Definition
A summative evaluation conducted at the end of a lesson, unit, or course to measure how much the student has learned and to determine whether they have met the established performance standards. It typically results in a grade, pass/fail decision, or formal record of achievement.
Plain English
A check at the end of a lesson or course to see how much the student has actually learned and whether they meet the required standard.
Context Anchor
Seen in flight instructor training, lesson planning, stage checks, end-of-lesson reviews, and decisions about whether a learner is ready for the next step.
Derivation
From Latin assidere, 'to sit beside' -- originally referring to a judge's assistant who sat beside them to help reach a decision. In teaching, it has come to mean making a judgment about a student's performance after observing it.
Why Pilots Care
It determines whether a student is ready to advance to the next phase of training or to a practical test, directly affecting safety and certification.
Intuition Check
Do not read assessment of learning as casual feedback during a lesson. Here it means an evaluation after instruction or practice to decide whether the learning goal was actually met.
Example Sentence 1
The end-of-course stage check is an assessment of learning, used to confirm the student has met all the required standards before moving on.
Example Sentence 2
The CFI used an assessment of learning covering all maneuvers before endorsing the student for the checkride.