EDU 517 : Educational Assessment: Learners, Programs, and Institutions

EDU 517 offers a critical review of types, purposes, procedures, uses, and limitations of assessment strategies and techniques. Students are introduced to emerging trends in assessment, various assessment techniques and models, and how the assessment process is used to evaluate individuals, programs, and institutions. Students consider how to determine appropriate assessment tools for different educational contexts, and how to recognize the implications of these assessment decisions for social justice and social change. Students gain not only the assessment competencies they will need as educational leaders but the communicative skills to convey the results of assessment to their publics clearly and effectively, helping build support for schools and for initiatives that educators wish to carry out. As a final class assignment each student writes an assessment report, utilizing concepts and tools learned in the course.