It is possible, even likely, that many learners may not look favourably upon assessment at first. They may have had negative experiences in school and will view any form of assessment as a way of highlighting what they don’t know. They will probably think about assessment in terms of formal tests and exams, but good assessment goes far beyond that and helps the learner identify strengths and knowledge.

Both program staff and volunteer tutors can help the learner understand how proper assessment can ensure that he is in the right program and learning at the appropriate level. Through self-assessment, the learner can become a more active partner in the overall assessment process; he will discover more about the skills he needs to reach his goals and how to be a full participant in planning his learning outcomes. The Way to Go! Series of bulletins published by the Ontario Literacy Coalition in 2001 provides a good start to discussing assessment with learners.

The more a learner has to wait and get approval…from someone else — be it…a teacher or any other authority figure…the less the learner is likely to become an independent, self-regulating, self-disciplined, self-critical, self-loving, self-motivated, self-developing, empowered…member of our society.(49)

Self-assessment is a skill in itself. The learner probably won’t know just what you are asking him to do and will need to practice. Remember to ask open-ended questions that encourage him to think about what, how and why he has learned. Simply asking “Did you learn anything today?” is not enough. Try questions such as “What did you learn today?”, “What made it easy (or hard) to learn” and “How have you used your new skills in the past week?” Asking open-ended questions helps the learner re-create the learning, thus making it easier to identify just what he learned and how he did it.(50)