Assessment Training

Introduction

Assessment is an important part of learning. Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles emphasized the importance of assessment when he described the role of tests in academic learning.

Periodic tests absolutely are essential to learning. An effective test helps us to compare what we need to know with what we actually know about a specific subject; it also provides a standard against which we can evaluate our learning and development (David A. Bednar, “We Will Prove Them Herewith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2020, 8).

Assessment in seminary performs a similar purpose as tests in academic learning. Assessment can help students demonstrate their spiritual knowledge, understanding, and devotion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. These kinds of formative assessments can help students become more aware of what they are learning and how they are growing.

Recognizing their learning and growth can be a rewarding and motivating experience for students. This is similar to when a competitive runner sees her time on a stopwatch or when a young child sees his growth on a height chart. Students often do not realize how they are growing without regular opportunities to assess their learning. Even opportunities to see that they have made no progress or even that they have fallen backward in their growth can be valuable learning experiences. Regular assessments can invite more personal revelation into their lives and help students create plans for future growth and learning. Some examples of assessment activities in seminary curriculum include Assess Your Learning lessons and doctrinal mastery practices. This training will focus on the assessment activities found in the Assess Your Learning lessons.

Assess Your Learning Lessons

Throughout the seminary curriculum, you will find Assess Your Learning lessons. These lessons are scheduled about every four to six weeks and provide students with opportunities to assess themselves on course-level learning outcomes. These course-level learning outcomes help students:

• Explain doctrine they have learned.

• Reflect on their feelings, attitudes, and desires related to Heavenly Father’s plan and the gospel of Jesus Christ.

• Review plans or goals they are working on to apply what they are learning and deepen their discipleship to Jesus Christ.

It may be helpful to take the time to look over one or more Assess Your Learning lessons to become familiar with them. As you look over a lesson or two, notice that each lesson begins in a general way, providing students with an opportunity to share anything they have learned recently from their study of the scriptures individually, with their family, in Church meetings, or in seminary. Then, look at each of the assessment activities in the Assess Your Learning lesson. Pay special attention to how each assessment activity:

• Is preceded by a heading that states the course level learning outcome.

• Refers to learning experiences from previous lessons in the curriculum.

• Provides students an opportunity to do something to demonstrate their learning.

It is important to keep in mind that student learning can be accelerated as students understand clearly what the outcome is for a learning activity and are given an opportunity to demonstrate their learning. An analogy may help illustrate this. If a young person is learning how to shoot a bow and arrow, he needs a clear target to aim for, as well as training on how to load the arrow, hold the bow, aim, and release. If he is never given an opportunity to try shooting the arrow, he will never know if he learned. Only when he releases the arrow does he see clearly whether he hit the target or not. The same is true in a gospel learning experience. Students need instruction and help, but they also need opportunities to demonstrate their learning. How students demonstrate their learning needs to be clearly connected to the outcome. Every learning experience in the curriculum is designed with this in mind; however, it is even more prominently demonstrated in Assess Your Learning lessons. Consider sharing with students what the learning outcomes are in each of these lessons.

Teachers and classmates can be a resource to help students recognize their learning more clearly. You as a teacher can provide feedback on progress they are making or struggling to make. You could brainstorm ideas or share experiences from your own life. Keep in mind that it should not be an expectation that students report their goals or plans to you or the rest of the class. Some of these goals and plans can be very personal. There may be times, however, when a student feels comfortable sharing his or her plans or goals with you. Counsel together with students when appropriate. There may be other times when a student should be redirected to parents, a bishop, or a branch president.

Some activities in Assess Your Learning lessons are designed for students to share their thoughts and experiences with classmates, while other activities are more personal. For example, when students are explaining doctrine, this may be a good time to have them work together to practice explaining or role-playing. When students are assessing their feelings, attitudes, and desires, it may be a more appropriate activity for personal reflection.

Most importantly, as you teach these lessons, invite students to seek help and guidance from their Father in Heaven through the Holy Ghost. There is no better companion than the Holy Ghost to help students clearly see how they are learning and progressing on their path back to Heavenly Father. Provide students with regular opportunities to seek the help of the Holy Ghost in assessing their learning and growth as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Course Credit for the Assessment

Students need to participate in at least one Assess Your Learning lesson during each half of the course to receive credit for seminary graduation.

If students do not attend any Assess Your Learning lessons during the semester, you will need to provide them with the appropriate Assess Your Learning lesson located in the appendix of the seminary teacher manual. “Assess Your Learning, Part 1” can be given to students to make up the assessment for the first half of the course. “Assess Your Learning, Part 2” can be given to students to make up the assessment for the second half of the course. Invite students to record their responses to each of the assessment activities. Encourage them to also share their responses that are not too personal with a parent, sibling, or Church leader. This opportunity for students to share can allow the Holy Ghost to teach and testify to them about truths of the gospel and invite them to take additional steps in their Christ-centered discipleship. When they return it to you, you might also invite them to share one or two of their responses if they are not too personal.

Adapting Assess Your Learning Lessons

At times, you may need to adapt the Assess Your Learning lessons. Because of school schedules, students may not have studied a lesson that an Assess Your Learning lesson refers to. There also may be times when a truth was especially meaningful to students but not addressed in the Assess Your Learning lesson. In these cases, you may decide to replace one of the activities in the Assess Your Learning lesson with an activity you create to help students assess their understanding or progress on that topic.

The following steps can help you to adapt or create an effective assessment activity.

• Step 1: Begin by identifying the purpose of the lesson you would like to assess.

  Each lesson purpose is listed in the last sentence of the introductory paragraph to that lesson and in the overview document for the week.

• Step 2: Consider what students could do to assess their growth and learning for that lesson’s purpose. Examples include the following:

  • Understanding: Students could teach or explain a doctrinal concept verbally or in writing. This could be accomplished in various ways, such as in response to a scenario or a journal prompt.

  • Feelings, attitudes, or desires: Students may have been invited in a previous lesson to assess their feelings, attitudes, or desires through a journal entry, survey, or other method. If so, students could be invited to complete that activity again. They could then compare their responses from the previous lesson to their responses during the Assess Your Learning lesson.

  • Application: Students could review what they felt impressed to do or a plan that they created as part of a lesson. They could then reflect on how they have acted on their plan. A few willing students could share their experiences if they are not too personal. They could even demonstrate something they have done, such as using the FamilySearch Family Tree app or using a scripture study skill.

Try to find ways to make activities meaningful and enjoyable. Also, provide plenty of time for students to reflect on and assess their growth. Activities should not lead students to compare their growth with other people but help them assess their own experience. Some students may be disappointed with their current growth. Help them understand that these assessments should never be seen as final. Rather, students should always be encouraged to consider what the next step in their learning or growth might be and how they can turn to the Lord for help.

Note: Seminary teachers can enhance upcoming Assess Your Learning lessons by including assessment activities related to Life Preparation categories that students have recently studied in seminary. They can either add these activities to the Assess Your Learning lessons or replace existing assessments. You can find suggested assessments for each category of Life Preparation lessons in the appendix of the seminary teacher manual.

Conclusion

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles encouraged teachers to “remember that a student is not a container to be filled; a student is a fire to be ignited” (“Angels and Astonishment” [Church Educational System training broadcast], June 12, 2019, broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org). Opportunities that students have as part of assessment activities in seminary are an important way to motivate students in their learning. They can help kindle a desire to deepen students’ conversion to Jesus Christ and His gospel. Giving students an opportunity to explain doctrine; reflect on their feelings, attitudes, and desires; and review plans or goals they are working on will help them be more deliberate in their efforts to become more like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.