Public Assessment--Pros & Cons

Pros: Public assessment connotes outside, objective assessment. Removed is the subjective assessment by a single instructor one-on-one. The publicly assessed student floats ideas before numerous points of view, and learns skills of dialog in diverse contexts.

Cons: A very real danger that public assessment could discourage the brilliant, avant-garde thinker, or one who has a revolutionary concept or interpretation. Students who emphasize public assessment and persuasiveness at the expense of private assessment might fail to develop adequate skills of critical thinking, reflection, synthesis. Popularity or fad value of ideas and concepts can be seductive from an over-developed public assessment.