07 HPGD2303 T1

Topic
 Roles of
Assessment in
1 Teaching and
Learning
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Differentiate between tests, measurement, evaluation and
assessment;
2. Explain the roles of assessment in teaching and learning;
3. Explain the general principles of assessment;
4. Differentiate between formative and summative assessments; and
5. Justify when norm-referenced and criterion-referenced tests are
adopted.
 INTRODUCTION
The topic discusses the difference between tests, measurement, evaluation and
assessment, the roles of assessment in teaching and learning, and some general
principles of assessment. Also explored is the difference between formative and
summative assessments as well as the difference between criterion and norm-
referenced tests. The topic concludes with a brief discussion on the current trends
in assessment.
Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

2  TOPIC 1 ROLES OF ASSESSMENT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING
Can you differentiate between tests, measurement, evaluation and assessment

(see Figure 1.1)?
Figure 1.1: Can you differentiate between tests, measurement, and evaluation and
assessment?
1.1 TESTS, MEASUREMENT, EVALUATION

AND ASSESSMENT
It is not surprising that many people are confused with the fundamental
differences between tests, measurement, evaluation and assessment as they are
used in education. The following explanation on these concepts will help clarify
the confusion.
(a) Tests
Most people are familiar with tests because all of us, at some point in our
lives, have taken some form of tests. In school, tests are given to measure
our academic aptitude and indirectly to evaluate whether we have gained
from the teaching by the teacher. At the workplace, tests are conducted
to select suitable persons for specific jobs, tests are used as the basis for
job promotions and tests are used to encourage re-learning. Physicians,

TOPIC 1 ROLES OF ASSESSMENT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING  3
lawyers, insurance consultants, real-estate agents, engineers, civil servants

and many other professions are required to take tests to demonstrate their
competence in specific areas and in some cases to be licensed to practise
their profession or trade.
Throughout their professional careers, teachers, counsellors and school

administrators are required to conduct, score and interpret a wide variety
of tests. For example, school administrators rate the performance of
individual teachers and school counsellors record the performance of their
clients. It is possible that a teacher may construct, administer and grade
thousands of tests during his or her career!
Test items can be written in various formats including multiple-choice

questions, matching, true or false, short answer and essay. These formats
vary in strengths and weaknesses. No one format is ideal for all
circumstances.
According to the joint committee of the American Psychological

Association (APA), the American Educational Research Association
(AERA) and National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME),
A test may be thought of as a set of tasks or questions intended to elicit

particular types of behaviour when presented under standardised
conditions and to yield scores that will have desirable psychometric
properties (1974).

While most people know what a test is, many have difficulty differentiating
between measurement, evaluation and assessment. Some have even argued
that they are similar!
(b) Measurement
Measurement is the act of assigning numbers to a phenomenon. In
education, it is the process by which the attributes of a person are measured
and assigned numbers. Remember it is a process, indicating there are
certain steps involved!
As educators, we frequently measure human attributes such as attitudes,

academic achievements, aptitudes, interests, personality and so forth.
Hence, in order to measure we have to use certain instruments so that we
can conclude that Ahmad is better in mathematics than Kumar while
Tajang is more positive towards science than Kong Beng. We measure to
obtain information about „what is‰. Such information may or may not be

useful depending on the accuracy of the instruments we use and our skill at
using them. For example, we measure temperature using a thermometer,
and the thermometer is the instrument used.
How do you measure performance in mathematics, for example? We use a

mathematics test which is an instrument containing questions and
problems to be solved by students. The number of right responses obtained
is an indication of the performance of individual students in mathematics.
Note that we are only collecting information. We are not evaluating!
Evaluation is therefore quite different from measurement.
(c) Assessment and Evaluation

The literature has used the terms „assessment‰ and „evaluation‰ in
education as two different concepts. Evaluation is the process of making
judgments based on criteria and evidences. Assessment is the process of
documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs, usually in measurable
terms. The goal of assessment is to make improvements as opposed to
simply being judged. In an educational context, assessment is the process of
describing, collecting, recording, scoring and interpreting information
about learning. The two terms are also used interchangeably.
For example, some authors used the term „formative evaluation‰ while
others use the term „formative assessment‰. We will use the two terms
interchangeably because there is too much overlap in the interpretations
of the two concepts. Generally, assessment is viewed as the process
of collecting information with the purpose of making decisions about
students.
We may collect information using various tests, observations of students

and interviews. Rowntree (1974) views assessment as,
A human encounter in which one person interacts with another

directly or indirectly with the purpose of obtaining and interpreting
information about the knowledge, understanding, abilities and
attitudes possessed by that person.

For example, based on assessment information we can determine whether
Chee Keong needs special services to assist him in developing his reading
skills or whether Khairul, who has been identified as a dyslexic child, needs
special attention. The key words in the definition of assessment is collecting
data and making decisions. Hence, in order to make decisions one has
to evaluate, which is the process of making judgement, about a given
situation.
When we evaluate, we are saying that something is good, appropriate,

valid or positive, for example. To make an evaluation, we need information
and the information is obtained by measuring using a reliable instrument.
For example, you measure the temperature in the classroom and it is
30 degrees Celsius, which is simply information. Some students may find
the temperature too hot for learning while others may say that it is ideal for
learning. At some point during the day, we are evaluating something or
someone!
Educators are constantly evaluating students. This is usually done in

comparison with some standards. For example, if the objective of the lesson
is for learners to apply BoyleÊs Law to solving a problem and 80 per cent of
learners are able to solve the problem, then the teacher may conclude that
his teaching of the principle was quite successful. Therefore, evaluation is
the comparison of what is measured against some defined criteria and to
determine whether it has been achieved, whether it is appropriate, whether
it is good, whether it is reasonable, whether it is valid and so forth.
1.2 WHY DO WE ASSESS?

Let us begin by asking the question, „Why do we, as educators, assess learners?‰
Some of us may find the question rather strange. The following may be a likely
response:
Question : Why do you assess?
Answer : Well, I assess to find out whether my students understand what

has been taught.
Question : What do you mean by „understand‰?
Answer : Whether they can remember what I taught them and able to solve
problems.
Question : What do you do with the test results?
Answer : Well, I provide students the right answers and point out the
mistakes made when answering the questions.
The above could be the reasons educators give when asked about the purpose of
assessment. In the context of education, assessment is performed to gain an
understanding of an individualÊs strengths and weaknesses in order to make
appropriate educational decisions. The best educational decisions are based on

information and better decisions are usually based on more information (Salvia &
Ysseldyke, 1995). Based on the reasons for assessment provided by Harlen (1978)
and Deale (1975), two main reasons are identified (refer to Figure 1.2).
Figure 1.2: Purposes of assessment
With regard to learning, assessment is aimed at providing information that will

help make decisions concerning remediation, enrichment, selection, exceptionality,
progress and certification. With regard to teaching, assessment provides
information regarding achievement of objectives, the effectiveness of teaching
methods and learning materials.
(a) Assess in Order to Help Learning

Let us look at the following aspects of assessment which are able to help
learning:
(i) Diagnosis
Diagnostic evaluation or assessment is performed at the beginning of
a lesson or unit for a particular subject area to assess studentsÊ
readiness and background for what is about to be taught. This pre-
instructional assessment is done when you need information on a
particular student, group of students or a whole class before you can
proceed with the most effective instructional method. For example,
you could administer a Reading Test to Year One students to assess
their reading level. Based on the information, you may want to assign
weak readers for special intervention or remedial action. On the other
hand, the test might reveal that some students are reading at an
exceptionally high level and you might want to recommend that they
be assigned to an enrichment programme (refer to Table 1.1).

Table 1.1: Purpose of Assessment: To Help Learning
To Help
Questions to Be Answered
Learning
Diagnosis for  Should the student be sent for remedial classes so
remedial action that difficulty in learning can be overcome?
Diagnosis for  Should the student be provided with enrichment
enrichment activities?
Exceptionality  Does the student have special learning needs that
require special education assistance?
Selection  Should the student be streamed into X or Y class?
Progress  To what extent is the student making progress
towards specific instructional goals?
Communication  How is the child doing in school and how can
to parents parents help?
Certification  What are the strengths and weaknesses in the
overall performance of a student in specific areas
assessed?
Administration  How is the school performing in comparison to
and counselling other schools?
 Why should students be referred to counselling?
(ii) Exceptionality
Assessment is also conducted to make decisions on exceptionality.
Based on information obtained from the assessment, teachers may
make decisions as to whether a particular student needs to be
assigned to a class with exceptional students. Exceptional students are
students who are physically, mentally, emotionally or behaviourally
different from the normal population. For example, based on the
assessment information, a child who is found to be dyslexic may be
assigned for special treatment or a student who has been diagnosed to
be learning disabled may be assigned for special education.
(iii) Certification
Certification is perhaps the most important reason for assessment. For
example, the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) is an examination aimed
at providing students with a certificate. The scores obtained are
converted into letter grades signifying performance level in various
subject areas and used as a basis for comparison between students.
The certificate obtained is further used for selecting students for
further studies, scholarships or jobs.
(iv) Placement
Besides certification, assessment is also conducted for the purpose of
placement. Students are endowed with varying abilities and one of
the tasks of the school is to place them according to their aptitude and
interests. For example, performance in the Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3
(PT3) (previously Penilaian Menengah Rendah) is used as the basis for
placing students in the arts or science stream. Assessment is also used
to stream students according to academic performance. It has been the
tradition that the „A‰ and „B‰ classes consist of high achievers based
on their results in the end of semester or end of year examinations.
Placement tests have even been used in preschools to stream children
according their literacy levels! The practice of placing students
according to academic achievement has been debated for decades with
some educationists arguing against it while others supporting its merits.
ACTIVITY 1.1
„Streaming students according to academic abilities should be

discouraged in Malaysian schools‰.
Discuss with your coursemates in the myINSPIRE online forum.
(v) Communicate to Parents

Parents want to know how their child is doing in school and
appreciate information, particularly specific examples, of their childÊs
progress. Showing examples of their childÊs work over time enables
parents to personally assess the growth and progress of their child.
It is essential to tell the whole story when reporting information
about performance progress. Talking to parents about standards,
sharing student work samples, using rubrics in conferences, and
differentiating between performance and progress are some ways to
ensure that they are given an accurate picture of their childÊs learning.
(vi) School Administration and Counselling

Schools collect assessment information in order to determine how the
school is performing in relation to other schools for a particular
semester or year. Assessment results are also used to compare
performance over the years for the same school. Based on the results,
school administrators may institute measures to remedy weaknesses
such as putting in more resources to help students who perform
poorly, for example, to increase the number of studentsÊ reading and
writing proficiency from poor to satisfactory level.

Assessment results (especially relating to socioemotional development)

may be used by school administrators and counsellors in planning
intervention strategies for at-risk students. Assessment by counsellors
will enable them to identify students presenting certain socioemotional
problems that require counselling services or referral to specialists
such psychiatrists, legal counsellors and law enforcement authorities.
(b) Assess in Order to Improve Teaching

If 70 per cent of your students fail in a test, do you investigate whether your
teaching-learning strategy was appropriate or do you attribute it to your
students being academically weak in addition to not revising their studies?
Most educators would attribute the poor performance to the latter.
However, assessment information is valuable because it can indicate which
of the learning outcomes have been successfully achieved and which
instructional objectives students had most difficulty with. Assessment
results are valuable in providing clues to the effectiveness of the teaching
strategy implemented and teaching materials used. It also indicates
whether students had the required prior knowledge to grasp the concepts
and principles discussed (refer to Table 1.2).
Assessment data may also provide insights into why some teachers are
more successful in teaching a particular group of students while others are
less successful.
Table 1.2: Purpose of Assessment: To Improve Teaching
To Improve Teaching Questions to Be Answered

Objectives Were the desired learning outcomes achieved?
Teaching methods Were the teaching methods employed effective?
Prior knowledge Did students have relevant prior knowledge?
Teaching materials Were the teaching materials used effective?
Teacher differences Were particular teachers more effective than others?
ACTIVITY 1.2
To what extent have you used assessment data to review your teaching-
learning strategies?
Discuss this with your coursemates in the myINSPIRE online forum.

1.3 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT

Let us discuss the general principles of assessment:
(a) What is to be Assessed has to be Clearly Specified

The specification of the characteristics to be measured should precede the
selection or development of assessment procedures. In assessing student
learning, the intended learning goals or outcomes should be clearly
specified. In other words, appropriate assessment procedures can only be
selected if there is clear specification of the intended learning outcomes to
be measured.
(b) An Assessment Procedure should be Selected Based on Its Relevance to the

Characteristics or Performance to be Measured
When selecting an assessment procedure to measure a specific learning
outcome, teachers should always ask if the procedure selected is the most
effective method for measuring the learning or development to be assessed.
There must be a close match between the intended learning outcomes and
the types of assessment tasks to be used. For example, if the teacher would
like to assess the studentsÊ ability to organise ideas, the use of multiple-
choice test would be a poor choice.
(c) Different Assessment Procedures are Required to Provide a Complete

Picture of Student Achievement and Development
No single assessment procedure can assess all the different learning
outcomes in a school curriculum. Different assessment procedures
(formative, summative and authentic assessments) can achieve different
objectives. For example, multiple-choice questions are useful for measuring
knowledge, understanding and application outcomes while essay tests are
appropriate for measuring the ability to organise and express ideas. Projects
that require conducting library research are needed to measure certain
skills in formulating and solving problems. Observational techniques are
needed to assess performance skills and various aspects of student
behaviour.
Using a wide variety of assessment tools allows a teacher to determine

which instructional strategies are effective and which needed to be
modified. In this way, assessment can be used to improve classroom
teaching, plan curriculum and research oneÊs own teaching practice.

(d) Assessment must be Aligned to Instruction

In order to encourage higher-order thinking and problem-solving skills,
there is an increased need to align the curriculum, instruction and
assessment. Classroom assessment techniques should be focusing on
aligning assessments more closely with the instructional strategies used in
the classroom. In this way, what is to be assessed in the classroom is
consistent with what has been taught and vice versa. For example, it would
not be fair to assess students on higher-order thinking skills when what is
taught is only lower level thinking skills.
1.4 TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Before we proceed to discuss more about assessment, you need to be clear about
these often used concepts in assessment:
(a) Formative assessment (or evaluation) and summative assessment (or

evaluation);
(b) Criterion-referenced assessment and norm-referenced assessment; and
(c) Authentic assessment (examples of authentic assessment will be discussed

in Topics 6 and 7).
Let us move on and read further.
1.4.1 Formative vs Summative Assessments

Teachers engage students in all aspects of their learning. There are many
strategies to accomplish this ranging from informal questioning, quiz and
observation to more formal monthly test and end of semester examination. In a
balanced assessment system, both summative and formative assessments are an
integral part of information gathering.
Assessment can be done at various times throughout the school year. A

comprehensive assessment plan will include both formative and summative
assessments. The point at which assessment occurs and the aim of assessing
distinguishes these two categories of assessment.

(a) Formative Assessment

Formative assessment is often done at the beginning or during the school
year, thus providing the opportunity for immediate evidence of student
learning in a particular subject area or at a particular point in the
programme. Classroom assessment is one of the most common formative
assessment techniques used. The purpose of this technique is to improve
the quality of student learning and should not be evaluative in nature or
involve grading students. In formative assessment, the teacher compares
the performance of a student to the performance of other students in the
class and not all students in the same year. Usually, a small section of the
content is tested to determine if the objectives have been met. Formative
assessment is action-oriented and forms the basis for improvement of
instructional methods (Scriven, 1996).
For example, if a teacher observes that some students still have not grasp
a concept, he may design a review activity or use a different instructional
strategy. Likewise, students can monitor their progress with periodic
quizzes and performance tasks. The results of formative assessments are
used to modify and validate instruction. In short, formative assessments are
ongoing and include reviews and observations of what is happening in the
classroom.
Formative assessments are generally low stakes, which means that they
have minimal or no point value.
(b) Summative Assessment
„When the cook tastes the soup, thatÊs formative evaluation; when the
guests taste the soup, thatÊs summative evaluation‰
(Robert Stakes)
Summative assessment is comprehensive in nature. It provides

accountability and is used to check the level of learning at the end of the
programme (which may be at the end of the semester, year or after two
years). For example, after five years in secondary school, students sit for the
Sijil Pelajaran Menengah (SPM) examination which is summative in nature
since it is based on the cumulative learning experiences of students.

Summative assessment is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of an

instructional programme at the end of an academic year or at a
predetermined time. The goal of summative assessment is to make a
judgment of student competency after an instructional phase is completed.
For example, national examinations are administered each year in
Malaysia. It is a summative assessment to determine each studentÊs
acquisition of several subject areas of between two to three years coverage
of content. Summative evaluations are used to determine if students have
mastered the specific competencies as set out by the programme and letter
grades are assigned to assess learner achievement.
Summative assessments are often high stakes, which means that they have
a high point value.
Table 1.3 highlights the differences between formative and summative

assessments.
Table 1.3: Differences between Formative and Summative Assessments
Criteria Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

Timing  Conducted throughout the  Conducted at the end of a
teaching-learning process. teaching-learning phase (for
example, end of semester or
year).
Methods  Paper and pencil tests,  Paper and pencil tests, oral tests
observations, quizzes, exercises, administered to the group.
practical sessions administered
to the group and individually.
Aims  To assess progress and  Grading to determine if the
recommend remedial action for programme was successful.
non-achievement of objectives.  To certify students and improve
 Remediation or enrichment or the curriculum.
reteach the topic.
Examples  Quizzes, essays, diagnostic tests,  Final examination, national
lab reports and anecdotal examination and qualifying
records. tests.

Can information from summative assessments be used formatively? Tests given

at the end of a unit of work provide information about how much each student
has learnt or has not learnt. If left as a summative process, then the studentsÊ test
marks merely become a record of their successes or failures at a point in time and
not directly helping them to improve. Moreover, in actual fact some students will
know more than what is indicated in their test performance.
However, when the information is used formatively, the tests results can provide
an important source of detailed, individualised feedback identifying where each
student needs to deepen their understanding and improve their recall of the
knowledge they have learnt.
The more teachers know about individual students as they engage in the learning
process, the better teachers can adjust instruction to ensure that all students
continue to move forward in their learning.
Advantages of using information derived from summative assessments to

improve future student performance are:
(a) Summative data reveals how the students performed at the end of a
learning programme, namely advanced, proficient, basic or below basic.
For example, if a student has scored below basic in the semester exam and
exhibits signs of a struggling student, the teacher may want to place the
student at the front of the class so that the teacher can easily access the
student when the student needs extra support;
(b) Summative assessments can serve as a guide to improving teaching

methods. Teachers often employ varied teaching methodologies within the
classroom. Summative assessments can help teachers collaborate and
improve teaching methods from year to year; and
(c) Summative assessments help teachers and administrators in improving the

curriculum and curriculum planning. Standards-driven instruction plays a
large role in schools today. When summative assessments show consistent
gaps between student knowledge and learning targets, schools may turn to
the relevant authority in the Ministry of Education to suggest improving
curriculum planning or new curriculum to fill those learning gaps.
The data that is collected using a summative assessment can help teachers and
schools make decisions based on the instruction that has already been completed.
This contrasts with formative assessment, whereby formative assessment can
help teachers and students during the instruction process. It is important to
understand the difference between the two, as both assessments can play an
important role in education.

1.4.2 Norm-referenced vs Criterion-referenced Tests

The main difference between norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced tests
depends on the purpose or aim of assessing your students, the way in which
content is selected and the scoring process which defines how the test results
must be interpreted.
(a) Norm-referenced Tests

The major reason for norm-referenced tests is to classify students. These
tests are designed to highlight achievement differences between and among
students to produce dependable rank order of students across a continuum
of achievement from high-achievers to low achievers (Stiggins, 1994). With
norm-referenced tests, a representative group of students is given the test
and their scores form the norm after having gone through a complex
administration and analysis. Anyone taking the norm-referenced test can
compare his or her score against the norm.
For example, a student who obtained a score of 70 on a norm-referenced

test will not mean much until it is compared to the norm. When compared
to the norm, her score is in the 80th percentile which means that she
performed as well or better than 20 per cent of students in the norm group.
This type of information can be useful for deciding whether or not students
need remedial assistance or is a candidate for the gifted programme.
However, the score gives little information about what the student actually
knows or can do. A major criticism of norm-referenced tests is that they
tend to focus on assessing low level, basic skills (Romberg, 1989).
(b) Criterion-referenced Tests

Criterion-referenced tests determine what students can or cannot do and
not how they compare to others (Anastasi, 1988). Criterion-referenced tests
report how well students are doing relative to a predetermined
performance level on a specified set of educational goals or outcomes
included in the curriculum. Criterion-referenced tests are used when
teachers wish to know how well students have learnt the knowledge and
skills which they are expected to have mastered. This information may be
used to determine how well the student is learning the desired curriculum
and how well the school is teaching that curriculum. Criterion-referenced
tests give detailed information about how well a student has performed on
each of the educational goals or outcomes included on that test. For
instance, a criterion-referenced test score might describe which arithmetic
operations a student can perform or the level of reading difficulty
experienced.

Table 1.4 illustrates the differences between norm-referenced and criterion-

referenced tests.
Table 1.4: Differences between Norm-referenced and Criterion-referenced Tests
Criteria Norm-referenced Tests Criterion-referenced Tests

Aims  Compare a studentÊs  Compare a studentÊs
performance with other performance against some
students. criteria.
 Select students for  Extent to which a student
certification. has acquired the knowledge
or skill.
 Improve teaching and
learning.
Types of  Questions from simple to  Questions of nearly similar
questions difficult. difficulty relating to the
criteria.
Reporting of  Grades are assigned.  No grades are assigned
results (whether skill or knowledge
is achieved).
Content  Wide content coverage.  Specific aspects of the
coverage content.
Examples  UPSR, PT3, SPM national  Class tests, exercises and
examinations, end of assignments.
semester examinations and
end of year examinations.
SELF-CHECK 1.1
1. Explain the differences between norm-referenced and criterion-

referenced tests.
2. Describe the main differences between formative and summative

assessments.

1.5 CURRENT TRENDS IN ASSESSMENT

In the last two decades, there have been major changes in assessment practices in
many parts of the world. Brown, Bull and Pendlebury (1997) identified the
following trends in educational assessment:
(a) Written examinations are gradually being replaced by more continuous

assessments and coursework;
(b) There is a move towards more student involvement and choice in

assessments;
(c) Group assessment is becoming more popular in an effort to emphasise

collaborative learning between students and to reduce excessive
competition;
(d) Subject areas and courses state more explicitly about the expectations in
assessment, more specifically the kinds of performance required from
students when they are assessed. This is unlike earlier practices where
assessment is so secretive and students had to figure out for themselves
what was required of them;
(e) An understanding of the process is now seen as, at least, equally important
to the knowledge of facts. This is in line with the general shift from
product-based assessment towards process-based assessment; and
(f) Student-focussed „learning outcomes‰ have begun to replace teacher-

oriented „objectives‰. The focus is more on what the student will learn
rather than what the teacher plans to teach.

Easing up on Exams
Putrajaya: Reducing the number of Among the measures proposed are:
examination subjects and having a
semester system are among the Ć Reducing the number of subjects
major changes being planned to in public examinations;
make the education system more Ć Emphasising skills and abilities
holistic and less focussed on rather than focusing on content
academic achievement. and achievement;
Education Minister, Datuk Seri Ć Encouraging personal
Hishamumuddin Tun Hussein said development through subjects
that these measures were in line like Art and Physical Education;
with the GovernmentÊs aim to and
reform the countryÊs education
system. „We do not intend to abolish Ć Improving teaching-learning
public or school-level examinations methods by encouraging more
totally, but we recognise that the project-based assignments.
present assessment system needs to
be looked at‰, he said. He said that emphasis should be on
individual accomplishments rather
than the schoolÊs performance in
public examinations and also
highlighting the individualÊs
co-curricular achievements.
(The Star, 21 March, 2006)
ACTIVITY 1.3
Refer to the report on „Easing up on Exams‰ and discuss to what extent

you agree with the measures proposed by the Ministry of Education to
reduce the exam-oriented education system in Malaysia.
Share your answer with your coursemates in the myINSPIRE online

forum.

 A test may be thought of as a set of tasks or questions intended to elicit

particular types of behaviour when presented under standardised conditions
and to yield scores that will have desirable psychometric properties.
 Measurement in education is the process by which the attributes of a person

are measured and assigned numbers.
 Assessment is viewed as the process of collecting information with the

purpose of making decisions regarding students.
 Assessment is aimed at helping the learner and to improve teaching.
 Summative assessment is comprehensive in nature, provides accountability

and is used to check the level of learning at the end of the programme.
 Formative assessment is often conducted at the beginning of or during the

school year, thus providing the opportunity for immediate evidence of
student learning in a particular subject area or at a particular point of time in
a programme.
 The information from summative assessment can be used formatively. The

students or schools can use the information to guide their efforts and
activities in subsequent courses.
 The major reason for norm-referenced tests is to classify students. These tests
are designed to highlight achievement differences between and among
students to produce dependable rank order of students.
 Criterion-referenced tests determine what students can or cannot do and not

how they compare to others.
Assessment Measurement
Criterion-referenced test Norm-referenced test
Evaluation Summative assessment
Formative assessment Test

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Can you differentiate between tests, measurement, evaluation and assessment

1.1 TESTS, MEASUREMENT, EVALUATION

Copyright © Open University Malaysia (OUM)

lawyers, insurance consultants, real-estate agents, engineers, civil servants

Throughout their professional careers, teachers, counsellors and school

Test items can be written in various formats including multiple-choice

According to the joint committee of the American Psychological

A test may be thought of as a set of tasks or questions intended to elicit

As educators, we frequently measure human attributes such as attitudes,

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How do you measure performance in mathematics, for example? We use a

(c) Assessment and Evaluation

We may collect information using various tests, observations of students

A human encounter in which one person interacts with another

When we evaluate, we are saying that something is good, appropriate,

Educators are constantly evaluating students. This is usually done in

1.2 WHY DO WE ASSESS?

Question : Why do you assess?

Answer : Well, I assess to find out whether my students understand what

Question : What do you mean by „understand‰?

Question : What do you do with the test results?

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Figure 1.2: Purposes of assessment

With regard to learning, assessment is aimed at providing information that will

(a) Assess in Order to Help Learning

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Table 1.1: Purpose of Assessment: To Help Learning

„Streaming students according to academic abilities should be

Discuss with your coursemates in the myINSPIRE online forum.

(v) Communicate to Parents

(vi) School Administration and Counselling

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Assessment results (especially relating to socioemotional development)

(b) Assess in Order to Improve Teaching

Table 1.2: Purpose of Assessment: To Improve Teaching

To Improve Teaching Questions to Be Answered

Discuss this with your coursemates in the myINSPIRE online forum.

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1.3 GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT

(a) What is to be Assessed has to be Clearly Specified

(b) An Assessment Procedure should be Selected Based on Its Relevance to the

(c) Different Assessment Procedures are Required to Provide a Complete

Using a wide variety of assessment tools allows a teacher to determine

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(d) Assessment must be Aligned to Instruction

1.4 TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

(a) Formative assessment (or evaluation) and summative assessment (or

(b) Criterion-referenced assessment and norm-referenced assessment; and

(c) Authentic assessment (examples of authentic assessment will be discussed

Let us move on and read further.

1.4.1 Formative vs Summative Assessments

Assessment can be done at various times throughout the school year. A

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(a) Formative Assessment

(b) Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is comprehensive in nature. It provides

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Summative assessment is also used to evaluate the effectiveness of an

Table 1.3 highlights the differences between formative and summative

Table 1.3: Differences between Formative and Summative Assessments

Criteria Formative Assessment Summative Assessment

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