READ | TEACHING @ | ASSESSING TEACHING
what | why | when | how | feedback
Readers will learn about the “What, Why, When, and How” of the assessment of teaching and using feedback. This section provides the advantages and disadvantages of different methods to assess teaching so readers can make informed decisions about how and when they should gather evidence. To complete the assessment loop, readers will learn how the evidence can be used to improve teaching and learning and to support their professional growth and advancement. 
Before we consider how and when to assess teaching, we need to first explain what we mean by assessing teaching and consider why you would want to do it.
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT?
We include in our discussion of teaching assessment anything that sheds light on the quality of instruction. The process of assessment involves the collection and analysis of data regarding your teaching methods and your students’ learning as well as use of the analysis to inform future teaching and learning decisions. Even though the data can be used for department, program, or institutional assessment, this handbook will be focusing on how you can use it individually.
The assessment data can come from a variety of sources including your students, your peers, or even you! The data can also come in many forms, including student achievement on assignment or exams, student perceptions of their own learning, your colleagues’ observations of your teaching, or your own accounts of what has worked and what has not. You can think of assessment as being similar to trying to locate your position on the globe. In both situations, you have multiple methods to make measurements. If your methods all indicate the same thing, you can have greater confidence in your data. In addition, the more data points you have, the better you will understand your situation or position.
There are many beliefs and misconceptions about assessment of teaching. You can find research-based responses to fifteen of beliefs and misconceptions on the Enhancing Education @ Carnegie Mellon University.
WHY ASSESS TEACHING?
There are different reasons to collect assessment data about your teaching. You could use these data to reflect on your teaching so that you could monitor and continuously improve your practices. This is called formative assessment. You could also use these data for summative assessment to characterize your teaching as part of your portfolio of evidence that you present when personnel decisions are being made. Both of these reasons are important. Whether it is considered formative or summative assessment, the overarching goal is to improve student learning. By gathering data about your teaching, you have the opportunity to consider what is working in your learning environment and what is not.
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