ASSESSMENT METHODS AND TOOLS

IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT FOR STUDENTS’ LEARNING

• To find out what the students know (knowledge)

• To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance)

• To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process)

• To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort)

What can be assessed?

Student learning characteristics

• Ability differences

• Learning styles

Student motivational characteristics

• Interest

• Self-efficacy

• goal orientation

Learning

• Content knowledge

• Ability to apply content knowledge

• Skills

• Dispositions and attitudes

• Performances

ASSESSMENT METHODS (HOW SHOULD WE ASSESS?)

ASSESSMENT TOOLS (WHAT DO WE NEED TO ASSESS?)

ASSESSMENT METHODS

• An assessment method is defined as the philosophical or pedagogical approach to assessing.

For example, written assessment or practical assessment, formative or summative
assessment.

• A description of how and when the assessment tool will be used to assess the outcome.

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

• The instrument that is used to collect data for each outcome.

• Assessment tools are used for different assessment methods and are more specific. For
example, posters, essays, exams, interviews etc., and can be used across a number of
assessment methods. Also the tools used to mark assessments, e.g., rubrics can be considered
as assessment tools.

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Examples of assessment methods

• Written exam

• Test and quizzes

• Research papers

• Case studies

• Portfolios

• Performance task

• Projects

• Observation

• Practicum

Examples of assessment tools

• Test paper

• Papers/Reports

• Projects

• Questionnaires

• Inventories

• Checklist

• Peer Rating

• Self-Rating

• Journal

• Instruction

• Portfolio checklist

• Observations checklist

• Interview questions

• Rubrics

CRITERIA IN CHOOSING AN ASSESSMENT METHOD

• It should be reliable.

• It should be valid.

• It should be simple to operate, and should not be too costly.

• It should be seen by students and society in general.

• It should benefit all students.

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Important steps in Planning a Test

• Identifying test objectives

• Deciding on type of objective test to be prepared

• Preparing a Table of Specification (TOS)

• Constructing draft test items

• Try out and validation

General steps in Test Construction

Preparing a Table of Specification (TOS)

• TOS ensures that there is balance between easy and difficult items.

• Simplest TOS consists of five columns

1. Statement of objectives

2. Level of objectives (Bloom’s Taxonomy)

3. Item numbers where the objective is tested Eg. 1(a), 2(b)

4. Number of items (3 or 4 or 5)

5. Percentage

COMMON ITEMS IN TEST PAPER

1. True-False Items

2. Multiple choice items

3. Matching items

4. Filling of blanks

5. Essay

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True-False Test

1. Do not give a hint in the body of the question.

2. Avoid the disproportionate number of true or false statement.

3. Avoid using the words “always”, “never”, “often”, and other adverbs that tend to be either
always true or always false.

4. Avoid very long sentence that tend to be true.

5. Avoid the exact word of text.

6. Avoid long statement involving complex structure.

Multiple Choice Tests

1. Avoid complex word arrangements.

2. Do not use unfamiliar words, terms and phrases.

3. Each question should have only one answer.

4. The options should be closely related to each other.

5. The options could be arranged in natural order.

6. The options could be arranged according to length.

7. The options should have grammatical parallelism.

8. Avoid question that tag only rote learning and memorizing.

9. Forms of multiple choice (1) Question (2) Completion (3) Direction

10. Avoid stems that reveal the answer to another item.

Matching

1. Be careful about what material is put into the question column and what is placed in the
option column.

2. Include only homogeneous material in each matching exercise. (Do not mix all context in one
matching paper.

3. Arrange items and options in systematic order.

4. Place all items and options on a single page if possible.

5. Limit matching exercise. (Not more than 10)

Filling of blanks

• Keep the sentence as simple and clear as possible.

• Make the blank of uniform length.

• Avoid grammatical clues to the correct answer.

• Ensure there is only one correct answer for the blank.

• Keep the answers brief.

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ESSAY

 Allow adequate time to answer the question.

 Be sure the question is complete and clear.

 Essay questions should be used only to evaluate higher-order outcomes.

 A well-constructed essay question should establish a framework within which the student can
operate.

 Decide in advance what factors will be considered in evaluating an essay response.

 Adapt length of responses and complexity of the question and answers to the maturity of the
students.

 Prepare a scoring key. (Rubric)

Good Item Writer

• Know the subject matter thoroughly.

• Know the students.

• Be skilled in verbal expression.

• Familiar with various formats.

General Considerations in Writing Test Questions

• Clearly and carefully define your instructional objectives.

• Prepare a test blueprint.

• Formulate well-defined questions.

• Prepare scoring key or guide.

• Prepare more items.

• Write test items as soon as possible after the material has been taught.