Assessment of Learning Resources
CfT Library Home
Books and Manuals
- Ackstein, Max A. and Harold J. Noah. Examinations: Comparative and International Studies (Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1992).
Anthology of international research essays on “Examinations.”
- Airasian, Peter W.. Assessment in the Classroom (McGraw-Hill, 1996).
- Angelo, Thomas A. and K. Patricia Cross. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for College Teachers 2nd ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993).
Instructional book with specific techniques and illustrated with case studies and examples.
- Banta, Trudy W., Jon P. Lund, Karen E. Black and Frances W. B. Oblander. Assessment in Practice: Putting Principles to Work on College Campuses (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1996).
Description of principles involved followed by 165 case studies from diverse subject areas describing how they were applied.
- Browne, M. Neil and Stuart M. Keeley. Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1994).
Book on how to design tests, how to word questions for tests and assignments, etc. so that they accomplish more than request information.
- Carroll, Sarah M. and Steven W. Beyerlein. Learning Assessment Journal (Corvallis, OR: Pacific Crest Software, 1996).
Collection of forms to aid in continual assessment (of reading, note-taking, critical thinking, etc).
- Jacobs, Lucy Cheser and Clinton I. Chase. Developing and Using Tests Effectively: A Guide for Faculty (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1992).
Comprehensive how-to manual and discussion of all conceivable issues in assessment. Includes section on alternative means of assessment like journals and portfolios.
- Nettles, Michael T. and Arie L. Nettles. Equity and Excellence in Educational Testing and Assessment (Boston: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1995).
Practical advice is available here, but the essays are couched in an emphasis on policy pertaining to equity in assessment with regards to minorities and social groups.
- Walvoord, Barbara E. and Virginia Johnson Anderson. Effective grading: A Tool for Learning and Assessment (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998).
Extensive how-to guide with concise tips on maximizing efficiency and usefulness, as well as explanations and discussions on why they work.
- Walvoord, Barbara E. Assessment Clear and Simple: A Practical Guide for Institutions, Departments and General Education (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2004).
Written for readers with institutional interests in assessment issues.
- Wiggins, Grant. Educate Assessment: Designing Assessments to Inform and Improve Student Performance (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998).
Another manual with added attention to alternative forms of assessment like craft performance and portfolios.
Chapters or Sections in Other Books
- “Assessment and Learning: Preparation, Marking and Feedback,” in Manual for Tutoring and Demonstrating (Centre for Educational Development and Academic Methods, The Australian National University, 1993): pp59-87
Methodical and to-the-point How-To on designing and grading assignments, includes instructor checklist and examples from math and science.
- Bain, Ken. “How Do They Evaluate Their Students?” in What the Best College Teachers Do (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2004): pp151-172.
Summary of research and experiences, written in an informal narrative.
- Bean, John C. Engaging Ideas: The Professors Guide to Integrating Writing, Critical Thinking, and Active Learning in the Classroom (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001)
Extended sections on how to provide feedback on assignments.
- Berk, Ronald A. Humor as an Instructional Defibrillator (Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2002): pp155-245.
Manual of assessment techniques and test-design, followed by description of how to incorporate humor into assignments and tests.
- Blythe, Hal and Charlie Sweet, eds. It Works for Me! Shared Tips for Teaching (Stillwater, OK: New Forums, 1998.)
Collection of quotes from instructors giving tips on assessment, grading and other teaching issues.
- Boud, David and Grahame I. Feletti. The Challenge of Problem-Based Learning (London: Kogan Page, 1997).
Several short articles on assessment for a Problem-based Learning environment, particularly Part V (Student Assessment and Programme Evaluation). Relevance of articles highly dependent on disciplines in question.
- Breivik, Patricia Senn. Student Learning in the Information Age (Phoenix, AZ: The Oryx Press, 1998): pp52-54.
Brief section on importance of integrating “information literacy” into student assessment.
- Brookfield, Stephen D. and Stephen Preskill. “Evaluating Discussion,” Discussion as a Way of Teaching (, 1999): pp 17-228.
Chapter on how to assess students’ discussions, with guidelines, tips and checklist.
- Brookfield, Stephen D. “Giving Helpful Evaluations” The Skillful Teacher (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990): pp132-46.
Chapter on how to improve evaluations or instructor feedback on student work.
- Brown, Sally, Carolyn Earlam and Phil Race. “Planning and Assessment” 500 Tips for Teachers (Londan: Kogan-Page, 1998): pp22-40.
Ninety tips in point form on assessment.
- Carbone, Elisa. “Assessment and Feedback in Large Classes,” Teaching Large Classes: Tools and Strategies (Sage, 1998): pp67-74.
- Collected Wisdom: Strategies and Resources for TAs (Pittsburgh, PA: Eberly Center for Teaching Excellence, Carnegie Mellon University, 1998):pp98-9.
Two pages of bulleted tips, “..for Effective Grading and Commenting,” and “Sample Criteria for Student Papers.”
- Cross, K. Patricia and Mimi Harris Steadman. Classroom Research: Implementing the Scholarship of Teaching (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1996).
Brief sections interspersed throughout book on classroom assessment (use index). Most notable: Lengthy section on how to use grades as an instructional tool (pp114-41).
- Davis, Barbara Gross. Tools for Teaching (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1993).
Concise chapters with tips for teachers, namely chapters VII (“Writing Skills and Homework Assignments”) and VIII (“Testing and Grading”).
- Davis, James R. Better Teaching, More Learning: Strategies for Success in Postsecondary Settings (Phoenix, AZ: American Council on Education/Oryx, 1993): pp123-5, 186-7, 355-67.
Discussion on how to think about assessment beyond simply examinations and grades.
- Diamond, Robert M. Designing and Assessing Courses and Curricula: A Practical Guide (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1998): pp126-8, 140-50, 241-6.
Explanation of goals and objectives of assessment, with checklist guide for teachers.
- Duff, Donna Killian and Janet Wright Jones. Teaching within the Rhythms of the Semester (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1995): pp226-35.
Brief but concise section on how to design, format, compose and conduct the final exam.
- Eble, Kenneth. The Craft of Teaching (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1988): pp132-63.
Three chapters on “Assignments,” “Tests” and “Grades.”
- Edington, Susan and Cathy Hunt. Teaching Consultation Process Sourcebook (Stillwater, OK: New Forum Press, 1996).
Contains chapter titled “Classroom Evaluation and Assessment” and brief section on assessing creativity.
- Erickson, Bette LaSere and Diane Weltner Strommer. Teaching College Freshmen (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1991).
Second half of the book addresses, evaluation, feedback and grading.
- Frye, Bill J. “Planning Student Evaluation, Constructing Tests and Grading,” Teaching in College: A Resource for College Teachers (Cleveland, OH: Info-Tec, 1994): pp151-202.
Comprehensive chapter even includes section on constructing grading curves.
- Grunert, Judith. The Course Syllabus: A Learning-Centered Approach (Bolton, MA: Anker, 1997).
Approximately 15-20 pages on classroom and paper assignment design. Look in index under”Evaluation.”
- Harvard University, Teaching Fellows Handbook 1997-1998 (Cambridge, MA): pp23-4, 48-9.
Brief sections on devising assignments for active learning and grading practice.
- Highet, Gilbert. The Art of Teaching (New York: Vintage Books, 1989): 118-24.
Section written in regular prose, meditating on the issues surrounding the how’s and why’s about designing examinations.
- Krumseig, Karl and Marie Baehr. Foundations of Learning (Cornvallis, OR: Pacific Crest Software, 1996): pp127-40.
Brief section, but geared generally toward users who might not be in higher education (e.g. employers). Written in scientifi prose style.
- Leamnson, Robert. Thinking About Teaching and Learning (Sterling, VA: Stylus, 1999): pp101-17.
Discusses assignments, tests, grading and feedback with special attention to the perceptions of students on these issues.
- Lowman, Joseph. Mastering the Techniques of Teaching (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1995): pp251-85.
Comprehensive and concise chapter titled “Evaluating Student Performance.”
- Magnan, Robert, ed. 147 Practical Tips for Teaching Professors (Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing, 1990).
Useful “tips” include those on how to devise and conduct group assignments, and how to evaluate students.
- McKeachie, Wilbert J. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research and Theory for College and University Students (Boston and New York: Houghton and Mifflin, 2002).
Useful sections on how to assess learning, assign grades and use journals, papers and reports to measure learning. (1994 edition also available from CFT library)
- Menges, Robert J., Maryellen Weimer and Associates. Teaching on Solid Ground: Using Scholarship to Improve Practice (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1996).
Key essays in this anthology include ones on “Assessing Student Involvement in Learning,” “Assignments that Promote and Integrate Learning” and “Using Assessment to Improve Instruction.”
- Miller, W.R. and Marie F. Miller. Handbook for College Teaching (Sautee-Nacoochee, GA: Pinecrest Publications): pp217-51
Extended section on “Testing and Evaluation.” Also of interest: section on “Human Learning.”
- National Research Council. How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School (Washington DC: National Academy Press, 2000).
Brief but concise sections on philosophy behind assessment techniques. See Index under “Assessment.”
- Neff, Rose Ann and Maryellen Weimer. Classroom Communication: Collected Readings for Effective Discussion and Questioning (Madison, WI: magna Publications, 1989): pp39-48.
Chapter by Edward G. Clarke titled, “Grading Seminar Performance.”
- Nilson, Linda B. Teaching at its Best (Center for Teaching, Vanderbilt University, 1996): pp161-86.
Practical guide to assessing learning in progress, test construction, preparation and grading.
- Nyquist, Jody D. and Donald H. Wulff. Working Effectively with Graduate Assistants (Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 1996): pp65-8.
Section on how to manage grading by teaching assistants.
- Teaching at The Ohio State University (Faculty and TA Development, The Ohio State University, 1994, 2001): pp69-97.
Exstended sections on test construction and student assessment.
- Enerson, Diane M. and Kathryn M. Plank. The Penn State Teacher: A Collection of Readings and Practical Advice for Beginning Teachers (The Instructional Development Program, The Pennsylvania State University, 1993): pp64-77
Chapter on grading, test construction, establishing standards and giving feedback.
- Pregent, Richard. Charting your Course: How to Prepare to Teach More Effectively (Madison, WI: Magna Publications, 1994): pp41-71.
Chapter with practical advice on “Planning to Evaluate Learning.”
- Prichard, Keith W. and R. Mclaran Sawyer, ed. Handbook of College Teaching: Theory and Applications (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1994): pp423-49.
Two chapters with practical advice on “Tips for Tests and Test Giving” and “Grading Student Achievement.”
- Stocking, S. Holly et al, eds. More Quick Hits: Successful Strategies by Award-Winning Teachers (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1998): pp92-115.
Chapter with tips and strategies for “Using Assessment and Evaluation for Learning.”
- Weimer, Maryellen and Rose Ann Hall, eds. Teaching College: Collected Readings for the New Instructor (Madison, WI: Atwood Publishng, 1998): pp105-41.
Section in concise “Handbook” format on assessment and evaluation.
- Wheeler, Gary S. ed. Teaching and Learning in College: A Resource for Educators (Elyria, OH: Info Tec, 2002): pp177-99.
How-to chapter by Catherine Wehlburg, “More than a Thermometer: Using Assessment Effectively.”
On Assessment in Specific Subject Areas and Online Contexts
- Boyer, Ernest L. and Lee D. Mitgang. Building Community: A New Future for Architecture Education and Practice (Princeton, NJ: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, 1996): pp93-95.
Section on the use of “juries” in peer evaluations.
- Flynn, John. “Work-based Assessment to Improve Learning,” Inspiring Students: Case Studies in Motivating the Learner (London, Kogan Page, 1999): pp127-135.
Evaluating numerical techniques in MBA students.
- Meier, John and Thomas Rishel. Writing in the Teaching and Learning of Mathematics (The Mathematical Association of America).
Innovative explanation of why and how to use writing assignments in teaching of mathematics.
- Novak, Gregor M., Evelyn T. Patterson et al. Just-in-Time Teaching: Blending Active Learning with Web Technology (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1999).
Bits of advice distributed in a few sections of the book addressing student assessment issues in physics courses using web technology. Consult index for location.
- Rishel, Thomas W. A Handbook for Mathematics Teaching Assistants (The Mathematical Association of America, 1999).
Chapters on grading and test construction.
- Tziporah Kasachkoff, ed. Teaching Philosophy: Theoretical Reflections and Practical Suggestions (Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1998.
Collection of articles targeted ostensibly for philosophy teachers, but with ideas applicable for all disciplines, particularly in the humanities. Relevant entries include those on how to use essay exams to teach as well as to assess, and on how to use a student portfolio to develop critical thinking.
- White, Edward M. Assigning, Responding, Evaluating: A Writing Teacher’s Guide (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1995).
Uncommonly specific advice on evaluating writing classes, including tips on how to collect and sequence assignments and how to incorporate a variety of porfolios.
On Assessment in Active- and Learner-Centered Contexts
- McCombs, Barbara L. The Learner-Centered Classroom and School: Strategies for Increasing Student Motivation and Achievement (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1997): pp89-97.
Brief section on how to solicit and incorporate student input into assessment strategies.
- Sutherland, Tracy E. and Charles C. Bonwell, eds. Using Active Learning in College Classes: A Range of Options for Faculty New Directions for Teaching and Learning 67 (Fall 1996).
Consult index for sections on assessment. Of particular interest is Eric H. Hobson’s chapter, “Encouraging Self-Assessment: Writing as Active Learning,” pp45-58.
- Weimer, Maryellen. Learner-Centered Teaching: Five Key Changes to Practice (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 2002): pp119-45.
Chapter on assessment in active learning environments, “The Purpose and Processes of Evaluation.”
On Assessment in Online, Distance and Adult Learning
- Boaz, Mary et al. “Effective Methods of Communication and Student Collaboration,” Teaching at a Distance: A Handbook for Instructors (League for Innovation in the Community College/ Archipelago Productions, 1999): pp41-47.
Brief section, particularly on providing feedback in distance education.
- Greive, Donald. A Handbook for Adjunct/Part-Time Faculty and Teachers of Adults (Elyria, OH: Info-Tec, 2002): pp92-6.
Brief section on tests and grading, but contrary to title, not specifically about adult students.
- Pallof, Rena M. and Keith Pratt. Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace: Effective Strategies for the Online Classroom (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1999): pp144-158.
Chapter on “Evaluation” in online courses
- Pallof, Rena M. and Keith Pratt. The Virtual Student: A Profile and Guide to Working with Online Learners (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003): pp89-102.
Chapter on “Assessment and Evaluation” in online courses.
- Slotnick, H.B. et al. Adult Learners on Campus (Washington, D.C. :The Falmer Press, 1993): pp68-72.
Section on adult learners’ preferences and perspectives on assessment – examinations versus research papers.
- Vella, Jane et al. How Do They Know: Evaluating Adult Learning (San Francisco, Jossey-Bass, 1998).
Written for corporate trainers.
Assessment and Learning Styles
- Sarasin, Lynne Celli. Learning Style Perspectives (Madison, WI: Atwood Publishing).
Separate sections on how to evaluate and assess visual, auditory and tactile learners.
Assessment Issues for Foreign Instructors
- Althen, Gary. Manual for Foreign Teaching Assistants 2nd ed. (Office of International Education and Services, University of Iowa, 1988): pp16, 24.
Brief section with tips on how to evaluate students and administer testing, and overview of American students’ expectations.
- Sarkisian, Ellen. Teaching American Students (Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, Harvard University, 1990).
Practical guide with bullet point information on grading and providing feedback.