ASSIGNMENT NO.

1
Educational Assessment and Evaluation - 8602 - Autumn 2022

Syed Ali Saboor Zaidi

0000401127 - Autumn 2022
Q1. Explain the concepts of measurement, assessment and evaluation. Further elaborate
the difference between them with examples.

Measurement:

Measurement is a technique in which the properties of an object are determined by comparing

them to a standard quantity. Also, measurement is the essential metric to express any quantity of
objects, things and events. In education, measurement implies the quantitative assessment of the
student’s performance in an exam.

It is a mechanical process, which involves the systematic study of the attributes with the help of
appropriate assessment tools. It transforms the variable into variate, which is effective in
making deductions. For instance, Intelligence is measured in terms of IQ, and the result variable
is measured as scores. Further, it is helpful in comparing the performance of various students as
well as in highlighting their positive and negative points. There are two types of Measurements
which are as follows:

● Physical Measurement: It refers to the measurement of an object which materially

exists. For instance, measurement of height or weight of an individual using a measuring
tape or weighing machine, starting from zero points.

● Mental Measurement: It is also known as psychological measurement. It is not defined

in absolute terms, rather it is relative. It is not measured with the help of any instrument
but on the basis of the individual’s response or critical observation. For instance,
measuring the amount of work done by an individual is a psychological or mental
measurement.

Assessments:
Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or
goal. Assessment is a broad term that includes testing. A test is a special form of assessment.
Tests are assessments made under contrived circumstances especially so that they may be
administered. In other words, all tests are assessments, but not all assessments are tests. Tests are
conducted at the at the end of a lesson or unit and we assess progress at the end of a school year
through testing, we assess verbal and quantitative skills through such instruments. Whether
implicit or explicit, assessment is most usefully connected to some goal or objective for which
the assessment is designed. A test or assessment yields information relative to an objective or
goal. In that sense, we test or assess to determine whether or not an objective or goal has been

1
obtained. Assessment of skill attainment is rather straightforward. Either the skill exists at some
acceptable level or it doesn’t. Skills are readily demonstrable. Assessment of understanding is
much more difficult and complex. Skills can be practiced; understandings cannot. We can assess
a person’s knowledge in a variety of ways, but there is always a leap, an inference that we make
about what a person does in relation to what it signifies about what he knows. In the section on
this site on behavioral verbs, to assess means to stipulate the conditions by which the behavior
specified in an objective may be ascertained. Such stipulations are usually in the form of written
descriptions.

Evaluation:

It can be defined as the act of assigning value to the measure. It is a systematic and continuous
process wherein the analysis of the outcome derived from the measurement of the characteristic
of the object, person or activity is performed as per the defined standards. Whereas, the relative
position of the person, object or activity is ascertained, on the basis of the characteristic.

In evaluation. we pass judgment regarding how suitable, desirable or valuable something is. In
education, evaluation alludes to the overall assessment of the progress of the student, with
respect to the followings:
● Defined objectives
● Efficiency of teaching and
● Effectiveness of the curriculum.

It acts like an ‘inbuilt monitor’, within the system, that tends to review the learning progress, at
various points in time. It also provides feedback on various aspects of the educational systems,
such as on teaching to the teachers and on learning to the learners. We can further define
Evaluation using the equation below:

Evaluation = Quantitative description + Qualitative Description + Value Judgement

In the above stated equation the quantitative description includes facts and figures and the
qualitative description includes ranking, weightage and value. Hence, in evaluation, the
knowledge of the student/learner is not the only aspect which is considered, rather all the aspects
which are important for his/her development are accounted for. So, evaluation covers four
different aspects, namely:
● Role of Evaluation
● Objectives
● Learning Experiences

2
 ● Learner’s appraisal

To sum up, we measure distance, we assess learning, and we evaluate results in terms of some set
of criteria. These three terms are certainly share some common attributes, but it is useful to think
of them as separate but connected ideas and processes.

Q2. Define classroom assessment. What is the role of classroom assessment in teaching?

Classroom Assessments:
Classroom assessment is the process of collecting and interpreting information about. learning
and teaching as it occurs in a classroom for the purpose of making decisions. that improve
opportunities for learning

As it provides teachers with information about what students know and can do, a good classroom
assessment gathers evidence on students’ learning and help teacher in making informed
instructional decisions. To plan effective instruction, teachers need to know what the student
misunderstands and where the misconceptions lie. In addition to helping teachers formulate the
next teaching steps, a good classroom assessment plan provides a road map for students.
Students should, at all times, have access to the assessment so they can use it to inform and guide
their learning. Classroom Assessment is a systematic approach to formative evaluation, used by
instructors to determine how much and how well students are learning. CATs and other informal
assessment tools provide key information during the semester regarding teaching and learning so
that changes can be made as necessary. "The central purpose of Classroom Assessment is to
empower both teachers and their students to improve the quality of learning in the classroom"
through an approach that is "learner-centered, teacher-directed, mutually beneficial, formative,
context-specific, and firmly rooted in good practice".

Roles of Classroom Assessments in Teaching:

Following are the further benefits and roles of assessments in teaching:

● Helps Students in setting Learning Goals: Students need frequent opportunities to

reflect on where their learning is at and what needs to be done to achieve their learning
goals. When students are actively involved in assessing their own next learning steps and
creating goals to accomplish them, they make major advances in directing their learning
and what they understand about themselves as learners.
● Assign Report Card Grades: Grades provide parents, employers, other schools,
governments, post-secondary institutions and others with summary information about
student learning.

3
 ● Motivate Students: Research (Davies 2004; Stiggins et al. 2004) has shown that students
will be motivated and confident learners when they experience progress and achievement,
rather than the failure and defeat associated with being compared to more successful
peers.

Q3. Describe the types of achievement tests. Explain the purpose of these tests in detail.

Achievement Tests:
The achievement tests that most people are familiar with are the standard exams taken by every
student in school. Students are regularly expected to demonstrate their learning and proficiency
in a variety of subjects. In most cases, certain scores on these achievement tests are needed in
order to pass a class or continue on to the next grade level.

Achievement Tests can be used to assess skills when people are trying to learn a new sport. If
you were learning dance, martial arts, or some other specialized athletic skill, an achievement
test can be important for determining your current level of ability and possible need for further
training.

Examples of Achievement Tests:

Following are some examples of the Achievement Tests:

● A math exam covering the latest chapter in your book

● A test in your chemestry class
● A comprehensive final in your English class
● The ACT and SAT exams
● A skills demonstration in your martial arts class

Each of these tests is designed to assess how much you know at a specific point in time about a
certain topic. Achievement tests are not used to determine what you are capable of; they are
designed to evaluate what you know and your level of skill at the given moment.

As you can see, achievement tests are widely used in a number of domains, both academic- and
career-related. Students face an array of achievement tests almost every day as they complete
their studies at all grade levels. Such tests allow educators and parents to assess how their kids
are doing in school, but also provide feedback to students on their own performance.

Types of Achievement Tests:

There are five types of achievement tests which are as follows:

4
Diagnostic Test: A diagnostic test is designed to serve as a pre-test and is conducted at the
start of a topic. It is also used to acquire data to determine the students’ or participants’ level of
knowledge of a subject, it is usually a written assessment in the form of multiple-choice or
short-answer tests.

The aim is to find out what the student or participant knows at the moment. A diagnostic
achievement test allows the examiner and the participant to monitor their teaching approach and
learning progress.

Prognostic Test: The prognostic test is conducted to predict the future. This test combines the
knowledge obtained from the test performed on the learning process and other tests performed on
learning achievements before trying to diagnose the future of a participant or student.

Accuracy Test: An accuracy test measures the degree of closeness between the result that was
gotten from a text when it is compared to the standard. It refers to the quality of the results even
when the test is repeated. A test can be accurate if, in reproducibility, the results are close to the
standard.

Power Test: A power test consists of many items that when applied, has no time limit. This
means that in power test, a participant or student has unlimited time to respond to the questions.
So this will allow them attempt all the questions in the test.

The final score of the student or participant is analyzed and interpreted to mean the number of
questions that the students answered correctly. The difference in the results obtained from the
student is interpreted as each students’ ability to respond to the test and not to the time it took a
student to understand the question or answer it.

Within the power test the student’s level of knowledge about a subject is measured under little to
zero pressure. This is because they are given ample time to answer the test.

Speed Test: Unlike the power test, a speed test is created for the student to respond to, in a
limited time. In this test, however, the questions are simple and they are intended to be answered
in sequence. For example from the first question to the last one because of the limited time
allocated to this test.

Within the speed test if the difficulty level of the test keeps increasing, then none of the students
might be able to complete the questions, unlike the power test where students are given enough

5
time. Therefore, the aim of the speed test is to measure how quickly a student can complete a
question within a limited time. It measures a student’s ability to quickly process information and
give an accurate response.

Q4. What are the types of selection types test items? What are the advantages of multiple
choice questions?

Selection Type Test:

Selection type test items require the learner to select from two or more alternatives. Every
question carries a single correct response and It assumes all learners should learn the same thing,
and relies on rote memorization of facts. Following are the different types of Selection Type
Tests and their pros and cons:

Multiple Choice Question (MCQs): These are the forms of assessment for which
students are asked to select one or more of the choices from a list of answers.

Advantages of MCQs:

● Quick and easy to score, by hand or electronically

● Can be written so that they test a wide range of higher-order thinking skills
● Can cover lots of content areas on a single exam and still be answered in a class period

Disadvantages of MCQs:

● Often test literacy skills

● Provide unprepared students the opportunity to guess, and with guesses that are right,
they get credit for things they don’t know
● Expose students to misinformation that can influence subsequent thinking about the
content Take time and skill to construct (especially good questions)

True False Questions: Such are the tests which consist of a series of statements to be
marked as true or false.

Advantages of True/False Test:

● Quick and easy to score

Disadvantages of True/False Test:

6
 ● Considered to be one of the most unreliable forms of assessment
● Often written so that most of the statement is true save one small, often trivial bit of
information that then makes the whole statement untrue
● Encourage guessing, and reward for correct guesses

Short Answer Questions: Within these types of test students are asked to provide a concise,
yet thorough, written answer to a question, usually using complete sentences.

Advantages of Short Answer Questions:

● Quick and easy to grade

● Quick and easy to write

Disadvantages of Short Answer Questions:

● Encourage students to memorize terms and details, so that their understanding of the
content remains superficial

Essay Questions: Such tests require answers to be written out at some length. The student
functions as the source of information. An essay exam requires you to see the significance and
meaning of what you know.

Advantages of Essay Questions

● Offer students an opportunity to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and abilities in a variety

of ways
● Can be used to develop student writing skills, particularly the ability to formulate
arguments supported with reasoning and evidence

Disadvantages of Essay Questions:

● Require extensive time to grade

● Encourage use of subjective criteria when assessing answers
● If used in class, necessitate quick composition without time for planning or revision,
which can result in poor-quality writing

7
Q5. Discuss in detail factors affecting the reliability of the test.

Following are some intrinsic and some extrinsic factors have been identified to affect the reliability
of test scores.

Intrinsic Factors: The principal intrinsic factors meaning those factors which lie within the test
itself and affect its reliability are:

Length of the Test: Reliability has a definite relation with the length of the test. The more the
number of items the test contains, the greater will be its reliability. Logically, the test becomes
more reliable with every additional sample of items we take of a given area of knowledge, skill and
the like However, it is difficult to ensure the maximum length of the test to ensure an appropriate
value of reliability. The length of the tests in such cases should not give rise to fatigue effects in the
students, etc. Thus, it is advisable to use moderately longer tests rather than shorter tests since the
latter are less reliable.

Homogeneity of Items: Homogeneity of items has the following two aspects: item reliability and
the homogeneity of traits measured from one item to another. If the items measure different
functions and the inter-correlations of items are ‘zero’ or near to it, then the reliability is ‘zero’ or
very low and vice-versa.

Difficulty Value of Items: The difficulty level and clarity of expression of a test item also affect
the reliability of test scores. If the test items are too easy or too difficult for the group members, the
test will tend to produce scores of low reliability. Because both the tests have a restricted spread of
scores.

Test instructions: Clear and concise instructions increase reliability. Complicated and ambiguous
directions give rise to difficulties in understanding the questions and the nature of the response
expected from the testee ultimately leading to low reliability.

Reliability of the scorer: The reliability of the scorer also influences reliability of the test. If he is
a moody, fluctuating type, the scores will vary from one situation to another. Mistakes in him give
rise to mistakes in the score and thus leads to reliability.

Extrinsic Factors: The important extrinsic factors refers to the factors which remain outside
the test itself influencing its reliability. Following are some extrinsic factors:

Group variability: When the group of pupils being tested is homogeneous in ability, the reliability
of the test scores is likely to be lowered and vice-versa.

8
Guessing and Chance Errors: Guessing in tests gives rise to increased error variance and as such
reduces reliability. For example, in two-alternative response options there is a 50% chance of
answering the items correctly in terms of guessing. The subject can guess the right answer without
even knowing if he is correct or not.

Environmental conditions: As far as practicable, the testing environment should be uniform.

Arrangement should be such that light, sound, and other comforts should be equal to all testees,
otherwise it will affect the reliability of the test scores.

Momentary Fluctuations: Momentary fluctuations may raise or lower the reliability of the test
scores. Broken pencils, momentary distraction by sudden sound of a machine/vehicle running
outside, anxiety regarding non- completion of home-work, mistakes in giving the answer and
knowing no way to change it are the factors which may affect the reliability of test scores.