Off-the-Shelf Formative Assessments to Help Each Student Develop Toward a Professional Formation/Ethical Professional Identity Learning Outcome of an Internalized Commitment to the Student's Own Professional Development

Abstract

This article analyzes “off the shelf” formative assessments that provide meaningful feedback to improve student learning on a professional-formation learning outcome that each student should demonstrate understanding and integration of responsibility for continually self-evaluating the student’s own professional development toward excellence. “Off-the-shelf,” refers to ready-made, standardized formative assessments that a professor could use with respect to these learning outcomes.

Part II analyzes the professional-formation learning outcomes that law schools have adopted as of October 15, 2016. Part III gives a brief summary of what we know about the most effective curriculum to foster student development toward professional-formation learning outcomes. Part IV focuses on an analysis of off-the-shelf formative assessments that provide meaningful feedback on a learning outcome that each student should demonstrate understanding and integration of responsibility for continually self-evaluating the student’s own professional development toward excellence.

Keywords: professionalism, professional formation, ethical professional identity, learning outcomes and assessment, self-directed learning