Assessment in Student Learning 1

Module 1
1.1 Basic Concepts of Assessment
1.2 Various Roles in Assessment
1.3 Kinds of Tests
1.4 The Purpose of Testing
1.5 Norm-Referenced and Criterion Referenced Tests
1.1 Basic Concepts of Assessment

Assessment refers to the collection of data

to describe or better understand an issue.
It measures "where we are in relation to
where we should be?" 
It is a process by which information is
obtained relative to some known objective or
goal.
It is the teacher’s way of gathering
information about what students have
learned, and they use them to make
important decisions-about students’ grades,
the content of future lessons, and the
revision of the structure or content of a
course.

Measurement refers to the process by which

the attributes or dimensions of some physical
object are determine. It is a process of
measuring the individual’s intelligence,
personality, attitudes and values, achievement
and anything that can be expressed
quantitatively. It answer the question, “how
much”?

Evaluation determines "how well did we do

what we set out to do?"  Evaluation is tied to
stated goals and objectives.  Many equate
this to summative evaluation. It refers to the
process of determining the extent to which
instructional objectives are attained. It refers
to the comparison of data to standard for
purpose of judging worth or quality.
Test is an instrument designed to measure any
quality, ability, skill or knowledge.

Testing is a method used to measure the level

of performance or achievement of the learner.It
refers to the administration, scoring and
interpretation of an instrument (procedure)
designed to elicit information about performance
in a sample of a particular area of behavior.

1.2 Various Roles in Assessment

ASSESSMENT EVALUATION

Content: timing, primary purpose

Formative: ongoing, to improve learning Summative: final, to gauge quality

Orientation: focus of

Process-oriented: how learning is going Product-oriented: what’s been learned

Findings: uses thereof

Diagnostic: identify areas for Judgmental: arrive at an overall

improvement grade/score
MODES OF ASSESSMENT

A. Traditional Assessment
 Preparation of the instrument is time
consuming and prone to cheating.
 The objective paper-and-pen test
usually assess low level thinking
skills.
 Scoring is objective and
administration is easy because
students can take the test at the same
time.

B. Performance Assessment
 The learner performs a behavior to
be measured in a "real-world"
context. 
 The learner demonstrates the
desired behavior in a real-life
context and the locus of control is
with the student.
 A mode of assessment that
requires actual demonstration of
skills or creation of products of
learning.
 Scoring tends to be subjective
without rubrics.
 Preparation of the instrument is
relatively easy and it measures
behavior that cannot be deceived.

C. Portfolio Assessment
  A process of gathering multiple indicators of students' progress to support
course goals in dynamic, ongoing and collaborative processes.
 Development is time consuming and rating tends to be subjective without
rubrics.
 Measures student’s growth and development.

A. Placement Assessment
 Determine the entry behavior of the
students.
 Determine the student’s performance at
the beginning of instruction.
 Determine the position of the students in
the instructional sequence.
 Determine the mode of evaluation
beneficial for each student.

B. Diagnostic Assessment
 It is given at the start to determine the
student’s levels of competence.
 It is given at the start to identify those
who have already achieve mastery of
the requisite learning.
 It is given at the start to help classify
students into tentative small group of
instruction.

C. Formative Assessment
 Is given to monitor learning progress
of the students.
 Is given to provide feedback to both
parents and students.
 Is given to it answer the question
"Where we are in relation to where
we should be?”
  This type of assessment can be done informally and need not use traditional
instruments such as quizzes and tests.

D. Summative Assessment
Given at the end of a unit to determine if the
objectives were achieved. 
Tends to be formal and use traditional
instruments such as tests and quizzes.
It answer the question "How well did we do
what we set out to do?" 
Given at the end of a unit to determine the
extent of the student’s achievement and
competence.
Given at the end of a unit to provide a basis
for assigning grades.
Given at the end of a unit to provide the data
from which reports to parents and transcripts
can be prepared.

1.3 Kinds of Tests

1. Objective Test
 Require students to select the correct response from several alternatives or to
supply a word or short phrase to answer a question or complete a statement.
 Include true-false, fill-in-the-blank, matching type, and multiple choice questions.
 The word objective refers to the scoring and indicates there is only one correct
answer.
 Objective tests rely heavily on your skill to read quickly and to reason out the
answer.
 It measure both your ability to remember facts and figures and your
understanding of course materials.
 It prepare yourself for high level critical reasoning and making fine
discriminations to determine the best answer.

a) Multiple-Choice Items
o It is used to measure knowledge
outcomes and various types of learning
outcomes.
o It's most widely used for measuring knowledge, comprehension, and
application outcomes.
o The scoring is easy, objective, and reliable.

Example:
1. Saan matatagpuan ang kaharian nina Siddharta Gautama?
a. Kipalvastu b. Kapilvastu
c. Kapilvasti d. Kapilvistu
2. Ano ang ibig sabihin ng Buddha?
a. Ang Liwanag b. Ang Naliwanagan
c. Ang Maliwanag d. Ang Nagliliwanag
3. Ano ang pangalan ng puno kung saan naliwanagan si Gautama?
a. Appla Tree b. Fig Tree
b. Apricot Tree d. Cherry Tree
4. Ilang taon si Siddharta Gautama ng siya ay maging Buddha?
a. 29 b. 35 c. 32 d. 37
5. Saan isinilang si Siddharta Gautama?
a. Lakambini b. Lambini
c. Lumbini d. Lambeni

Principles of Quality Assessment

Advantages in Using Multiple-Choice Items
 Multiple-choice items can provide versatility in measuring all levels
of cognitive ability.
 It is highly reliable test scores.
 Scoring efficiency and accuracy.
 Objective measurement of student achievement or ability.
 Multiple-choice items can provide a wide sampling of content or
objectives.
 It reduced guessing factor when compared to true-false items.
  It gives different response alternatives which can provide diagnostic
feedback.

b) True-False Items
 Typically used to measure the ability to
identify whether statements of fact are
correct.
 The basic format is simply a declarative
statement that the student must judge are
true or false.
 Item is useful for outcomes where there
are two possible alternatives.
 True-False Items do not discriminate between students of varying
ability as well as other item types. It can often include more irrelevant
clues than do other item types. It can often lead an instructor to favor
testing of trivial knowledge.
Example:
Tama o Mali.
Iguhit ang masayang mukha  kung ang isinasaad ng pangungusap ay tama, at
malungkot na mukha  naman kung hindi.

_____ 1. Pinanniniwalaan ng mga Hindu ang Transmigrasyon at Reinkarnasyon.

_____ 2. Ang Vedas ay nagmula sa mga Aryan.
_____ 3. Ang nagsilbing pundasyon ng Buddhismo ay ang mga aral ni Buddha.
_____ 4. Ayon sa relihiyong Buddhismo, kung susundin lamang ng tao ang mga aral
ni Buddha ay maiiwasan niya ang kalungkutan.
_____ 5. Ang Karma ay pinaniniwalaan ng lahat ng nilalang.

c) Matching Type Items

  Consist of a column of key words presented on the left side of the page
and a column of options place at the right side of the page. Students
are required to match the options associated with a given key word(s).
 It provides objective measurement of students' achievement.
 It provides efficient and accurate test scores.
 In Matching Type Items if options cannot be used more than once, the
items are not mutually exclusive; getting one answer incorrect
automatically means a second question is incorrect.
 All items should be of the same class, and all options should be of the
same class. (e.g., a list of events to be matched with a list of dates.

d) Short Answer Items

o Require the examinee to supply the appropriate words, numbers, or

symbols to answer a question or complete a statement.
o Items should require a single word answer or brief and definite statement.
o It can efficiently measure lower level of cognitive domain.

Example:
____________________ 1. Ito ang mabuting kaasalan sa loob ng korte at palasyo.
____________________ 2. Siya ang kinikilalang Diyos ng katotohanan at
kaliwanagan ng relihiyong Zoroasterismo.
____________________ 3. Siya ang kinikilalang Diyos ng kadiliman gn relihiyong
Zoroasterismo.
____________________ 4. Siya ay isang ispiritwal na guro ng mga Persian na
nangaral ukol sa pagsamba sa iisang Diyos.
____________________ 5. Ang dalawang mahalagang ilog sa Mesopotamia

2. Essays or Subjective test

  Permit the student to organize and
present an original answer.
 May include either short answer
questions or long general questions.
 These exams have no one specific
answer per student.
 They are usually scored on an opinion
basis, although there will be certain
facts and understanding expected in
the answer.
 Essay test are generally easier and
less time consuming to construct than are most objective test items.
 The main reason students fail essay tests is not because they cannot write, but
because they fail to answer the questions fully and specifically, their answer is
not well organized. Students with good writing skills have an advantage over
students who have difficulty expressing themselves through writing.
 Essays are more subjective in nature due to their susceptibility to scoring
influences.

Example:
1. Ano ang katangian nng Mesopotamia kaya dito nagsimula ang unang kabihasnan sa
buong mundo? Ipaliwanag.
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________

3. Performance Test
 Also known as alternative or
authentic assessment is designed to
assess the ability of a student to
perform correctly in a simulated
situation (i.e., a situation in which
the student will be ultimately
expected to apply his/her learning).
  A performance test will simulate to some degree a real life situation to
accomplish the assessment. In theory, a performance test could be constructed
for any skill and real life situation.
 Most performance tests have been developed for the assessment of vocational,
managerial, administrative, leadership, communication, interpersonal and
physical education skills in various simulated situations.

Advantages in Using Performance Test Items

Performance test items can appropriately measure learning objectives
which focus on the ability of the students to apply skills or knowledge in
real life situations.
It usually provide a degree of test validity not possible with standard paper
and pencil test items. It is useful for measuring learning objectives in the
psychomotor domain.

4. Oral questioning

 The most commonly-used of all forms of assessment in class.

 Assumes that the learner can hear, of course, and shares a common language
with the assessor.
 The ability to communicate orally is relevant to this type of assessment.
 The other major role for the "oral" in summative assessment is in language
learning, where the capacity to carry on a conversation at an appropriate level of
fluency is relatively distinct from the ability to read and write the language.  
         
5. Observation
  Refers to measurement procedures in which child behaviors in the school or
classroom are systematically monitored, described, classified, and analyzed with
particular attention typically given to the antecedent and consequent events
involved in the performance and maintenance of such behaviors.

6. Self-reports

 Students are asked to reflect on make a judgment about, and then report on their
own or a peer's behavior and performance.
 Typical evaluation tools could include sentence completion, Likert scales,
checklists, or holistic scales.
 Responses may be used to evaluate both performance and attitude.

7. Validity

 Is the degree to which the test measures

what is intended to measure.
 It is the usefulness of the test for a given
purpose.
 Valid test is always reliable.
1.4 The Purpose of Testing
What is the reason why teachers give students tests? Why do school districts and
states create high stakes tests for their students? On one level, the answer to this
seems fairly obvious: the reason why we give tests is to see what students have
learned. However, this only tells part of the story. Tests have many purposes in our
schools. One thing that should be stressed is that in the end, tests should be for the
benefit of the student and not the teacher, school, district, or state. Unfortunately, this is
not always the case. Following is a look at some of the major reasons why students are
given assessments in and out of the classroom.

1.  To Identify What Students Have Learned

The obvious point of classroom tests is to see what the students have learned after the
completion of a lesson or unit. When the classroom tests are tied to effectively written
lesson objectives, the teacher can analyze the results to see where the majority of the
students are having problems with in their class. These tests are also important when
discussing student progress at parent-teacher conferences.

2.  To Identify Student Strengths and Weaknesses

Another use of tests is to determine student strengths and weaknesses. One effective
example of this is when teachers use pretests at the beginning of units in order to find
out what students already know and where the teacher's focus needs to be.
Further, learning style and multiple intelligences tests help teachers learn how to best
meet the needs of their students through instructional techniques.

3.  To Provide a Method for Awards and Recognition

Tests can be used as a way to determine who will receive awards and recognition.

4.  To Gain College Credit

Advanced Placement exams provide students with the opportunity to earn college credit
after successfully completing a course and passing the exam with high marks. While
every university has its own rules on what scores to accept, most do give credit for
these exams. In many cases, students are able to begin college with a semester or
even a year's worth of credits under their belts.

5.  To Provide a Way to Measure a Teacher and/or School's Effectiveness

More and more states are tying funding to schools to the way that students perform on
standardized tests. Further some Universities are attempting to use these results when
they evaluation and give merit raises to the teachers themselves. This use of high
stakes testing is often contentious with educators since many factors can influence a
student's grade on an exam. Additionally, controversy can sometimes erupt over the
number of hours schools use to specifically 'teach to the test' as they prepare students
to take these exams.

6.  To Provide a Basis for Entry into an Internship, Program, or College

Tests have traditionally been used as a way to judge a student based on merit.
The SAT and ACT are two common tests that form part of a student's entrance
application to colleges. Additionally, students might be required to take additional exams
to get into special programs or be placed properly in classes. For example, a student
who has taken a few years of high school French might be required to pass an exam in
order to be placed in the correct year of French.

1.5 Norm-Referenced and Criterion Referenced Tests

Norm-referenced Interpretation is used to describe students' performance according to
relative position in some known group. In this method of interpretation it is assumed that
the level of performance will not vary much from one class to another class.

 Result is interpreted by comparing a student with another student where some

will really pass.
 It is designed to measure the performance of the students compared to other
students. Individual score is compared to others.
 It is usually expressed in term of percentile, grade equivalent or stanine.
 Norm-referenced grading is a system typically used to evaluate students based
on the performance of those around them.
 IQ tests and SAT exams would be two examples of this system.
 Norm-referenced grading is more common in schools that emphasize class rank
rather than understanding of skills or facts.

Criterion-reference Interpretation is used to describe student performance according to

specified domain of clearly defined learning task. This method of interpretation is used
when the teacher wants to determine how well the students have learned specific
knowledge or skills in a certain course or subject matter.

 Result is interpreted by comparing student based on a predefined standard

where all or none may pass.
  It is designed to measure the performance of students compared to a pre-
determined criterion or standard, usually expressed in terms of percentage.
 Criterion-referenced evaluation should be used to evaluate student performance
in classrooms.
 It is referenced to criteria based on learning outcomes described in the provincial
curriculum.
 The criteria reflect a student's performance based on specific learning activities.
 A student's performance is compared to established criteria rather than to the
performance of other students.
 Evaluation referenced to prescribed curriculum requires that criteria are
established based on the learning outcomes listed under the curriculum.

Many educators and members of the public fail to grasp the distinctions between
criterion-referenced and norm-referenced testing. It is common to hear the two types of
testing referred to as if they serve the same purposes, or shared the same
characteristics. Much confusion can be eliminated if the basic differences are
understood.
The following is adapted from: Popham, J. W. (1975). Educational evaluation.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Criterion-Referenced Norm-Referenced
Dimension
Tests Tests
To determine whether each
To rank each student with respect
student has achieved specific skills
to the achievement of others in
or concepts.
Purpose broad areas of knowledge.
To find out how much students
To discriminate between high and
know before instruction begins and
low achievers.
after it has finished.
Content Measures specific skills which Measures broad skill areas
make up a designated curriculum. sampled from a variety of
 These skills are identified by
teachers and curriculum experts. textbooks, syllabi, and the
Each skill is expressed as an judgments of curriculum experts.
instructional objective.
Each skill is tested by at least four
Each skill is usually tested by less
items in order to obtain an
than four items.
adequate sample of student
Item Items vary in difficulty.
performance and to minimize the
Characteristics Items are selected that
effect of guessing.
discriminate between high
The items which test any given skill
and low achievers.
are parallel in difficulty.
Each individual is compared with
Each individual is compared with a other examinees and assigned a
preset standard for acceptable score--usually expressed as a
achievement. The performance of percentile, a grade equivalent 
Score other examinees is irrelevant. score, or a stanine.
Interpretation A student's score is usually Student achievement is reported
expressed as a percentage. for broad skill areas, although
Student achievement is reported some norm-referenced tests do
for individual skills. report student achievement for
individual skills.

The differences outlined are discussed in many texts on testing. The teacher or
administrator who wishes to acquire a more technical knowledge of criterion-referenced
test or its norm-referenced counterpart, may find the text from which this material was
adapted particularly helpful.