Range of Assessment Methods
In approaching the challenges of assessing student work, we consider the range of methods that we use and the amount of relative weight to assign to the various methods. Some of the most common methods—listed in alphabetical order—used in culinary arts and hospitality include:

• Attendance—showing up at class on time and prepared
• Class participation—contribution to discussion, lectures, small group work, set-up, cooking, clean up
• Dining-room service
• Essays—both with assigned topics and open topics
• Food preparation
• Presentations to the class
• Professional behavior in the kitchen or dining room—including dress code, food safety, station set-up and interpersonal interactions
• Projects—such as developing menus, designing a restaurant, creating a manual
• Quizzes—short, in-class tests
• Rating of peer performance—especially useful in complex group projects
• Research papers on topics of student choice
• Self-assessment
• Take-home assignments—ranging from tests and papers to projects
• Tests and examinations—end-of-term examinations or other cumulative examinations, and open-book and closed-book tests

The most important part of considering any of these methods is the extent to which the assignments let students demonstrate what they know and how they can apply it. While it is hard to keep focused on helping them show you what they know, it changes the focus from one of catching students doing something wrong to encouraging them to do it well and find pride in it. In the paragraphs below, we will discuss some of the more common ones and their effectiveness.

Attendance
Some programs use attendance in class as an assessment method, pointing out that students need to be in class in order to learn from the teacher and to participate with their team members. While that is still true in many culinary classrooms, recent developments in high-quality online education have altered this dynamic. Some schools now offer culinary and baking or pastry classes online for which attendance in a specific classroom or laboratory at a designated time is not necessary to learn and master the material. Therefore, attendance as an assessment mechanism is losing its usefulness.

Attendance as a grading tool or assessment method has been problematic for years. It is one thing to recognize that the student is in the room, but he or she might or might not be paying attention, taking notes or otherwise using the time intelligently. Giving students credit for being in the room, but not being active learners or participants in the learning process, does not make sense. In fact, several years ago, I stopped using attendance as an evaluation method since I could not find a way to discriminate—objectively—between active attendance and passive attendance and keep records of it while also focusing on teaching material, engaging each students and monitoring who was learning what and how well. I take attendance in every course I teach since I believe in the usefulness and power of being in class, but it does not affect the grade that students earn.

Open-Book Tests
While open book tests might seem easier to students (and they do take some of the anxiety away since students can look up facts or details), they can often be much harder for students since the expectations for accuracy in details is much higher. Because students can look up facts and statistics, there is no reason that they should not get the right answer. They still need to know the material well and be able to explain it or apply it on a test; the access to the book just raises the level of performance expected.

Ironically, students often request open-book tests because they are easier until they actually have to take one and then they realize how difficult they can be.

Take-Home Examinations
Take home tests are also difficult for students for some of the same reasons. When students have access to their notes and the reading materials, there should be no excuse for errors in any answers or incorrect details, statistics or other facts. Answers to essay questions should also be coherent, logical and insightful. In addition, since there is no time limit, there should be no grammatical or spelling errors in the examination since the answers can be typed into a word processing program that provides both grammar and spelling checks.

For faculty members, take-home examinations can be easier to read since typed material is easier to read than most students’ penmanship. However, they are often longer and more like term papers or other research assignments.

Summary
Thank you for reading this column about assessment methods. If some of them are new to you, consider adopting the ideas mentioned here—or next month—and then adapting them to your particular teaching situation. Next month, we will discuss more assessment methods—evaluating food preparation, dining-room service and presentations—and in two months we will examine the criteria to use in applying these assessment methods.

If you have suggestions for other topics or teaching practices you want to share, send them to me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., and I will include them in future “Mayo’s Clinics.”

Dr. Fred Mayo, CHE, CHT, was most recently a clinical professor at New York University. Principal of Mayo Consulting Services, he continues to teach around the globe, and is a frequent presenter at CAFÉ events nationwide. His latest book, Planning an Applied Research Project in Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports (Wiley, 2013), debuted last autumn.