Plain English Meaning
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.
Full 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.
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.