1. What is the purpose of this assessment? (What learning outcomes am I measuring? What kind of evidence am I seeking?) This focuses on aligning assessments directly with learning goals.
2. What does a good performance look like? (What are the criteria for success? How will I define excellence, proficiency, and inadequacy?) This emphasizes clear and explicit criteria for students.
3. How will I assess the quality of the student's work against the criteria? (What methods will I use to judge student work? How will I ensure fairness and consistency?) This centers around developing reliable and valid assessment methods.
4. How will I use the results of the assessment to improve student learning? (How will feedback be provided? How will this information be used to improve teaching and learning?) This highlights the formative aspect of assessment and its role in improving instruction.
It's crucial to remember that these are interpretations of Svinicki's broader ideas about effective assessment. While he doesn't explicitly present them as a numbered list of "four essential questions," these points consistently appear in his work and are central to his philosophy on assessment and grading.