Pre and Post Assessments

Pre and Post Assessments

Pre and Post-Assessments are indicators of a student’s base level of knowledge, and the knowledge that they are taking away after learning something. A pre-assessment is a wonderful tool for an instructor to use in order to see the gaps that are present for their students when they are starting to learn something new. The post assessment then lets the instructor know how much and what type of information was retained during the learning.

The pre-assessment lets an instructor know what they can do for the group of students they are instructing in the present, and the post-assessment assists an instructor with their future students and lessons. I am someone who tends to get a bit of anxiety about pre-assessments. It is easy for me convince myself that when entering a new area of learning I should have some base interest or knowledge about that topic and should know at least something. If I don’t, it makes me reconsider if I have enrolled in the right course for me, or if I will fail.

Of course this is completely irrational thinking, as I truly believe humans can do anything they set their minds to and learn about anything they desire. The more I understand how pre and post-assessments vary in their usage and the information they deliver, I understand that they hold a valuable place in the classroom. As mentioned, they are a valuable tool for instructor but also for the student. Assessments indicate how far along a student has come with their learning, and results don’t lie; a student can see very clearly where there are gaps in their understanding of the material learned.

There are some great considerations and an easy explanation for understanding pre and post assessments on the following site.


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