6.8.4 Web Quest assessment

To start with, I do not think a summative assessment of my learners is necessary after I have employed an all comprehensive rubric. Largely because the analytical rubric I designed seems to cover all of the relevant areas from which information about learners level of achievement can be got. In my experience in this lesson, a new dimension of assessment has been gradually unlocked. I have for long leaned on summative assessment; looking forward every now and again to literally ambushing - if you may - my learners with tests, exams, and spot exercises at scheduled and at impromptu events. These assessments, nevertheless, have on a number of occasions failed to hit their mark; leaving a lot of effort put in place for very little benefit at the end of it all. Little did I know that the process of learning itself could be gauged during the time the tasks are being carried out. We can assess learners while they are : acting, answering, assessing, calculating, collecting, composing, computing, co-ordinating, copying, etc. Learners assessed before, during and after a task can provide you with information about the effectiveness of your pedagogical approaches enough to enable you make more informed decisions on how to make the teaching learning process more effective and efficient.

Engaging in such assessment strategies reduces stress on the side of the learner (because they do not have to endure the mental stress of a "test") and the teacher (because the amount of paper work and marking is greatly reduced). I strongly recommend the adoption of this option.