Abstract
This response piece engages with ongoing discussions of assessment and value-added testing in speech communication education. While affirming the necessity of assessment to ensure disciplinary credibility, it raises critical questions about how competence is defined, whether economic models such as value-added learning are appropriate for communication, and whether assessment should emphasize process as well as product. Concerns are also raised about the feasibility of implementing costly instruments like the ACT Speaking Skills Assessment and the CCAI without institutional support. The argument emphasizes that communication is a creative, individual, and process-oriented activity that risks being constrained by overly linear models of testing. The piece concludes that assessment is essential but must be approached with caution, dialogue, and collective effort rather than reliance on simple solutions.
Recommended Citation
Cooper, Pamela J.
(1987)
"A Response to Assessment,"
Association for Communication Administration Bulletin: Vol. 60, Article 17.
Available at:
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/aca/vol60/iss1/17
