CHAPTER 1

ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 1
OBJECTIVES

• 1. explain the basic concepts and principles in educational

assessment;
• 2. discuss on the role of assessment in making instructional
decisions to improve teaching and learning; and
• 3. reflect on and discuss the applications and implications of
assessment to teaching and learning.
LESSON 1: WHAT IS
EDUCATIONAL
ASSESSMENT ?
ASSESSMENT

the process of gathering evidences of students’ performance over

a period of time to determine learning and mastery of skills. It is a
fact finding activity that describes conditions that exists at a
particular time. Assessment often involves measurement to gather
data. However, it is the domain of assessment to organise the
measurement data into interpretable forms on a number of
variables.
ASSESSMENT IN EDUCATIONAL SETTING

It may describe the progress students have made towards a given

educational goal at a point in time. However, it is not concerned
with the explanation of the underlying reasons and does not
proffer recommendations for action. Although, there may be some
implied judgement as to the satisfactoriness or otherwise of the
situation.
CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT

refers to all the processes and products which are used to

describe the nature and the extent of pupils’ learning.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES

• 1. Assessment should be valid. Validity ensures that assessment

tasks and associated criteria effectively measure student attainment of
the intended learning outcomes at the appropriate level.
• 2. Assessment should be reliable and consistent . There is a need
for assessment to be reliable and this requires clear and consistent
processes for the setting, marking, grading and moderation of
assignments.
• 3. Information about assessment should be explicit, accessible and
transparent . Clear, accurate, consistent and timely information on
assessment tasks and procedures should be made available to students,
staff and other external assessors or examiners.
• 4. Assessment should be inclusive and equitable. As far as is
possible without compromising academic standards, inclusive and
equitable assessment should ensure that tasks and procedures do not
disadvantage any group or individual.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES

5. Assessment should be an integral part of programme design and should relate

directly to the programme aims and learning outcomes. Assessment tasks should
primarily reflect the nature of the discipline or subject but should also ensure that
students have the opportunity to develop a range of generic skills and capabilities.
6. The amount of assessed work should be manageable . The scheduling of
assignments and the amount of assessed work required should provide a reliable and
valid profile of achievement without overloading staff or students.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES

• 7. Formative and summative assessment should be

included in each programme. Formative and summative
assessment should be incorporated into programmes to ensure
that the purposes of assessment are adequately addressed.
Many programmes may also wish to include diagnostic
assessment.
 BASIC PRINCIPLES

8. Timely feedback that promotes learning and facilitates improvement

should be an integral part of the assessment process. Students are entitled
to feedback on submitted formative assessment tasks, and on summative
tasks, where appropriate. The nature, extent and timing of feedback for each
assessment task should be made clear to students in advance.
9. Staff development policy and strategy should include assessment . All
those involved in the assessment of students must be competent to undertake
their roles and responsibilities
TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

Assessment for Learning (Formative Assessment)

Assessment of Learning (Summative Assessment)
Assessment as Learning (Metacognition)
 ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING (FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT)

• The philosophy behind assessment for learning is that assessment and teaching should be
integrated into a whole.
• Assessment for learning is on-going assessment that allows teachers to monitor students on a
day-to-day basis and modify their teaching based on what the students need to be successful.
• This assessment provides students with the timely, specific feedback that they need to make
adjustments to their learning.
• Teachers also use assessment for learning to enhance students’ motivation and
commitment to learning. When teachers commit to learning as the focus of assessment, they
change the classroom culture to one of student success.
 TEACHERS’ ROLES IN ASSESSMENT FOR
LEARNING
Assessment for learning occurs throughout the learning process. It is
interactive, with teachers:
• aligning instruction
• identifying particular learning needs of students or groups
• selecting and adapting materials and resources
• creating differentiated teaching strategies and learning opportunities for
helping individual students move forward in their learning
• providing immediate feedback and direction to students
 ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING (SUMMATIVE
ASSESSMENT)
• Assessment of learning refers to strategies designed to confirm what students
know, demonstrate whether or not they have met curriculum outcomes or the
goals, or to certify proficiency and make decisions about students’ future
programs or placements.
• It is designed to provide evidence of achievement to parents, other educators,
the students themselves, and sometimes to outside groups (e.g., employers, other
educational institutions)
 EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
REQUIRES THAT TEACHERS PROVIDE:

• a rationale for undertaking a particular assessment of learning at a

particular point in time
• clear descriptions of the intended learning
• processes that make it possible for students to demonstrate their
competence and skill
• a range of alternative mechanisms for assessing the same outcomes
EFFECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
REQUIRES THAT TEACHERS PROVIDE:

• public and defensible reference points for making

judgements
• transparent approaches to interpretation
• descriptions of the assessment process
• strategies for recourse in the event of disagreement about the
decisions.
COMPARISON BETWEEN ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING
AND ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

• Assessment as learning develops and supports students'

metacognitive skills. This form of assessment is crucial in
helping students become lifelong learners. As students engage
in peer and self-assessment, they learn to make sense of
information, relate it to prior knowledge and use it for new
learning. Students develop a sense of ownership and efficacy
when they use teacher, peer and self-assessment feedback to
make adjustments, improvements and changes to what they
understand.
• Through this process students are able to learn about themselves as learners
and become aware of how they learn – become metacognitive (knowledge
of one’s own thought processes). Students reflect on their work on a regular
basis, usually through self and peer assessment and decide (often with the
help of the teacher, particularly in the early stages) what their next learning
will be. Assessment as learning helps students to take more responsibility
for their own learning and monitoring future directions
 THE TEACHERS’ ROLE IN PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT
OF INDEPENDENT LEARNERS THROUGH ASSESSMENT AS
LEARNING IS TO:

• model and teach the skills of self-assessment

• guide students in setting their own goals, and monitoring their
progress toward them
• provide exemplars and models of good practice and quality
work that reflect curriculum outcomes
• work with students to develop clear criteria of good practice
• guide students in developing internal feedback or self-monitoring mechanisms
to validate and question their own thinking, and to become comfortable with
ambiguity and uncertainty that is inevitable in learning anything new
• provide regular and challenging opportunities to practice, so that students can
become confident, competent self-assessors
• monitor students’ metacognitive processes as well as their learning, and
provide descriptive feedback
• create an environment where it is safe for students to take chances and where
support is readily available.
 FOUR GENERAL PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT

1. Instructional assessments
Assessment used to modify and adapt instruction to meet students' needs. It can be
an informal or formal assessment and usually takes place within the context of a
classroom. Informal instructional assessments can include teacher questioning
strategies or reviewing classroom work. A more formal instructional assessment
could be a written pre-test in which a teacher uses the results to analyze what the
students already know before determining what to teach.
Example: Quiz on reading assignment
2. Diagnostic assessments
Assessment used to determine a student's academic, cognitive, or behavioral
strengths and weaknesses. These assessments provide a comprehensive
picture of a student's overall functioning and go beyond exclusively focusing
on academic achievement.
Example: Assessment to identify a student for special education or English
language Services
3. Predictive assessments
Assessment used to determine the likelihood that a student or school will meet
a particular predetermined goal. One common type of predictive assessment
used by schools and districts is a benchmark (or interim) assessment, which is
designed primarily to determine which students are on-track for meeting end-
of-year achievement goals.
Example: Mock LET to determine whether a student is on-track to pass the
exam
4. Evaluative assessments
Assessment used to determine the outcome of a particular curriculum,
program, or policy. The results are often compared to a predetermined goal
or objective. These assessments, unlike instructional, diagnostic, or
predictive assessments, are not necessarily designed to provide actionable
information on students or schools.
Example: State reading, mathematics, and science assessments