Are You Hitting the Target When You Administer the Learning Assessment?

The learning assessment can be more than taking a test. You can administer the learning assessment in a way that all present feel as if they just had an experience that deepened their conversion. The true target isn’t satisfactory assessment scores but facilitating an experience that helps students fulfill the Objective of Seminaries and Institutes of Religion and deepen their conversion (see Gospel Teaching and Learning: A Handbook for Teachers and Leaders in Seminaries and Institutes of Religion [2012], x).

By implementing the following ideas, you and your students can have an experience that deepens conversion the next time you administer the learning assessment.

Prepare Your Students

Start preparing your students now to succeed by consistently reviewing important doctrine and principles throughout the semester. You may consider doing one of the following:

• Inviting students to share a principle they learned from the previous lesson before beginning the lesson.

• Asking students what they learned after each lesson.

• Using a doctrinal mastery review or practice exercises from the Doctrinal Mastery curriculum to review important doctrinal topics and practice overcoming real-world challenges.

• Asking students to complete some of the “Weekly Reviews” being piloted through the learning assessment software.

Plan Each Day

Plan ways to make each day of the learning assessment meaningful, not just the day when the assessment is reviewed. For example, on the day students take the assessment, plan ways to help them feel the Spirit and have an experience that deepens their conversion. You may consider doing one of the following:

• Appropriately control the pacing of the learning assessment so you have 5 to 10 minutes at the end for students to share their responses to the Explain Doctrine questions.

• Lead a meaningful discussion on the Belief and Apply section so students see their divine potential and have a desire to set goals to overcome their shortcomings.

The learning assessment can help students come closer to Jesus Christ, facilitate revelatory experiences, and provide strength to overcome challenges. Students can have an experience that deepens their conversion.

Consider counseling with your coordinator, administrator, or other faculty members on ways you can use the assessments to hit the real target: deepening conversion.

Share what is working in your classroom and see what others are saying using #ElevateLearning here.