Q1.

What do you think that internal assessment is better or external

assessment at graduation level? Give four logical arguments in support of
your stance.

There are always some advantages and disadvantages when comparisons of different methods
are made. According to my humble opinion internal assessment of students have far greater
benefits than external assessment at graduation level. Following are the reasons I support
internal assessment:

1) Work through all the process with student

2) Information about students work behaviour
3) Keep’s students in check with discipline
4) Internal faculty remains highly motivated

1. Work through all the process with student:

Judgment of a person always requires a detailed analysis of every little aspect related to
him/her. When it comes to assessment of a student, nobody knows him better than internal
faculty who work through all the process with him. At graduation level student become more
expressive with their teachers than any external. It is obvious that, people who spent more time
with a student have more information about him than a person who have to spend hour or so to
assess a student.

2. Information about student’s work behaviour:

Student’s work behaviour is very important in his assessment. The person who is evaluating
him has to know about the struggle he went through during his work. No one knows it better
than who work with him on every stage. E.g. while writing a dissertation number of barriers
student have to overcome, supervisor knows it better than the external who is appraising him.
So internal assessment may give reasonable reward to student he deserves for his hard work
and struggle.
 3. Keep’s students in check with discipline:

Discipline is potentially the main element in the success of an education institute and student
both. In our society, to maintain a discipline among students it is necessary that authorities
must hold something which is important to students. When they know that the ultimate
evaluation shall be done by the internal faculty, they prefer to stay within the line of moralities
set by the internal faculty. The main reason behind is the lack of maturity in that age, some
limitations set by the authorities shall be for the greater good of the students.

4. Internal faculty remains highly motivated:

When we talk about skilful students, there is always a good mentor or teacher behind it.
Teacher’s job is to guide his student to the right path. A raw talent always need a mentor who
polishes him in to the excellent prospect. For that due purpose teacher’s motivation must be
remain high. If internal faculty knows that they have the power to assess his own student than
their motivation to keep working hard with students remains high. E.g. an external came to
assess a student, but a good and talented student performed badly on that day due to some
personal issues etc. So external have to assess him on the performance of that given day and if
he marked him low than the moral of student and teacher who worked with him on every stage
damage very badly. It is better and feasible that internal faculty who worked through a student
must also have authority to assess his student. It will keep the motivation of teacher on high
side to have an authority.
 Q2. Explain at least five currently prevailing formative assessment
practices used by teachers in classroom at primary and secondary level in
public and private schools in Pakistan.

Classroom assessment practices of teachers connect curriculum, instructional mechanism

and students learning outcomes, which is one of the essential elements of teaching learning
process. Teachers use following type of formal assessment practices in public and private
schools of Pakistan.

Private schools:

1) Classroom Tests:
It is a formal assessment method in which teacher measures student’s capability
through a classroom test. It can be an oral test or written test. In private schools
these kind of tests are conducted on weekly basis to keep a check on the progress
of student. After marking those tests parent teacher meeting is held in order to
discuss the progress of student with their parents.
2) Presentations:

In this type of method student called upon the stage in front of the class to
discuss his views. This assessment method tends to increase the confidence of
the student. It also reduce the hesitation of speaking in front of the large
audience in small age. This kind of activity is widely performed in private
schools in Pakistan.

3) Practical application:
Students are bound to apply the knowledge they are gaining from the class. For
examples if they have studied an experiment from science class, teachers allow
them to perform practically in lab under the care of experts.
4) Projects:

Students are given different class projects in private schools to enhance their
learning. These projects helps them to realize that imaginations can also become
reality. For example different drawings projects are the real test of their
imaginations. Projects can be differ from course to course.
 5) Group activities:
Different group activities are assigned to students within the class. It helps the
teacher to realize how the particular student work within the group. Different
traits of students may appear from this activity e.g. level of cooperation,
patience etc.

Public schools:

1) Oral test:
This is traditional type of formal classroom assessment method, in which
students are tested orally with questions they had learned on the previous day.
2) Written test:
In this type of assessment method students are faced with series of questions on
a paper or blackboard. They have to write the answers on sheets. Every school
has its own schedule of conducting these type of tests. They can be held on
weekly or monthly basis.
3) Work assignments:
Work assignments or simply stated home work is the simplest and widest used
assessment technique in every public school in Pakistan. Students learned a
particular topic in class then they are bound to write that topic on notebook on
the next day. Teacher’s duty is to check that notebook on daily basis to monitor
the student’s consistency of writing homework daily.
4) Puzzles given in exercise given at the end of every chapter:
In every public school in Pakistan, especially in Punjab books are distributed
free of cost among the students. At the end of every chapter in the book different
puzzles are given related to the chapter learned. Teachers assessed the students
learning by making them solve those puzzles.
5) Observation by teachers:
Teachers observe their students very closely. After observing them they tend to
guide them accordingly. Sometimes student perform good in other assessments
through cheating or other means. In that particular case observation tactic
becomes handy. Close observation of student’s activities, body language and
his contribution in the class may provide helpful data in order to have accurate
assessment.