TARLAC STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF TEACHER EDUCATION CENTER OF

DEVELOPMENT IN TEACHER EDUCATION Re-accredited
Level IV by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities of the Philippines
(AACUP), Inc.

PRINCIPLES
OF ASSESSMENT
In Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for

TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT OF

MACRO SKILLS

Presented by:
CAMILLE P. COSME
BSEd English 3-C

Presented to:
DR. MARIA AGNES P. LADIA
Instructor

September 5, 2021
I. Objectives
At the end of this discussion, students are expected to:
 a) Explicate the different principles of assessment.
b) Identify statements that shows the importance of assessment.
c) Generalize the focal point of the lesson.

II. Discussion
Assessment
It refers to the process of defining, collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and using
information to increase and ensure the students' learning and development. A teacher also
needs to assess their students’ learning to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of
their teaching and of the teaching materials they use. In assessment, a teacher may
include interviews, observations, administering questionnaires and reviewing students’
work. It encompasses the collection and review of information about the educational
programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student learning and development.
Assessment is the basis for making inferences about the learning and development of
students. Assessment is an effective process to know if the learning objectives are being
met.
Assessment is different from testing because test is defined as an instrument used
to obtain a sample of an individual‘s behavior using standardized procedures. They are
different to each other because a test is a “product” that measures a particular behavior or
set of objectives while assessment is seen as a procedure instead of a product.
Assessment is used during and after the instruction has taken place.
Four Main Types of Assessment
1. Formative assessment – in this kind of assessment, it assesses a student’s
performance during instruction, and it occurs regularly throughout the teachi8ng-
learning process.
2. Summative assessment – it summarizes what the students have learned, to determine
whether they understand the subject matter well. Measures a student’s achievement at
the end of instruction.
3. Diagnostic Assessment – the keywords here are it assesses the strengths and
weaknesses of every student prior to instruction.
4. Placement assessment – used to place students according to prior achievement or
personal characteristics, at the most appropriate point in an instructional sequence, in
a unique instructional strategy, or with a suitable teacher. Example of this is the
entrance examination or it can also refer to as the initial assessment.
The Assessment Cycle
The Assessment cycle includes four stages: Plan-Do-Check-Act. An effective
assessment follows a reflective process of design, implementation, evaluation, and
 revision. The Assessment Cycle relies on four simple but interrelated and dynamic words
to represent and highlight this process: Plan-Do-Check-Act. The cycle shows how the
Assessment is built on these four distinct but interrelated actions. The cycle also
demonstrates that assessment is a continuous process.
1. Plan - What do I want students to learn?
This stage includes the first important component of assessment: Generating
or/and formulating intended learning outcomes/objectives. Set program goals and
outcomes: decide and articulate what students should know and/or be able to do when
they complete the program or the class.
2. Do - How do I teach effectively?
This stage includes the second fundamental component: developing the methods.
It includes developing and implementing assessment strategies such as design tests,
assignments, reports, performances, or other activities that measure the types and quality
of learning expected; it should be aligned with the learning outcomes in order to meet
these learning objectives right.
3. Check - Are my outcomes being met?
Analyze, check, and interpret results based on the learning outcomes and
assessment purpose. Analysis can be qualitative, quantitative, or using mixed methods.
On this stage of the assessment cycle, evaluation of assessment data (part of the fourth
component) is very important. A teacher should review and evaluate the assessment data
in order to see what they show about student learning and development.
4. Act - How do I use what I've learned?
In doing an assessment, it requires putting results into action and implement
change. Use the results of your assessment to make changes to improve and develop what
was studied. A teacher should create an action plan to decide how to address and
implement changes regarding with the issues raised by the assessment data in order to
improve the student learning and development in the teaching-learning process. This
stage involves reinforcing successful practices and making revisions to enhance student
learning (part of the fourth component).
Principles of Assessment
A. Practicality
This principle refers to the time and cost constraints during the construction and
administration of an assessment instrument. Meaning that the test should be economical
to provide. It is generally simple to administer. Practicality in assessment means that the
 test is easy to design, easy to administer and easy to score. No matter how valid or
reliable a test is, it has to be practical to make and to take this means that:
• It is economical to deliver. It is not excessively expensive - the test
should not be too expensive to conduct. The cost for the test has to stay within the
budget.
• It stays within appropriate time constraints – in assessment like in
solving a test, it should remain within suitable time. The test should stay within
appropriate time constraints. The test should not be too long or too short. An assessment
should stay within appropriate time constraints.
• It is relatively easy to administer – the test should not be too
complicated or complex to conduct. The test should be quite simple to administer. The
test should be simple and easy to administer.
• The evaluation procedure is specific and time efficient – its assessment
procedure should be particular and time efficient. The scoring/evaluation process should
fit into the time allocation. A test should be accompanied with scoring rubrics, key
answers, and so on to make it easy to score/evaluate.
B. Validity
The second characteristic of a good test is validity. It refers to whether the test is
actually measuring what it is supposed to measure. This is important for a teacher as we
do not want to make claims concerning what a student can or cannot do based on a test
when the test is actually measuring something else.
Validity refers to the appropriateness, correctness, meaningfulness and usefulness
of the specific decisions a teacher makes based on the test results. Validity is universally
considered the most important feature of a testing program. Validity encompasses
everything relating to the testing process that makes score inferences useful and
meaningful.
Essentially five (5) main types of evidence that may be collected:
1. Content-related evidence of validity
It refers to the content and format of the instrument. It refers to the
appropriateness and comprehensiveness of the content during the assessment. Does it
logically get at the intended variable? How adequately does the sample of items or
questions represent the content to be assessed? Content-related evidence validity
means the test measures appropriate content and it assesses whether a test is the
representative of all aspects of the construct.

2. Criterion-related evidence of validity

 It refers to the relationship between scores obtained using the instrument and
scores obtained using one or more other tests (often called criterion). In this type of
evidence, it evaluates how closely the results of your test correspond to the results of
a different test. That is already considered as a valid test. It is the external
measurement of the same thing. It is usually an established or widely used test that is
already considered valid.
In evaluating the criterion validity, a teacher should calculate the correlation
between the results of the measurement and the results of the criterion measurement.
If there is a high correlation, this gives a good indication that the test is measuring
what it intends to measure.
3. Construct-related evidence of validity
It refers to the nature of the psychological construct or characteristic being
measured by the test. It demonstrates if the test measures its intended construct, that is
why it is called as construct-related evidence of validity. Construct validity is the
most obvious reflection of whether a test measures what it is supposed to measure as
it directly addresses the issue of what it is that is being measured because it ensures
that the method of measurement matches, and it is inclined with the construct you
want to measure.
4. Consequential Validity
Consequential validity can help identify tests that are not measuring things
they are supposed to be measuring or that it is falsely measuring those taking it.
Consequential validity refers to the positive or negative social consequences of a
particular test. It encompasses many positive attributes, including improved student
learning, motivation, and ensuring that all students have an equal access to the
content. If the assessment has negative social consequences, it only means that the
test is invalid, and it is not measuring things accurately.
5. Face validity
Face validity considers how suitable the content of a test seems to be on the
surface. It is similar to the content validity, but face validity is a more subjective and
informal assessment. It is important that a test looks like a test even at first impression
because if the students taking the test do not feel that the questions given to them are
not a test or part of a test, then the test may not be valid as the students may not take it
seriously to answer the questions. The test, hence, will not be able to measure what it
claims to measure. According to Mousavi (2009), face validity refers as the degree to
which a test looks right and appears to measure the knowledge or abilities it supposed
to measure, and it is based on the subjective impression and judgement of the students
 or examinees who take it, the administrative personnel who decide on its use, and
other psychometrically unsophisticated observers.
C. Washback
Washback is also called as backwash. It is the term used in education to describe
the influence of an assessment, is it beneficial or damaging, on the teaching and learning
process that precedes and prepares for that assessment. Washback often conceived as one
instance of “impact” or the range of effects that assessment may have on the learners.
As time goes by, many developers increasingly recognize the importance of this
principle which is the washback and its impact in evaluating assessment use, it remains to
be fully integrated into standard validation practice. Washback is generally perceived as
being either negative (harmful) or positive (beneficial). Furthermore, washback is
achieved through the processes of leaning, teaching, and testing. Washback highlights
and creates various basic principles of language acquisition like intrinsic motivation,
autonomy, self-confidence, etc. Washback (backwash) helps the students to know their
strengths and weaknesses in order to work further and achieve their goals. Therefore, it is
possible to have positive or negative effects from washback depending on each situation.
The Positive and Negative Washback
Positive Washback
Positive washback is said to occur when there is not any difference between the
teaching of the test and the curriculum. A washback or the aftereffect of the assessment
may appear effective or positive if the assessment matches the learning
outcomes/objectives.
Negative Washback
Negative washback is said to occur when a test’s content or format is based on a
narrow definition of language ability, and so constrains the teaching/learning context.
Negative washback occurs in situations where there may be a mismatch between the
goals of instructions and the focus of assessment; it may lead to the abandonment of
instructional goals in favor of test preparation.
Conclusions
Taking everything into considerations, assessment plays a vital role in the teaching
and learning process or in the instructions. Through the use of assessment, it is very essential
to evaluate and assess carefully and effectively whether the educational goals and standards
of the lessons are being met. Assessment has a massive effect on the decisions about the
grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, and in the curriculum. Having a good
assessment encompasses a better understanding about the student learning, identifying
barriers, and helping us to improve our teaching approaches. And in doing an effective
assessment, one considers the different principles of assessments such as the practicality,
validity, washback, and many more important principles of assessment.
III. References
Editors of the Durham University (2019). Learning and Teaching Handbook.
SECTION 6: Examination and Assessment. Principles of Assessment. Retrieved from:
https://www.dur.ac.uk/learningandteaching.handbook/6/principles/
Gilmore, A. (n.d.). Principles of Assessment. The Education Hub. Retrieved from:
https://theeducationhub.org.nz/principles-of-assessment/
Dahlin, B., Watkins, D., Ekholm, M., (2005). Awareness of the Backwash Effect: A
phenomenographic study of the views of Hong Kong and Swedish lecturers. Retrieved from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226604941_Awareness_of_the_backwash_effect_o
f_assessment_A_phenomenographic_study_of_the_views_of_Hong_Kong_and_Swedish_lec
turers
Mahboob, A (n.d.). Focus on Assessment. Retrieved from:
http://www.cityu.edu.hk/ted/workshop/activelearning/activelearning2010/04Classactivity-
definitionsanswers.pdf
Editors of Westminster College (n.d.). The Assessment Cycle. Retrieved from:
https://www.westminster.edu/about/accreditation-assessment/cycle.cfm