Some Considerations on the Assessment of Learning in Higher Education

Abstract

Abstract This paper deals with presenting the main aspects of the assessment of learning in higher education, with an emphasis on the challenges that the evolution of the society imposed to this process. The main assessment techniques are presented and explained, insisting on their ability of coping with different objectives that can be assumed by the evaluation process. The paper insists on the importance of choosing the adequate methods for the assessment of learning and on the need to create new ones able to fit better to the needs of the new generations. It also tackles the limits of using these methods and the nexus generated by the conflict between adopting the optimal methods for the assessment of learning from a scientific point of view and the need for imposing working procedures and standards in the higher education system that sometimes prevent from achieving the optimum. Also, the factors that have a role to play in the choice of the design of the assessment of learning process are described in a special section. The paper also insists on the need of creating a versatile assessment of learning process that would offer the right combination of assessment methods able to support the learning process and that can be achieved only if a large liberty is given to the professional judgement of the teachers as opposed to bureaucratical procedures imposed by the society.