Assessments play a very important role in course design. In addition to measuring the extent to which learners have mastered objectives, assessments draw attention to the most important elements in the content of the course. To be truly effective, assessments should:
  • cover the objectives of the course, 
  • be valid and reliable, 
  • include appropriate distractors and correctly written stems, and 
  • provide helpful feedback. 
If written correctly, assessments reinforce learning and help to identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses. When instructional designers create assessments for their courses, they should consider that different types of objectives require different types of assessment items. For example, recall type of questions are easy to construct, but are not as effective as questions that allow learners to analyze and apply information from a lesson. 

Before choosing a type of assessment, keep in mind that assessments should be both valid and reliable. 

validity 
The extent to which the assessment instruments measure the outcomes they are intended to measure. Items should focus on the application of knowledge rather than on the comprehension levels. 

reliability 
The extent to which the assessment instruments produce consistent results over a period of time. Questions should vary in the level of difficulty.

To learn more about instructional design and eLearning, enroll in our self-paced course, Principles of Instructional Design: A Roadmap for Creating Engaging eLearning Content.