Critical Communication Pedagogy and Assessment: Reconciling Two Seemingly Incongruous Ideas

David H. Kahl, Jr.

Abstract


Many critical educators struggle with the idea of assessment, viewing it as a practice that stifles a critical communication pedagogical agenda. However, assessment is a necessary part of education, because it helps instructors to determine how well students are meeting course goals. In fact, I argue that assessment can be a positive tool to help critical educators to work toward conscientization, thus, determining whether students are developing a heightened awareness of hegemony, identifying avenues for praxis, and developing means to respond to hegemony when they discern its presence in society. By providing examples of how critical educators can help students reach conscientization, this article examines the relationship between two seemingly incongruous terms—critical communication pedagogy and assessment—to enable critical educators to facilitate a critical agenda.


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