IV. Evaluating Students' Work

You may dislike the idea of evaluating your students' work, wanting them to enjoy the course for what it teaches and to relish the challenges it presents. But evaluation does not necessarily smother students' interest; in fact, it lets you and your students know how well they are mastering the course material and perfecting their abilities to analyze or apply it. You will evaluate fairly and productively when you know why you assess students, when you recognize the students' perspective, and when you create balanced, unbiased evaluation tools. When preparing and grading examinations and assignments, remember these important tenets:

• Students believe that what's really important is NOT what you say is important but rather what you test and evaluate.
  
  
• Fair exams, unambiguous project assignments and clear, consistent grading guidelines enhance learning and reduce stress and anxiety for both students and instructor.
  
  
• The evaluation process should be a learning process, an opportunity to instruct, not just a means of discovering what students know or don't know, can or can't do, think or don't think.