  2. Practice: Learner can apply SRM principles to real situation, with some corrections or coaching. Learner is active decision maker
  3. Manage/Decision: Learner can gather and evaluate information and make an autonomous decision

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-6

Choosing an Effective Assessment​

  1. Determine level-of-learning: Pick one of the level of learning
  2. List indicators of desired behaviors: Determine what would indicate achievement of assessment objective
  3. Establish criterion objectives: Define performance-based objectives and targets
  4. Develop criterion-referenced test items: Develop questions or activities which target the specific criterion objectives

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-8

Critiques and Oral Assessments​

Critiques are instructor-learner assessments.

There are several types that can be used:

  • Instructor/learner: Learners are offered to criticize a performance
  • Learner-led: Learners lead the critique
  • Small group: Learners are divided and critique in groups
  • Self-critique: A learner critiques their own performance
  • Written: Critique in writing, which may be more thoughtful or thorough

Oral Assessments​

Oral assessment are direct questioning of a learner by an instructor.

Aviation Instructor's Handbook pg. 6-11

Characteristics of Effective Questions​

  • Questions should be written in advance
  • Questions can be fact questions (rote) or thinking questions (HOTS)

Questions should be:

  1. About the subject at hand
  2. Brief and concise, clear and definite
  3. Adapted to the experience level of the learner
  4. Center on one idea
  5. Persist a challenge to the learner

Types of Questions to Avoid​

  • Bewildering questions
  • Oversize questions
  • Toss-up
  • Trick questions
  • Irrelevant questions

Answering Learner Questions​

  • Think before you answer
  • Don't introduce more complex topics in your answer if its not necessary
  • After responding, gauge how the student reacted to your answer