Teaching Assessment: How Do You Do It?

Allen C. Estes, United States Military Academy
Stephen J. Ressler, United States Military Academy

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© 2003 ASEE.

NOTE: At the time of publication, the author Allen Estes was affiliated with the United States Military Academy - West Point, NY. Currently, August 2008, he is Head and Professor of Architectural Engineering at California Polytechnic State University - San Luis Obispo.

Abstract

The role of the teacher in the classroom carries tremendous responsibility. A group of students that can range from a half dozen to several hundred are depending on that individual to provide structure to a body of knowledge, to guide the learning process, to convey difficult subjects in a clear manner, to lead the classroom and out-of-class activities such that student time used efficiently, and to provide a course of instruction where the students can successfully complete the learning objectives. And somehow, the teacher is supposed to establish some rapport along the way. How does the teacher know when he or she is doing well? And how does someone who oversees a program know that the teachers who work for him are doing well? This paper attempts to answer these questions using many of the tools available at the United States Military Academy as illustration.