Assessment is an essential and continuous (ongoing) component of the teaching and learning processes. An effective assessment provides critical information to both the instructor and the student. Both instructor and student need to know how well the student is progressing. A good assessment provides practical and specific feedback to students, including direction and guidance on how to raise their level of performance. Most importantly, a well-designed and effective assessment process contributes to the development of aeronautical decision-making and judgment skills by helping develop the student’s ability to evaluate his or her own knowledge and performance accurately.
A well-designed and effective assessment is also a very valuable tool for the instructor. By highlighting the areas in which a student’s performance is incorrect or inadequate, it helps the instructor see where more emphasis is needed. If, for example, several students falter when they reach the same step in a weight-and-balance problem, the instructor might recognize the need for a more detailed explanation, another demonstration of the step, or special emphasis in the assessment of subsequent performance.