Assessment in Higher Education: Politics, Pedagogy, and Portfolios

As part of the American school reform movement, administrators are searching for ways of measuring students’ skills and progress within the system. Courts and McInerney focus on the qualitative assessment possible through the use of student portfolios, particularly at the college level. The authors are concerned that the teaching and learning process will be subsumed by assessment and will become even more test-driven than it now is. A critical look at multiple-choice, standardized examinations shows how unmindful our educational testing is of psychosocial diversity. The authors warn that in upgrading American education nationwide, more effective and self-confirming measures should be faculty developed and locally controlled. The authors propose a new compact among teachers and students as they take mutual responsibility for the learning process and changing curriculum.