Campus Talks by Times Higher Education Campus podcast: The tricky relationship between assessment and learning
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Mar 20, 2025 Susan D. Blum, an anthropology professor at Notre Dame, critiques traditional teaching methods. Catherine Wehlburg, president of Athens State University, focuses on effective assessment practices. Josh Eyler, director at the University of Mississippi, discusses how grades can harm learning. They explore the detrimental effects of 'schoolishness' and the pressures of prestigious institutions on student mental health. The conversation advocates for feedback-based assessment methods, emphasizing authentic learning experiences over mere grades.
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Learning in the Wild
- In a summer internship, students learned technical skills by applying them to real-world problems.
- They learned programming or policies while solving environmental/engineering problems, demonstrating authentic learning.
Igniting Curiosity
- Engage students' curiosity before providing answers.
- Design activities where students generate questions, fostering independent thinking.
Assessment's Role
- Assessment, when seen as the core goal, makes education joyless and alienating.
- Shifting the focus to assessment for learning, rather than learning for assessment, can improve the learning experience.
