ABSTRACT
Choosing effective ways to assess learning is a major part of the instructional design process. Appropriate assessment strategies can add to the effects of instruction. Assessments that are closely aligned with instructional goals and embedded within instructional tactics provide effective feedback to both student and instructor. Unaligned and disjointed assessments contribute little to learning, have a demoralizing effect on student motivation, and serve as obstacles to learning. In this chapter I
compare tests and assessments,
provide basic definitions and descriptions of the various components of effective performance-based assessment and show how assessment is a critical component in the instructional design of REALs, and
provide guidelines for developing assessments in interactive multimedia environments.
