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Student Evaluation ​

This page covers Task D. Student Evaluation, Assessment, and Testing from the FAA-S-ACS-25 Flight Instructor for Airplane Category Airman Certification Standards.

Effective Assessment ​

  1. Characteristics of effective questions
    • Written tests
      • Characteristics (RVUCD)
        • Reliability
          • Yields consistent results
        • Validity
          • Measures what it is supposed to measure
        • Usability
          • Easy to give and grade
        • Comprehensiveness
          • Effectively measures the overall objectives
          • Liberally samples what is being measured and gives good measurement on overall objectives
        • Discrimination
          • Measures small differences between learners distinguishes between learners with high and low achievment
          • Includes all levels of difficulty
          • Measures knowledge of the same topic in many different ways
      • Types
        • Supply
          • Fill in the blank
          • Learner has to organize
          • Disadvantage - cannot be graded with uniformity
        • Selection
          • True false, multiple choice, matching
          • Highly objective, very easy to grade
          • Easier to compare learners performance
          • Easily adapted to statistical analysis
      • Designing test
        • Avoid absolutes like always, never
        • Answers should be about the same length on multiple choice test
        • Create attractive distractors (wrong answers) on multiple choice test
    • Performance tests
      • Checkride, for example
      • Desirable to evaluate training that involves procedure, operation, or process
      • Criterion referenced
        • Practical tests are an example - they are to the ACS and not a curve or anything else
      • Norm referenced
        • System of testing in which learners are ranked against the performance of other learners.
  2. Types of questions to avoid

Traditional Assessments ​

  • Involves written testing (e.g., multiple choice, matching) and grading
  • Pretest
    • Criterion-referenced test constructed to measure the knowledge and skills necessary to begin the course

Authentic Assessments ​

  • Focuses on the learning process
  • Enhances the development of real-world skills
  • Encourages higher order thinking skills (HOTS)
  • Teaches learners to assess their own work and performance

Learner-centered assessment ​

  • TBD

Maneuver or procedure grades ​

  • TBD

Assessing risk management skills ​

  • TBD

Choosing an Effective Assessment Method ​

  • TBD

Purposes and Types of Critiques ​

  1. Instructors/student critique
    • An effective critique should be
      • Objective
      • Flexible
      • Acceptable
      • Comprehensive
      • Constructive
      • Well organized
      • Thoughtful
      • Specific
    • Critique should be delivered immediately after learners performance so they can remember the details
    • Assessment / critique not part of grading
    • Critique should be objective, constructive, thoughtful
      • Focus on strengthening areas of weakness
    • Critique should be flexible enough to the occasion and learner
    • For learner to accept critique they first need to accept the instructor
    • Methods
      • Instructor critique
      • Learner led critique
      • Self critique
      • Instructor/learner critique
    • Critique
      • Constructive
      • Clear
      • Consistent
      • Admit your own errors
  2. Student-lead critique
  3. Small group critique
  4. Individual student critique by another student
  5. Self-critique
  6. Written critique

Oral Assessment ​

  • Most practical means of evaluation
  • Reveals effectiveness of instructor's training
  • Questions should be brief / concise but suitably difficult to challenge learner
  • Questions can be
    • Fact - memory / recall
    • Thought - requires thinking
  • Oral quizzing
    • Identifies which points need more emphasis
  • Oral assessment
    • Direct (when, where)
    • Indirect (why, how of objective)

Characteristics of effective questions ​

  • TBD

Types of questions to avoid ​

  • TBD

Answering learner questions ​

  • TBD

Assessment of Piloting Ability ​

  • Evaluation refers to judging a learner's ability to perform a maneuver or procedure.
  • Evaluation of demonstrated ability during flight or maintenance instruction is based upon established standards of performance, suitably modified to apply to the learner's experience and stage of development as a pilot or mechanic.
  • When evaluating learner demonstrations of ability, the aviation instructor should keep the learner informed of progress.

References ​