Young Adult Literature and Alternative Assessment Measures

Abstract

The principal purpose of assessment, regardless of teaching level, should be to guide instruction. Unlike evaluation, the goal of assessment is not to arrive at a grade for students. Rather, it is to inform the educator as to what needs to be addressed in the classroom. Assessment in a young adult literature (YAL) curriculum is no different. Its function is to aid the teacher in determining what should be taught, from novel selections to literary skills to instructional practices. Even though exams and their results can enlighten instruction, other authentic, alternative assessment measures may also be employed. To this end, this article highlights four such assessment measures (interest inventory, knowledge rating chart, cyber-hunt, and Twitter retelling) and offer suggestions for classroom implementation in various disciplines at the middle school, high school, and university/college levels.