THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT: ARE WE TESTING LEARNING, OR HELPING IT HAPPEN?

How did you feel the last time someone told you that you were about to be assessed? Probably not thrilled. The word assessment tends to bring to mind exams, pass marks and the uncomfortable feeling of being judged.

But workplace assessment can play a much more useful role. Done well, it doesn't simply tell us whether somebody has learned something. It can actually help them learn.

The importance of assessment in learning

Imagine you've just completed a beautifully designed digital learning course. You've watched the videos, explored the interactions and reached the final assessment. Five multiple-choice questions later, you score 80%. Congratulations, course complete.

But what has really been assessed? You may have demonstrated that you can remember four facts for long enough to answer four questions. That doesn't necessarily mean you'll know what to do when a difficult situation appears three weeks later.

Good assessment should help us understand whether learners can recall, interpret and apply what they have learned. Research into retrieval practice suggests that actively bringing information back to mind can strengthen learning. Assessment, therefore, doesn't have to sit at the finish line. It can be part of the journey.

Make assessment part of the learning

Consider a manager learning how to handle a difficult performance conversation. In a face-to-face workshop, you could explain a model and ask whether everyone understands it. Most people will probably nod.

Instead, give them a realistic scenario. Ask them to role-play the conversation, introduce an unexpected response, then provide feedback and let them try again. You're assessing their understanding, but you're also giving them an opportunity to practise.

The same principle works in digital learning solutions. Rather than asking which of four statements is correct, put the learner into a realistic situation. A customer is angry. A colleague reports a concern. An employee asks a difficult question. What would you do next?

The learner makes a decision and sees the consequence. Feedback helps them understand why their choice worked, or why another approach might have been better. This turns interactive eLearning into a safe place to practise decisions before those decisions have real consequences.

Don't wait until the end

Assessment also gives us valuable information about what learners need next. If you discover halfway through a face-to-face workshop that half the room has misunderstood an important idea, you can stop, explore it and try another example.

Digital learning can do something similar. Short questions, challenges and scenarios can identify gaps as the learner progresses. Content can then provide extra explanation, feedback or practice.

This is where assessment becomes much more than a score. It creates a conversation with the learner: Where are you now, and what do you need next?

Assessment gives L&D evidence too

There is another audience for assessment: the organisation paying for the learning. Completion tells you that somebody reached the end. A satisfaction survey tells you whether they liked it. Neither necessarily tells you whether anything changed.

A good training needs analysis identifies the knowledge, skills or behaviours that need to change. Learning objectives define what people should be able to do differently. Assessment then starts to provide evidence of whether that change is happening.

This is why assessment and learning impact evaluation should be closely connected. At Popcorn, our approach brings together learning needs analysis, instructional design, engaging content and evaluation, with learning held accountable to organisational and commercial goals.

The importance of assessment: ask a better question

Good assessment doesn't always need a score. It might be a role-play, observation, conversation, simulation or three carefully designed questions inside an eLearning module. The method matters less than its connection to the learning objective.

If you want people to remember something, ask them to retrieve it. If you want them to make better decisions, give them decisions to make. If you want them to perform a skill, give them the chance to practise it.

So, instead of asking "How are we going to test them?", perhaps we should ask "How will they know they're getting better?"

That small change shifts assessment away from judgement and towards development. It works in face-to-face learning and eLearning development alike.

Because the best assessment doesn't simply prove that learning happened. It helps learning happen.

Frequently asked questions

Why is assessment important in learning?

Assessment helps learners understand what they know, where gaps remain and what they need to improve. For L&D teams, it also provides evidence about whether learning is achieving its objectives.

Should every eLearning course have a final assessment?

Not necessarily. Sometimes regular scenarios, questions and feedback throughout the learning will be more valuable. The assessment approach should be driven by what learners need to know or do.

Is assessment only useful in digital learning?

No. Face-to-face learning can use role-play, discussion, observation and practical exercises. Digital learning can use scenarios, simulations and interactive questions. The principle is the same: assess what people actually need to do.