Course Dossier: Test Development and Evaluation

1. Introductory portrayal of the course

B.Ed. Test Development and Evaluation

Course Level: Undergraduate Nature of the course : Core

Course Facilitator: Dr. Razia Fakir Mohammad Mode of offering: Face to Face

2. Basic Constituents of the course

2.1 Aims and Objectives

The overall aim of this course is help participants conceptualize and conceptualize assessment as
a way of getting to know the learner in terms of his/her strengths, needs and learning styles. They
will get opportunities to discuss and experience a variety of assessment approaches and the
implications of these for teaching/learning in classrooms. The course will help them understand
distinction between assessment to measure key learning progress and outcomes, assessment of
learning, and assessment to support learning, assessment for learning. With this concept, the
participants will acquire practical understanding of test design. Hence, at the completion of this
course the participants will be able to:

 Examine and redefine meaning and purpose of assessment and evaluation

 Discuss various types of tests and their purposes

 Explore ways to establish constructive alignment between assessment, teaching and

learning

 Examine fundamentals of test design and develop test blueprint

 Design and refine test items as per the learning outcomes, with reference to Bloom
Taxonomy, and corresponding marking scheme/rubrics.

2.2. Course Themes

Assessment, Test, Discuss differences and relationships: Examples, Uses,

measurement and Evaluation Connecting features
Summative and formative purposes of a test
Types and Implications of Different types of test in terms of: Administration; Purpose;
Tests Scope, Stake and Format : Uses and limitations

Fundamental of a Good test Constructive Alignment: Mapping up the content, outcomes


Examining Bloom Taxonomy
in designing a test
Planning and Designing a Test
and assessment method;
Examine issues of validity and reliability in test design and
analyzing its implicating on decision making about student
learning.
Evaluating Levels of cognitive and affective domains
Framing SLOs in consideration of BT
Examples of assessing SLOs
Developing Table of Specification
Item writing: Selected response and constructive response
items
Item Analysis Qualitative and Quantitative
Designing, administrating and analyzing a test

2.3. Teaching Strategies

Various interactive teaching and learning strategies including interactive lectures, student
presentations followed by discussion, group work, case studies, data driven analysis and design
of test items will be used to enhance the participants’ learning. Collaborative work and peer
assessment will be used for selected class assignments to facilitate their understanding of test
validity and construction as well as to nurture their collaborative learning and feedback skills.
2.4. Course Assessment (100 marks)

Mid- term examination 30%

Classroom Participation Portfolio 40 %

Final Examination 30%

The minimum requirements of successful completion of this course set within the
framework of the Higher Education Commission are as follows:
Passing grade is “C” (C plain - acquiring a minimum cumulative grade point average
(CGPA) of 2.50
3.0 Annexures
Annexure A: Assignment Details

Classroom Participation Portfolio (40 marks)

The portfolio must include the following components

1. Critical Review of Tests (Standardized and/or Teacher made) 10 marks

This tasks includes following components:

 Obtain a copy of curriculum standards and learning objectives in the area of your interest i.e.
Science, Mathematics; and the grade you would like to teach [from Grades III –X] and
examine learning outcomes and cognitive levels that are mainly emphasized in the curriculum.

 Collect examples of test (at least two of last year) in the chosen area and analyze if the test
items are well aligned with the learning outcomes.

 What cognitive levels do the test papers assess?

 Analyze strengths and limitations of the tests and prepare a presentation

 Write a reflective paper on lessons learned i.e. issues arise about the validity of students’
assessment scores. [500 words]

2. Analysis of processes and issues in test design (20 marks)

 Each individual participant is required to construct a test of 15 multiple choice items in the
subject of their choice, followed by designing the test blueprint,
 Discuss the test design process and items with colleagues for formative feedback
 Incorporate the feedback to refine the test items
 Pilot the test in the classroom context and conduct statistical (difficulty and discrimination
level) to further improve quality of the test items.
 Write reflection on lessons learned about the processes of designing a good test (500 words)
3. Student led Reading 10 marks

What are the main points discussed in the readings?

How did the reading support your understanding of test design?

 Mid-term and Final Examination (30 + 30)

During the middle and at the end of this course you will take a test including various item format (e.g.
MCQs, short answer questions). Examples of Item format include:

1. ‘A table of specification helps assessors to draw valid inferences about student learning’, do
you agree or disagree with the argument. Justify your judgment.

2. If you are asked to designed a 30 marks classroom test, which format would you consider:
Selected Response or Constructed Response? Write three merits of your chosen format and
three limitations of excluded format – 3 marks

Annexure B: Learning Schedule

Date Topics /Sessions
Week 1 Introduction to the course

Discussion on
 Assessment: Principles. Processes & Methods

 Test, measurement and evaluation

Weeks ( 2 - Exploring and examining various types of test: scope/purpose/uses/ways of
3) scoring/interpretations etc.

Standardized / Teacher Made Tests

Criterion/Norm Reference Tests
Achievement /Aptitude Tests
High Stake /low Stake

Week 4 What to test: Unpacking learning taxonomy and their use to identify success
criteria and learning outcomes

Constructive alignment in test design: what /why and how?

Week 5 Writing and Examining Learning Outcomes
Weeks ( 6 - Item Writing (Selected Response and Constructed Response)
7)
Week 8 Test Design: Processes and Implications

Designing Table of Specification

Week 9 Review of Test papers : Issues, limitations and recommendations
 Week 10 Review of Learning and Feedback
Week 11 Item Analysis: qualitative and statistical techniques
Week 12 Item Writing
Planning piloting test items in classroom context

Week 13 Practicing item writing, and sharing for qualitative feedback

Week 14 Administration of test and analysis of responses
Week 15 Validity and Reliability: significance /scope/ statistical ways to compute
reliability coefficients /interpretations
Week 16 Final Examination

Annexure C: Reading List

Black, P. & Wiliam D. (1998a). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in

Education: Principles, Policy and Practice, 5(1), 7-74.

Black, P. & Wiliam D. (1998b). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom
assessment. Phi Delta Kappan 80(2) 139-48.

Darling-Hammond, L. & Adamson, F. (2010). Beyond basic skills: The role of performance
assessment in achieving 21st century standards of learning. Stanford, CA: Stanford
University, Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education.

Haladyana, T. M. (2013). Developing and validating test items. New York: Taylor & Francis.
Fives, H. & Didonato-Bernes (2013). Classroom test construction: The power of a table of
specification. Practical Assessment Research & Evaluation 18(3), pp 1-7

English, W.F. (2010) Deciding What to Teach & Test: Developing, Aligning and leading the
curriculum (Chapter 3)