Self‐Assessment

Abstract

Effective assessment is a fundamental aspect of every learning situation and should form an integral part of everyday life in the classroom. Self‐assessment is a learner‐centered alternative assessment that at its core involves learners making judgments about their performance, learning, and attitudes based on criteria. As learners reflect on and judge how their work relates to the standards in order to determine the next steps in their learning process, they take a central and active role in constructing their knowledge, in becoming autonomous learners, and in building metacognitive capabilities. Because effective self‐assessment is a powerful tool that can play a vital part in learning through its effect on learners' self‐efficacy and self‐worth, it empowers learners, so that they are more likely to persevere when faced with obstacles and to develop self‐regulated learning habits. After defining key characteristics of self‐assessment and briefly reviewing theoretical and research considerations, the entry explores concrete pedagogical implications.