The respondents spoke of the qualities they wanted in an assessment tool. Data analysis revealed four commonly cited qualities: useful, user-friendly, current, and culturally sensitive.
Many respondents were searching for the "perfect" assessment tool-a "foolproof instrument with 99.9 percent accuracy in results." According to one respondent, this tool will "guarantee that my initial placement and individualized instruction will always be right for the student in question. Regardless of what assessment tool I use, there is always an element of hit and miss." The findings indicate that respondents want reliable and diagnostic intake tools that determine placement and inform instruction, thereby optimizing teaching and learning. Instructors want on-going assessment tools that reveal how the students are doing and what to do next. They want assessment instruments to yield useful data that will "mean something" to instructors, students, and funders.
The respondents emphasized that they wanted a user-friendly assessment tool-one that was simple to administer, score, and interpret. The need for a simple, easy-to-use tool appears to stem from two primary factors: time and expertise. For example, many of the instructors in post-secondary institutions assess students during class time, making the need for a user-friendly tool a necessity. While 80 percent of the survey respondents held a bachelor's degree or higher, only 56 percent had taken a credit course focusing on assessment.
A common request on the respondents ' wish list was for updated assessment tools relevant to the curriculum and the student population. The findings show that the most frequently used standardized assessment tool-the Canadian Adult Achievement Test (CAAT)-was published in 1986 and has not been revised.