PCK 9, Lesson 1 Handouts

Basic Concepts, Theories, and Principles in Assessing Learning

Using Alternative Methods

PREPARE
To be able to successfully describe what alternative assessment for learning is, you need to
develop a matrix of the difference between the traditional and alternative assessment of
learning and document the experiences of teachers who apply the principles in assessing
learning using alternative methods.

I. What is alternative assessment?

Assessment is generally defined as the process of gathering quantitative/qualitative

data for the purpose of making decisions, whereas:

a. Assessment of Learning can be defined as the systematic and purpose - oriented

collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence of student learning in order to
make informed decisions relevant to the learners; In contrast,
b. Assessment for learning refers to the use of assessment to identify the needs of
students in order to modify instruction or the learning activities in the classroom.

In practice, most teachers use traditional assessment methods to assess and evaluate
the learning of the students in the classroom.

Traditional Assessment refers to the use of traditional assessment strategies or

tools to provide information on student learning. It is also often used as the basis for
evaluating and grading students. They are more commonly used in the classrooms
because they are easier to design and quicker to be scored.

In contrast, ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT refers to the use of alternative or non -

traditional assessment strategies or tools to collect information on student learning.
Examples:
Performance - oriented and Product - oriented assessment methods.
At the core of alternative assessment is the need to design and implement assessment
tasks or activities that refrain from using traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which
typically assess cognitive learning outcomes and thus have the right or wrong answers.

The following are features of alternative assessment (Silvestre-Tipay, 2009):

 1. Assessment is based on authentic tasks that demonstrate learners' ability to
accomplish communication goals;
2. Instructor and learners focus on communication, not on right and wrong
answers;
3. Learners help to set the criteria for successful completion of communication
tasks; and
4. Learners have the opportunities to assess themselves and their peers.

While traditional assessment typically uses paper-and-pencil tests, alternative

assessment is more concerned with performance assessment or performance - based
assessment.
Performance Assessment refers to assessing student learning by requiring a student
to perform a task or to develop a product as a demonstration of one's learning.

Another alternative method of assessing learning is through:

Portfolio Assessment refers to the students' construction and use of portfolios in a
purposeful and systematic manner in order to document their progress in the
attainment of learning targets.

II. What are the different models of alternative assessment?

The three most common models of nontraditional assessment are: (1) Emergent
Assessment, (2) Developmental Assessment, and (3) Authentic Assessment.
A portfolio is a collection of learning and performance artifacts by a students and is
typically accompanied by personal narratives and reflections.
1. Emergent Assessment is based on Michael Scriven's goal free evaluation model
(1967). In this model, the assessment focuses on determining the "effects" of
instruction on students. It examines how and what the educational program and
instruction are doing to address the needs of the student.

2. Developmental Assessment focuses on determining the extent that students have

developed their competencies from instruction. This model adopts a pre-test and
post-test methodology to collect information if a student has developed or improve
after instruction.
 3. Authentic Assessment is the most popular for alternative assessment. It is an
approach in the assessment of the student learning that refers to the use of
assessment strategies or tools that allow learners to perform or create a product
that is meaningful to the learners as they are based on the real-world contexts. The
most authentic assessment are the ones that allow performances that most closely
resemble real-world tasks or applications in the real-world settings or environments.

The following can be used as criteria in determining if an assessment task or activity is

authentic or not (Silvestre-Tipay, 2009);

The assessment task or activity can...

1. be built around topics or issues of interest to the students;
2. replicate real-world communication contexts and situations;
3. involve multistage tasks and real problems that require creative use of
language rather than simple repetition;
4. require learners to produce a quality product or performance;
5. introduce the students to the evaluation criteria and standards;
6. involve interaction between assessor (instructor, peers, self) and the person
assessed; and
7. allow for self-evaluation and self-correction as they proceed.

III. What are the different principles in assessing learning using alternative methods?

There are many principles in the assessment of learning using alternative assessment or
nontraditional methods. Based on the different readings and references on these
principles, the following may be considered as core principles:

1. Assessment is both process- and product-oriented. An assessment gives equal

importance to student performance or product and the process they engage in to
perform or produce a product.
2. Assessment should focus on higher-order cognitive outcomes. For assessment to
be valid and authentic, it should require students to demonstrate their knowledge.
3. Assessment can include a measure of noncognitive learning outcomes. Traditional
Assessment focuses on knowledge and other cognitive learning outcomes. However,
psychomotor and affective outcomes are also important learning outcomes, and
there are learning targets that are noncognitive in nature.
4. Assessment should reflect real-life and real-world contexts. The assessment should
closely, if not fully approximate real-life situations or experiences.
 5. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic. Assessment should be performed
using a variety of strategies and tools designed to assess student learning in a more
integrative way. It should be conducted in multiple periods to assess learning over
time.
6. Assessment should lead to student learning. This means that assessment should be
like classroom instruction. This principle is consistent with the concepts of
assessment for learning and assessment as learning.

Reference:

Ubiña-Balagtas et. al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. Nicanor Reyes Sr. Street, Sampaloc,
Manila. Rex Bookstore, Inc.