Read: Self Assessment Overview

Read ThisSelf Assessment Overview

Self assessment or self evaluation is a process in which one reflects upon their actions and attitudes as they relate to performance in completing a given task or job. In most cases, performance is judged against a set of standards or criteria. Completing a self assessment of your performance is a good way to assess the progress you have made and the areas you would like to focus on for future development.

While conducting a self assessment might seem a little uncomfortable, there are benefits beyond recognizing your strengths and areas for future development. For example, recognizing your strengths can improve your confidence. This sense of self assuredness can make you feel more valued and ready to try new roles and responsibilities and to reach new goals. Getting into the habit of conscious self-reflection can also make it more likely that you will recognize earlier in the process where you might need to self-correct to achieve the desired level of performance. Another great benefit supported by research conducted by Di Stefano et al. (2016) is the connection between reflection, learning, and performance. It appears that the act of deliberate self-reflection and assessment impacts learning in a way that results in greater improvement in performance.

As you prepare to conduct a self assessment, think about what you learned and did earlier in this course, as well as the progress you have made in conducting your UTA responsibilities. Over the course of the semester, have you worked on improving the effectiveness of your communication when explaining information or giving directions to students? Have you practiced giving constructive feedback to the students in your assigned course and/or your classmates as part of a peer review or in discussion posts? Have you effectively handled difficult situations? In what ways have you demonstrated the qualities of an effective UTA?

Other more general questions to ask include:

  • What did you do particularly well? Where have you excelled?
  • What would you consider to be your most important accomplishments? What made them stand out?
  • What did you hope to accomplish, but didn't?
  • Is there anything about your performance that was disappointing to you? What could you have done differently or what would you do differently in the future?

As you enter the workforce or graduate or professional school, you'll find that self assessment/self evaluation are used frequently as part of the evaluation process. Becoming comfortable and adept at this process will serve you well.

Reference

Di Stefano, Giada and Gino, Francesca and Pisano, Gary and Staats, Bradley R., Making Experience Count: The Role of Reflection in Individual Learning (June 14, 2016). Harvard Business School NOM Unit Working Paper No. 14-093, Harvard Business School Technology & Operations Mgt. Unit Working Paper No. 14-093, HEC Paris Research Paper No. SPE-2016-1181, Available at SSRN: at this link Links to an external site. or .