Assessment and Evaluation

A common image evoked by the mention of educational assessment is that of paper -and pencil tests- especially standardized, multiple-choice tests.

Assessment: A general term that includes the full range of procedures used to collect information about student learning with the purpose of making decisions about students’ learning progress. We can collect information-using tests, observations and interviews etc.

Test: Test is a set of tasks or questions intended to elicit particular type of behaviour, which is administered during a fixed period of time under a reasonably comparable condition for students to yield a score.

Measurement: Assigning of numbers to the results of a test or other type of assessment according to a specific rule. For example; counting correct answers or awarding points for particular aspects of an essay). Measurement answers the question “How much”. To measure, we have to use certain instruments.

Evaluation: To make decision, one has to evaluate which is the process of making judgment about a given situation. Evaluation is the comparison of what is measured against some defined criteria and to determine whether it has been achieved, whether it is appropriate, whether it is good, whether it is reasonable, whether it is valid and so forth.

Purpose of assessment

The measurement of impart of knowledge is needed for several reasons,

• To report students’ performance to concerned authorities; school management, ministry of education, parents etc.
• To measure the effectives of one’s teaching strategies is parallel comparison with performance of students
• To provide additional help and guidance for poor performance students
• For planning lessons to suite learners’ needs
• For further research and statistical analysis need

Methods used for assessing students

Assessment techniques or methods can take many different forms. These incudes;

Tests (Essay test, Objective Test)

Project/ Assignment Techniques
Socio-metric Techniques
Interviews
Class attendances
Rating Scale
Check List
Inventory etc
 
Types of classroom assessments

There are mainly two types of Assessments. They are:

(1) Assessment for learning (formative Assessment)

Assessment for learning is ongoing 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 (Alberta, 2008). Examples: Continuous assessment used in Child Friendly Classrooms in the Maldives.

 (2) Assessment of learning (summative assessment)

Assessment of learning is the picture in time that lets the teacher, students and their parents know how well each student has completed the learning tasks and activities. It provides information about student achievement. While it provides useful reporting information, it often has little effect on learning (Alberta, 2008). Examples: Term tests, Unit tests etc.

 Differences between Norm-referenced and Criterion referenced assessments

Norm- referenced Assessment

This is assessment that is based on comparing the relative performances of students, either by comparing the performances of individual students within the group being tested, or by comparing their performance with that of others of similar age, experience and background. Such assessment may simply involve ranking the students, or may involve scaling their marks or grades so that they fall on a standard distribution of some sort (The Robert Gordon University, 1998).

 Criterion Referenced Assessment

Here, the performance of students or trainees is assessed against pre-determined criteria, without regard to their performance relative to one another. Such assessment generally involves determining whether the student or trainee can carry out specific tasks or activities, within a particular situation or context, and to a set minimum standard. It is normally carried out on a 'pass/fail' basis, or, in modern parlance, on a 'competent/not-yet-competent' basis, with no attempt being made to assign numerical marks to the performance (The Robert Gordon University, 1998).

 General principles of assessment

1.  Clearly specifying what is to be assessed has priority in the assessment process. This includes the preparation of table of specification. 

2.  An assessment procedures selected must be valid and relevant to the characteristics or performance to be measured. Validity is the extent to which a test measures what it claims to measure. Reliability of a test refers to the consistency of a measure. A test considered reliable if we get the same result repeatedly.

3.   Assessment is a means to an end, not an end in its self. The use of assessment procedure implies that some useful purpose is being served and that the user is clearly aware of this purpose.

 

References

Alberta, (2008). Types of Classroom Assessment. Retrieved 8^th May 2013, from http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/mewa/html/assessment/types.html

The Robert Gordon University, (1998). Norm-referenced, criterion-referenced and ipsative assessment. Retrieved 8^th May 2013, from http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/celt/pgcerttlt/assessing/assess5.htm