Basic Concepts in Assessment

Assessment:

 Assessment is defined as a process of appraising something or someone, i.e. the act

of gauging the quality, value or importance. It is a process by which information is
obtained relative to some known objective or goal. Assessment is a broad term that
includes testing.
 It is a systematic process of gathering, interpreting, and using this information about
student learning.
 The collection, synthesis, interpretation, and use of information to aid the teachers in
decision making done before, during and after instruction.

Test:
 A test is a special form of assessment. Tests are assessments made under contrived
circumstances especially so that they may be administered. In other words, all tests
are assessments, but not all assessments are tests. We test at the end of a lesson or
unit.
 It is formal and systematic instrument designed to assess the quality, ability, skill, or
knowledge of the students by giving a set of question in uniform manner.
Testing:
 It is one of the different methods used to measure the level of performance or
achievement of learners.
 It also refers to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the procedures
designed to get information about the extent of the performance of the students.
Assessment of Learning
 It focuses on the development and utilization of assessment tools to improve the
teaching-learning process.
 It emphasizes on the use of testing for measuring knowledge, comprehension and
other thinking skills.
Measurement:
 It is a process of quantifying or assigning number to the individual’s intelligence,
personality, attitudes and values, and achievement of the students.
Evaluation:
 Evaluation focuses on making a judgment about values, numbers or performance of
someone or something. Assessment is made to identify the level of performance of an
individual, whereas evaluation is performed to determine the degree to which goals
are attained. It refers to the process of judging the quality of what is good and what
is desirable.

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Comparison Chart
Basis for ASSESSMENT EVALUATION
Comparison
Meaning Assessment is a process of Evaluation is described as an
collecting, reviewing, and act of passing judgment on
using data for the purpose the basis of set of standards
of improvement in the
current performance
Nature Diagnostic Judgmental
What it does? Provides feedback on Determines the extent to
performance and areas of which objectives are achieved
improvement
Purpose Formative Summative
Orientation Process-oriented Product-oriented
Feedback Based on observation and Based on the level of quality
positive and negative as per set standard
points
Relationship Reflective Prescriptive
between parties
Criteria Set forth by both parties Set by the evaluator
jointly
Measurement Absolute Comparative
standards

Different Types of Assessment Procedures

Classification Types of Function of Example of
Assessment Assessment Instruments
Maximum It is used to Aptitude tests,
Performance determine what achievement tests
individuals can do
when performing at
Nature of their best.
assessment Typical It is used to Attitude, interest, and
Performance determine what personality inventories;
individuals will do observational
under natural techniques; peer
conditions. appraisal
Form of Fixed-choice test An assessment used Standard multiple-
assessment to measure knowledge choice test
and skills effectively
and efficiently.
Complex- An assessment Hands-on laboratory
performance procedure used to experiment, projects,
assessment measure the essays, oral
performance of the presentation
learner in contexts
and on problems
valued in their own

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 right.
Classification Types of Function of Example of
Assessment Assessment Instruments
An assessment Readiness tests,
procedure used to aptitude tests, pretests
Placement determine the on course objectives,
learner’s prerequisite self-report inventories,
skills, degree of observational
mastery of the course techniques
goals, and/or best
modes of learning.
Formative An assessment Teacher-made tests,
procedure used to custom-made tests from
determine the textbook publishers,
learner’s learning observational
progress, provides techniques
feedback to reinforce
learning, and corrects
Used in
learning errors.
classroom
Diagnostic An assessment Published diagnostic
instruction
procedure used to tests, teacher-made
determine the causes diagnostic tests,
of learner’s persistent observational
learning difficulties techniques
such as intellectual,
physical, emotional,
and environmental
difficulties.
Summative An assessment Teacher-made survey
procedure used to test, performance rating
determine the end-of- scales, product scales
course achievement
for assigning grades
or certifying mastery
of objectives.
Types of Function of Example of
assessment assessment instruments
Criterion- It is used to describe Teacher-made tests,
referenced student performance custom-made tests from
according to a textbook publishers,
specified domain of observational
clearly defined techniques
Methods of
learning tasks.
interpreting
Norm-referenced It is used to describe Standardized aptitude
results
student’s and achievement tests,
performance teacher-made survey
according to relative tests, interest
position in some inventories, adjustment
known group. inventories

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E. Other Types of Test

Non-standardized Test versus Standardized Test

1. Non-standardized test is a type of test developed by the classroom teachers.
2. Standardized test is a type of test developed by test specialists. It is administered,
scored and interpreted using a certain standard condition.

Objective Test versus Subjective Test

1. Objective test is a type of test in which two or more evaluators give an examinee
the same score.
2. Subjective test is a type of test in which the scores are influenced by the judgment
of the evaluators, meaning there is no one correct answer.

Supply Test versus Fixed-response Test

1. Supply test is a type of test that requires the examinees to supply an answer.
2. Fixed-response test is a type of test that requires the examinees to select an
answer from a given option.

Individual Test versus Group Test

1. Individual test is a type of test administered to student on a one-on-one basis
using oral questioning.
2. Group test is a type of test administered to a group of individuals or group of
students.

Mastery Test versus Survey Test

1. Mastery test is a type of achievement test that measures the degree of mastery of a
limited set of learning outcomes using criterion-reference to interpret the result.
2. Survey test is a type of test that measures students’ general achievement over a
broad range of learning outcomes using norm-reference to interpret the result.

Speed Test versus Power Test

1. Speed test is designed to measure number of items an individual can complete
over a certain period of time.
2. Power test is designed to measure the level of performance rather than the speed of
response. It contains test items that are arranged according to increasing degree of
difficulty.

Modes of Assessment
1. Traditional Assessment. It is a type of assessment in which the students choose
their answer from a given list of choice.
2. Alternative Assessment. It is an assessment in which students create an original
response to answer a certain question.
Components of Alternative Assessment
 Assessment is based on authentic tasks that demonstrate students’ ability to
accomplish communication goals.

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  The teacher and students focus on communication, not on right and wrong
answers.
 Students help the teacher to set the criteria for successful completion of
communication tasks.
 Students have opportunities to assess themselves and their peers.
3. Performance-based Assessment. It is a direct measure of student performance
because the tasks are designed to incorporate context, problems and solution strategies
that students would use in real life.
4. Portfolio Assessment. It is a systematic, longitudinal collection of student work
created in response to specific, known instructional objectives and evaluated in relation to
the same criteria.
Purposes of Assessment
Assessment for learning Assessment as learning Assessment of learning

Assessment for learning is Assessment as learning Assessment of learning

ongoing, diagnostic, and actively involves students. It
formative. It is for ongoing is ongoing, and it involves
planning. It is not used for self and peer assessment. It
grading and Report Cards. provides students with the
opportunity to use the
feedback to improve learning.
Allows time for self-edit.
 diagnostic and  self-assessment
formative  the development of
 teacher assessment, self-assessment skills
student self-  peer-assessment
assessment, and/or  the development of
student peer peer-assessment skills
assessment  provides students with
 criterion-referenced – information on their
criteria based on own achievement and
prescribed learning prompts them to
outcomes identified in consider how they can
the provincial continue to improve
curriculum, reflecting their learning
performance in  student-determined
relation to a specific criteria based on
learning task previous learning and
 involves both teacher personal learning goals
and student in a  students use
process of continual assessment
reflection and review information to make
about progress adaptations to their
 teachers adjust their learning process and
plans and engage in to develop new
corrective teaching in understandings
response to formative  provides the
assessment opportunity to respond
to assessment
feedback to improve a
occurs at end of year or at
key stages. It is summative. It
is for grading and Report
cards.
 summative
 teacher assessment
 may be either
criterion-referenced
(based on prescribed
learning outcomes) or
norm-referenced
(comparing student
achievement to that of
others)
 information on student
performance can be
shared with
parents/guardians,
school and district
staff, and other
education
professionals (e.g., for
the purposes of
curriculum
development)
 used to make
judgments about
students’ performance
in relation to
provincial standards
 used for grading and

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 project. Report Cards

Guidelines for Effective Student Assessment

1. Effective assessment requires a clear concept of all intended learning outcomes.
2. Effective assessment requires that a variety of assessment procedures should be
used.
1. Effective assessment requires that the instructional relevance of the procedure
should be considered.
4. Effective assessment requires an adequate sample of student performance.
5. Effective assessment requires that the procedures must be fair to everyone.
6. Effective assessment requires specifications of criteria for judging successful
performance.
7. Effective performance requires feedback to students emphasizing strengths of
performance and weaknesses to be corrected.
8. Effective assessment must be supported by comprehensive grading and reporting
system.