Choosing Appropriate Assessment Tools as an Aid to the Enhancement of Adult Students' Learning

Choosing Appropriate Assessment Tools as an Aid to the Enhancement of Adult Students' Learning

Daytona Beach, Florida

The influx of Gls after World War II to colleges and universities under the GI bill gave birth to "adult education.' The Johnson-Brownlow Assessment Model was used to assess tools for evaluation of learning outcomes. Analysis of data collected show the following: Students and faculty showed strong correlation in understanding education as more than an accumulation of facts. Students and faculty differ in significant ways in evaluation preferences: students were found to favor assessments in the first compcnents of the JBAM (more direct examination of facts); faculty were found to prefer evaluation that assess the latter components of the model (evaluations of more abstract learning). Results indicate that the JBAM has validity for improving both the educational and evaluation processes. further work is warranted to determine how best to involve adult learners in educational processes specified at the higher-level skills addressed in the JBAM.