Bridging the educational research-teaching practice gap: The power of assessment.

Student assessment, in all its forms, is central to the educational process. In this paper in the series, "Bridging the Gap", I describe how assessment can be used as a powerful instrument for influencing how and what students learn and how and what instructors teach in a manner that is conducive to educationally sound curriculum change and improvement. In this way assessment is seen as a useful strategy for colleagues interested in bridging the gap between educational research and its application in teaching practice.