Self-Assessment

Self-assessment encourages [the learner] to look at his own learning styles and to see what is effective. It also helps him to identify strategies that work. Assessment helps him to develop more realistic goals. (47)

TOGETHER, LEARNERS, VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF form the assessment team in each literacy agency. As we have discussed throughout this manual, each person has a role to play in the assessment process.

The staff ’s role is to conduct formal assessments (initial, ongoing and exit) and to document those assessment results in the learner’s file. This is more than just a way of keeping track, it is a measure of program accountability. Program staff is also responsible for providing volunteers with the support they need in their role and for establishing systems and mechanisms that ensure accurate and ongoing reporting of assessment information.

The volunteer tutor’s role is to provide informal, ongoing assessment as part of literacy instruction. The tutor’s observations and input must be provided to program staff in a way that supports the staff ’s need for accurate, timely information.

The learner’s role is to provide input to both the volunteer and the staff by learning how to assess his own progress, skills and abilities. Put simply, self-assessment is a way for the learner to answer the question, “How do I know when I’m learning?”(48) It is important, however, to separate two distinct areas of self-assessment: assessing specific skills-related learning and assessing the “big picture” of learning, which relates more to the Self-Management/Self-Direction domain.