How has your assessment plan enriched your role as an emerging instructional designer?

Thinking through the three different components of an assessment plan: Formative, Summative, and
Confirmative, has helped me to gain a better understanding of how the process of instructional design is
a living, breathing creature. Our textbook by Morrison, Ross, Kalman, and Kemp (2013) explains the
three types of assessments and when they should be used. Instructional design is a continuous process
that may require several iterations before the final product meets the stated goals and objectives for
course content and outcomes. As an emerging instructional designer, I have learned how critical these
three components to the instructional design process are. Since we may not be the subject matter
expert, it is very important that we enlist the feedback from those who are more knowledgeable in the
subject matter during the formative evaluation process. We must assess the students to ensure that
they are meeting the expectations for the course, as well as reassessing the course in the future.

I equate this process with that of raising a child. If we are new parents, we may not know exactly how
we should best go about being a parent. As we muddle through, we reassess and readjust our
approaches so that our parenting is more effective. We are also constantly assessing the performance
and behavior of our children as they learn and grow. We must then be able to adapt and be flexible
when necessary to meet their individual needs.