Types of Assessments – Learn, Qualify, Perform

I wanted to share some work with you on how to logically organize assessments and came up with this simple model which seems to resonate with the people that I present it to.  You might also be interested in my previous article on Types Of Assessments (Formative, Diagnostic, Summative, and Surveys)..

There are assessments for learning and assessments to qualify people for certain activities or job roles; then they perform tasks. Throughout the process of learning, qualifying and performing, we accumulate evidence and feedback that help us make decisions. 

The definitions and distinction of the various assessment types that I refer to in this article are documented within the Assessment Maturity Model at http://assessmentmaturitymodel.wikispaces.com/Assessment+Solutions:

Learn

Assessments Through The Learning Process can be distinguished and linked together by thinking of:

• Pre-Learning Assessments
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

Pre-Learning Assessments

The following assessments are used prior to learning events:

• Job Task Analysis
• Needs Analysis Surveys
• Diagnostic assessments
• Pre Tests
• Placement tests
• Self-diagnostic tools
• In-Learning Assessments
• Of-Learning Assessments

In-Learning

The following assessments are used within learning events to assist the learner learn:

• Formative assessments
• Quizzes during Learning
• 360 Learner Peer Review
• Practice Tests

Of-Learning

The following assessments are used to detect what a learner has learned:

• Level 1 Surveys
• Course evaluations
• 360 (Level 3) Surveys
• Post Course Tests
• Graduation Exams
• Internal exams
• Open exams
• Licensing exams

Qualify

I struggled with this for a long time on whether qualify should be its own category but finally I came to the conclusion that it should because it provides sufficient distinctions on its own and could be separated from learning experiences. 

There are three basic categories of Assessments To Qualify and these have various styles of assessments associated with this:

• Academic: Graduation Exams
• Pre-Employment: Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• Certification & Licensing: Graduation exams, Internal exams, Open exams, Licensing exams

Perform

After learning and qualifying we end of up performing manual and intellectual tasks. And as we do things evidence surfaces that can be referenced to help us make decisions about more learning, more qualifications and our performance.

This evidence can be used and assessed within an organizations’ Performance and Talent Management processes to help people become more successful in their work 

Performance and Talent Management

Performance Management is a method used to influence and manage behaviors and results with the goal of bringing out the best in people.  Talent Management refers to the phases of finding, developing and retaining people to perform activities. 

Within these phases people engage in learning and qualifications and their activities tends to accumulate evidence that assists them and others assess their performance.

Talent Management assessments can be categorized with the three phases of Talent Management:

• Talent Acquisition – finding and employing the right people
  • Job Task Analysis
  • As per Pre-Employment assessments i.e. Pre-employment Screening, Pre-employment Skills Tests, Personality assessments, Psychological assessment
• On-Boarding – orienting new people to the workplace
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
• Performance, Talent and Team Management – to help people be successful
  • As per Assessments Through The Learning Process
  • Appraisal (360s)
  • Employee Attitudes
  • Opinion Surveys

I hope you have found this posting useful in showing how the types of assessments relate to Learning, Qualifying and Performing as well as getting things done!

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