UNIT 4 Evaluation in Secondary Social Studies

Introduction

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION IN SECONDARY SOCIAL STUDIES

The goals of education in general, and social studies in particular, have
greatly expanded as we attempt to help the students acquire the knowledge,
skills, attitudes, and behaviors required for living in the 21st century. Social
studies should strive to produce a responsible citizen capable of coping with
change, making rational choices, being an educated user and controller of
science and technology, living with and appreciating human diversity, and
supporting and defending human dignity.

This broader view of social studies education's goals are expressed in the
curriculum, necessitating a much more sophisticated approach to assessment
and evaluation. Teachers use and are familiar with the terms of evaluation and
assessment, but the distinction between them is difficult to make because
neither the academic literature nor daily communication has clear definitions.
Some argue that a clear distinction between the two terms is important because
they refer to two completely different processes, whereas others think that
assessment is the continuation of evaluation.

One of the confusing factors in the field of assessment is that

professionals often use the same terms to mean different things. It might be
helpful then to define some important terms and see how they relate to each
other. While the words "assessment" and "evaluation" are often interchanged,
they do not necessarily mean the same thing. Many people think of evaluation as
the process of gathering data on student results that are then used to determine
(make decisions about) whether or not those goals, objectives, or outcomes
have been met. Understanding the distinction in spirit between assessment and
evaluation is essential for unlocking the potential of continuous improvement in
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teaching and learning. An assessment aims to compare the quality of a

performance or a work product to a set of criteria. The basic premise of
evaluation is that a teacher values assisting a student and can put in the effort
necessary to provide quality input that will improve the student's potential
success.

Objectives

At the end of the unit, the students must have:

• explained the importance of evaluation;

• identified and discussed the types of evaluation;
• discussed the different types of tests; and
• prepared and written evaluation exemplars in Social Studies

Lesson 1

ABSTRACTION
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment and Evaluation: These concepts are often used
interchangeably by practitioners and if they have the same meaning. This is not
so. As a teacher, you should be able to distinguish one from the other and use
any particular one at the appropriate time to discuss issues in the classroom.

ASSESSMENT
Assessment is a fact-finding activity that describes conditions that exist at
a particular time. Assessment in an educational setting 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

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reasons and does not proffer recommendations for action. Although, there may
be some implied judgment as to the satisfactoriness or otherwise of the
situation.
In the classroom, assessment refers to all the processes and products
which are used to describe the nature and the extent of pupils’ learning. Some
educationists in contrasting assessment with evaluation opined that while
evaluation is generally used when the subject is not persons or group of persons
but the effectiveness or otherwise of a course or program of teaching or method
of teaching, assessment is used generally for measuring or determining personal
attributes (the totality of the student, the environment of learning and the
student’s accomplishments).

EVALUATION
Evaluation adds the ingredient of value judgment to assessment. It is
concerned with the application of its findings and implies some judgment of the
effectiveness, social utility, or desirability of a product, process, or pro gress in
terms of carefully defined and agreed upon objectives or values. Evaluation often
includes recommendations for constructive action. Thus, evaluation is a
qualitative measure of the prevailing situation. It calls for evidence of
effectiveness, suitability, or goodness of the program. It is the estimation of the
worth of a thing, process, or program to reach meaningful decisions about that
thing, process, or program.

Evaluation means:
• a systematic process
• collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data
• assignment of symbols
• achievement of instructional objectives
• it answers the question ‘how good’

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Relationship between Assessment and Evaluation

Besides the differences, there are also some similarities between

assessment and evaluation. The both require criteria, use measures and
are evidence- driven.
ASSESSMENT EVALUATION
is on-going provides closure
improves quality judges quality
individualized applied against standards
process-oriented product-oriented
collection of multi-dimensional judgments about quality based on
data that provides feedback a defined set of values
diagnostic (it identifies area for judgmental (it arrives at an overall
improvement) score)
tests how learning is going tests what has been learned

I. TYPES OF ASSESSMENT

A. Pre-Assessment. Pre-assessment is what you will do before instruction

to ascertain students’ knowledge, attitudes, and interests. This information is
then used as a starting point for designing instruction (Chapman & King, 2009).
For example, a government teacher who wants to begin a unit on the 2009
recession might want to know how well students are prepared by examining
scores on a previous test that demonstrates their knowledge of supply and
demand. If students show weak understanding, these concepts need to be
reviewed.
B. Formative Assessment. It is the type of assessment that is done during
the teaching-learning process to assess the ongoing construction or formation of
knowledge and understanding of students.

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Some of the questions often asked under this type of assessment include:

1. What is the objective of the lesson?

2. What materials will be needed to teach this lesson?
3. In what sequence will the different aspects of the topic be treated? How much
time should be given to different aspects of the topic?
4. What teaching techniques will be most suitable to transmit this knowledge or
skill?
5. What evaluation techniques would be used to assess student achievement?
Will they be effective or not?
6. What assignment or project should be given as part of or apart from
classwork?
7. Has the objective been achieved?
8. What progress are the students making? What difficulties are they
encountering relative to the topic?
9. What additional facilities or resources would enhance the knowledge or skills
gained by the students?
10. Are students’ needs and interests being met? Are the students able to
transfer their knowledge or skills to other areas?

Thus, Formative assessment attempts to :

(i) identify the content (i.e. knowledge or skill) which has not been mastered by
the students;
(ii) Appraise the level of cognitive abilities such as memorization, classification,
comparison, analysis, explanation, quantification, application, and so on; and
(iii) Specify the relationships between content and levels of cognitive abilities. In
other words, formative evaluation provides the evaluator with useful information
about the strength or weakness of the student within an instructional context.

C. Summative Assessment. It is a type of assessment that evaluates the

quality of the final product and finds out the extent to which the instructional
objectives have been achieved.
Some of the underlying assumptions of summative assessment are that:
a) The programmer’s objectives are achievable;
b) The teaching-learning process has been conducted efficiently;

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c) The teacher-student-material interactions have been conducive to learning;

d) The teaching techniques, learning materials, and audio -visual aids are
adequate and have been judiciously dispensed; and
e) There is uniformity in classroom conditions for all learners.

II. IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSMENT

Education hones the students’ skills, character, values, and perspective

which contribute to their holistic development, and assessment plays an integral
role to achieve all of these. It is important because it is a great motivator for
students to find out their strengths and weaknesses in learning and then take a
step towards improving them. Assessment enables the teachers or instructors to
determine the effectiveness of their teaching and to find out if the students meet
the desired learning outcomes that inform them of the progress they have made.
It also provides useful feedback to both teachers and students about the extent
to which students are successfully meeting course learning objectives, enabling
the teachers or instructors to determine the metrics of measurement for student
understanding and proficiency in the course learning objectives, and adjust their
instruction based on this information. This will then lead the teachers to
incorporate effective options or strategies that will help students succeed in the
learning process. It also provides the evidence needed to document and validate
whether meaningful learning has occurred in the classroom.

Furthermore, assessment as part of the learning process is a continuous

and comprehensive process that provides feedback on how the students are
learning. Teachers use assessments to discover what students know, what they
do not know, and what they want to know. When students are excited about
what they are learning and do well in assessment, they will want to learn more.

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Activity

GROUP TASK: Create a CONCEPT MATRIX showing the similarities and

differences in Assessment and Evaluation. After this, make a collective reflection
of the group explaining the importance of these two in teaching Secondary Social
Studies.

ASSSESSMENT EVALUATION

Your collective reflection goes here…

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Lesson 2

III. PERFORMANCE-BASED ASSESSMENT

A. Product Assessments

A product assessment refers to something produced by students providing

concrete examples of the application of knowledge. Product assessment is a kind
of assessment wherein the assessor views and scores the final product made and
not on the actual performance of making that product. It is concern on the
product alone and not on the process. It is more concern to the outcome or the
performance of the learner. It also focuses on achievement of the learner.

The learning competencies associated with products or outputs are linked

with an assessment with three levels of performance manifested by the product,
namely:
• novice or beginner’s level
• skilled level
• expert level

EXAMPLES OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

1. Portfolio

Portfolios are collections of student work representing a selection of

performance. Portfolios in classrooms today are derived from the visual and
performing arts tradition in which they serve to showcase artists'
accomplishments and personally favored works. A portfolio may be a folder
containing a student's best pieces and the student's evaluation of the strengths
and weaknesses of the pieces. It may also contain one or more works-in-

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progress that illustrate the creation of a product, such as an essay, evolving

through various stages of conception, drafting, and revision.

More teachers have recently begun using portfolios in all curricular areas.
Portfolios are useful as a support to the new instructional approaches that
emphasize the student's role in constructing understanding and the teacher's role
in promoting understanding. For example, in writing instruction, portfolios can
function to illustrate the range of assignments, goals, and audiences for which a
student produced written material. In addition, portfolios can be a record of the
activities undertaken over time in the development of written products.

Recent changes in education policy, which emphasize greater teacher

involvement in designing curriculum and assessing students, have also been an
impetus to increased portfolio use. Portfolios are valued as an assessment tool
because, as representations of classroom-based performance, they can be fully
integrated into the curriculum. And unlike separate tests, they supplement rather
than take time away from instruction. Moreover, many teachers, educators, and
researchers believe that portfolio assessments are more effective than "old-style"
tests for measuring academic skills and informing instructional decisions.

Three Types of Portfolios

a. Working Portfolio

The first type of portfolio is working portfolio also kno wn as “teacher-

student portfolio”. As the name implies that it is a project “in work” it contains
the work in progress as well as the finished samples of work use to reflect in
process by the students and teachers. It documents the stages of learning and
provides a progressive record of student growth. This is interactive teacher-
student portfolio that aids in communication between teacher and student.

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b. Showcase portfolio

A showcase portfolio focuses on the student’s best and most

representative work. It exhibits the best performance of the student. Best works
portfolio may document student activities beyond school for example a story
written at home. It is just like an artist’s portfolio where a variety of work is
selected to reflect breadth of talent; painters can exhibit the best paintings.
Hence, in this portfolio the student selects what he or she thinks is
representative work.

c. Progress Portfolio

This third type of portfolio is progress portfolio and it is also known as

“Teacher Alternative Assessment Portfolio”. It contains examples of student’s
work with the same types done over a period of time and they are utilized to
assess their progress. All the works of the students in this type of portfolio are
scored, rated, ranked, or evaluated.

2. Work Samples

Collecting work samples is an effective documentation strategy when

children have created visible work that educators can save for portfolios and
show to families and other staff. Collecting work samples over time is likely to
show progress more effectively. Work samples are recording that children create.

Early learning professionals can collect examples (or photos of samples)

showing children’s work and activities related to children’s goals and curriculum
objectives. Samples of early writing help you know how children are progressing
in a number of areas. Here are some examples:
• Literacy—knowledge of the alphabet and print, emergent writing
• Mathematics—number concepts and quantities, geometry
• Physical—fine motor coordination
• Cognitive—attention, representation
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Work samples not only provide reliable information about student

achievement of the curriculum, but also provide students with context for
assessing their own work and setting meaningful goals for learning. Displaying
concrete samples of student work and sharing assessments that illustrate grade
level expectations of the outcomes are key to winning the confidence and
support of parents.

3. Experience summaries

In a so-called experience summary, students record what they have

learned from a particular experience. Teachers and students may do this
cooperatively. For instance, after going on a field trip to an art gallery, the class
could identify the facts and concepts that they learned. This listing would be
useful for you to determine the extent of student learning.

4. Logs or journals

Learning logs are a way to help students integrate content, process, and
personal feelings. Their use encourages students to be independent in reflecting
on what they learn and how they learn. They also provide the teacher with
valuable information on student learning and any gaps that may need to be
addressed.

Students make entries in their logs/journals at the end of the lesson or

sequence of work by reflecting on their learning by answering questions about
their own learning.

Some possible reflective questions are:

• What did I learn in class today and why?

• What did I find interesting?
• What questions do I have about what I learned?
• What do I need help with?
• What helped the learning to happen?
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• What connections did I make to previous ideas of lessons?

“Journals often focus subjectively on personal experiences, reactions, and

reflections while learning logs are more documentary records of students’ work
process (what they are doing), their accomplishments, ideas, or questions”
(Equipped for the Future, 2004).

5. Projects, reports, or papers

Projects are commonly used by teachers as performance-based activities.

They can include everything from research papers to artistic representations of
information learned. Projects may require students to apply their knowledge and
skills while completing the assigned task. They can be aligned with the higher
levels of creativity, analysis, and synthesis. Students might be asked to complete
reports, diagrams, and maps. Teachers can also choose to have students work
individually or in groups.

6. Models

A model is a representation or description designed to make a particular

part/feature of the world easier to understand, define, quantify, visualize, or
simulate by using multiple forms of data. A model can come in many shapes,
sizes, and styles. In addition, model also represents certain asp ects of students
learning.

Types of Models

a. Physical models are smaller and simpler representations of the thing being
studied. It is also a structure you can touch that scientists build to represent
something else. A globe or a map is a physical model of a portion or all of Earth.

b. Conceptual models tie together many ideas to explain a phenomenon or

event. Conceptual models are qualitative models that help highlight important
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connections in real world systems and processes. They are used as a first step in
the development of more complex models.

c. Mathematical and Statistical models are sets of equations that take into
account many factors to represent a phenomenon. It involves solving relevant
equations of a system or characterizing a system based upon its statistical
parameters such as mean, mode, variance or regression coefficients.
Mathematical models include Analytical models and Numerical Models while
Statistical models are useful in helping identify patterns and underlying
relationships between data sets. Mathematical models are usually done on
computers.

7. Media products

Media products may be described as tangible or intangible. It is also a text

or a group of texts in any media form designed and created for audience
consumption. Working individually or in groups, students are asked in many
classrooms to prepare an audio- tape, video- tape, or computer assisted
presentation concerning some aspect of the curriculum. The final media product
will represent certain aspects of their learning.

Media products are designed and produced in a wide variety of media

forms. The construction of a media product is dependent on the style and genre
of the product and the intended audience, location, context and time in which
the product was created, produced, distributed, consumed and read by
audiences. Media forms refer to technological means and channels by which the
media is created, produced, distributed, consumed and read.

Media forms include:

• Moving image, for example film, television, video, animation

• Still image, for example photography

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• Audio, for example radio, podcast

• Print, for example magazine, zine, comic, graphic novel, newspaper, poster
• Digital, for example online video and audio, streaming video and audio,
podcast, magazine, comic, graphic novel, newspaper, video game, blog,
website, app
• Convergent or hybridized media: the combination or joining of two or
more media forms, such as photography and animation, print productions
and a digital game, augmented and virtual reality products.

The Production Process

The production process refers to the stages (phases) required to complete

a media product, from the idea to the final master copy. The process can apply
to any type of media production including film, video, television and audio
recording. The stages in each medium vary; for example, there is obviously no
storyboard in an audio recording. However, the same general concepts work for
any medium.

The three main stages of production are:

1. Pre-production: Planning, scripting & storyboarding, etc.

2. Production: The actual shooting/recording.
3. Post-production: Everything between production and creating the final
master copy.

8. Peer Reviews and Peer Response

Peer review or peer assessment is a process of evaluating work

performance and products by peers. The value of peer review in the classroom
has been recognized for many years (Gaillet 1992). Researchers have found that
effective peer review in the classroo m stimulates learning and critical thinking
(Herrington and Gadman 1991, Angelo and Cross 1993, Freeman 1994, Johnson
et al. 1998). Peer review in the classroom can enhance numerous employability

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skills such as critical appraisal, writing skills, reflectio n practices and collaborative
experiences. Peer review builds student investment in writing and helps students
understand the relationship between their writing and their coursework. It
encourages students to engage with writing and encourages the self-reflexivity
that fosters critical thinking skills. Students become lifelong thinkers and writers
who learn to question their own work, values, and engagement instead of simply
responding well to a prompt.

Making the writing process more collaborative through peer review allows
students to learn from one another while also considering the importance of
writing in the course. The assignment's objectives are defined. Students are
encouraged to focus on goals rather than being distracted fully by grammar and
mechanics or their nervousness by analyzing whether or not specific student
examples fit the requirements. Peer review encourages students to clarify their
ideas by explaining them to peers and posing questions about their classmates'
work. This is helpful to writers at all skill levels, in all classes, and at all stages of
the writing process.

9. Student Self-Assessment

Students must reflect on their work and evaluate how well they performed
in relation to the assessment criteria in order to complete self-assessment. The
goal isn't necessarily for students to generate their grades, but rather for them to
learn how to recognize what constitutes a good or bad piece of work. As a result,
student participation in the development and understanding of evaluation criteria
is a crucial part of self-assessment. Students gain the ability to evaluate their
performance and identify their strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for
progress through developing reflective skills.

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B. PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

Performance assessment involves students taking part in skill building

activities rather than answering questions about how to perform those skills on
paper. Features of a performance assessment task are:
a) real-world scenarios, b) authentic and a complex process, c) higher-
order thinking and d) transparent evaluation criteria. Performance
assessment is a good opportunity for professors to personalize their courses and
can act as an effective formative assessment when combined with other forms of
assessment.

Performance assessment is especially useful for assessing students’

achievement of complex learning standard (e.g., analyzing author’s purpose),
assessing their ability to apply concepts they learned to solve problems (e.g.,
using understanding of past presidential elections to predict what will happen in
this presidential election), and assessing skills (e.g., using an electronic library
card catalog). Performance criteria must be clear and help students focus on
those things, particularly, so they can “show what they know.” Performance
assessments help show students what real work in a discipline looks like — what
it means to be a writer, mathematician, historian, or scientist, for example. And
when students understand the criteria for success with a learning task and apply
those criteria as they work, research shows that their performance — and their
achievement — increases.

EXAMPLES OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENTS

1. Oral or Mediated Presentations

Oral presentations are a form of assessment that calls on students to use

the spoken word to express their knowledge and understanding of a topic. It
allows capture of not only the research that the students have done but also a
range of cognitive and transferable skills.
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A common format is in-class presentations on a prepared topic, often

supported by visual aids in the form of PowerPoint slides or a Prezi, with a
standard length that varies between 10 and 20 minutes. In-class presentations
can be performed individually or in a small group and are generally followed by a
brief question and answer session. Oral presentations are often combined with
other modes of assessment; for example, oral presentation of a project report,
oral presentation of a poster, commentary on a practical exercise, etc.

This form of assessment places the emphasis on students’ capacity to

arrange and present information in a clear, coherent and effective way’ rather
than on their capacity to find relevant information and sources. However, as
noted above, it could be used to assess bo th.

Oral presentations, depending on the task set, can be particularly useful in

assessing:

▪ knowledge skills and critical analysis

▪ applied problem-solving abilities
▪ ability to research and prepare persuasive arguments
▪ ability to generate and synthesize ideas
▪ ability to communicate effectively
▪ ability to present information clearly and concisely
▪ ability to present information to an audience with appropriate use of visual
and technical aids
▪ time management
▪ interpersonal and group skills.

When using this method, you are likely to aim to assess a combination of
the above to the extent specified by the learning outcomes. It is also important
that all aspects being assessed are reflected in the marking criteria.

In the case of group presentations, you might also assess:

▪ level of contribution to the group
▪ ability to contribute without dominating
▪ ability to maintain a clear role within the group.

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Some students might feel more comfortable or be better able to express

themselves orally than in writing, and vice versa. Others might have particular
difficulties expressing themselves verbally, due for example to hearing or speech
impediments, anxiety, personality, or language abilities. As with any other form
of assessment it is important to be aware of elements that potentially put some
students at a disadvantage and consider solutions that benefit all students.

Oral presentations present minimal risk of academic misconduct. Avoiding

the use of a script can ensure that students are not simply reading out someone
else’s text, whilst the questions posed at the end can allow assessors to gauge
the depth of understanding of the topic and structure presented. It provides a
useful opportunity for students to practice skills which are required in the world
of work. Through the process of preparing for an oral presentation, students can
develop their ability to synthesize information and present to an audience. To
improve authenticity, the assessment might involve the use of an actual
audience, realistic timeframes for preparation, collaboration between students
and be situated in realistic contexts.

2. Actual Demonstrations

Actual Demonstrations or Demonstration of learning is the lesson plan

step in which teachers ask learners to demonstrate their understanding of the
course through a real-life application activity. Ideally, this assessment task will
require learners to demonstrate critical and integrative thinking in a context the
same as, or similar to, the context in which they will need to apply their learning
outside of the classroom.

Actual Demonstrations should be constructed in such a way that the

successful performance of that task becomes a good indication that the learner

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has successfully mastered the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the
outcome back in the rest of their life.

This assessment allows learners to demonstrate their understandings and

skills (to a teacher or an outsider) as they perform a certain activity. They are
evaluated by a teacher or an outsider on the quality of their ability to perform
specific tasks and the products they create in the process.

3. Participation in an Event

Student participation becomes a key component of successful

performance assessment strategies at every step: clarifying the target and
purpose of assessment, discussing the assessment methods, deliberating about
standards for quality work, reflecting on the work. Sharing assessment with
students does not mean that teachers transfer all responsibility to the student
but rather that assessment is shaped and refined from day to day just as
teaching is. For student self- and peer-assessment to be incorporated into
regular practice requires cultivation and integration into daily classroom
discourse, but the results can be well worth the effort.

Self-assessment by the students is not an interesting option or luxury; it

has to be seen as essential. The student is the one who must take action to
“close” the gap between what they know and what is expected. A teacher can
facilitate this process by providing opportunities for participation and multiple
points of entry, but students actually have to take the necessary action.

4. Interviews

Interviews are a highly effective alternative or supplemental assessment

method and teaching tool which students find valuable. It enables them to

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receive immediate feedback, provide a unique setting to explain their work, and
help them feel more responsible and accountable regarding the coursework.

Brief interviews can provide students an opportunity to demonstrate

proficiency. They may be especially appropriate in courses like music, physical
education, science, language, nursing, etc. where mastery of specific skills is an
integral requirement of the course. Brief discussion regarding the student’s
performance may follow, as appropriate. As a supplement to other traditional
assessment methods, interviews can quickly identify what students have done,
as well as what they know. In some courses, it may be appropriate to conduct
longer small group interviews (perhaps for team project reports) which require a
smaller time commitment than individual interviews.

Interviews provide an opportunity for teachers to compliment, assist,

correct, address problems and opportunities, and demonstrate interest. All
interviews may include a mentoring component, but they can be conducted
exclusively for that purpose. Unlike testing and reporting interviews which often
are scheduled for all students, mentoring interviews can be set up more
selectively with a subset of students—those who’ve improved a lot, those who
need to improve a lot, or those who’ve done something exceptional. Unlike other
kinds of meetings students and teachers have in faculty offices, interviews are
scheduled in advance, have stated objectives, and are generally more formal.
Successful student interviews require advance preparation and planning by both
the teacher and the student.

Interviews benefit teachers as well as students. It can help more

accurately assess students’ learning and performance. In some courses,
providing immediate face-to-face feedback takes less time than preparing written
critiques of student work. Problems and misunderstandings can sometimes be
identified and resolved before they become larger. Unlike static written
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assessments where one format must fit all students, interviews provide an
increased opportunity for on-the-spot tailoring and adjustments. Interviews are
also a good way to get to know your students better.

Incorporating student interviews can require significant time and effort

which means that interviewing is not always feasible or appropriate. But these
are interactions that student’s value and learn from.

5. Research And Hands-On Activities

Don’t give students a worksheet and ask them to scour a textbook for the
word or phrase that fills in the blank. Instead, ask students to come up with a
research question and let them “sift through the information” they uncover.
Rather than asking students to memorize years and facts, teach them research
skills. These activities help students see how a social studies education can
prepare them for a real-world job. For example, a 5th grade teacher wanted her
students to experience the work of a museum curator whose job it was to
choose items for an exhibit. She lined a table with blue fabric and gave groups of
students five or six items to identify and interpret. The students had to figure out
what era the items were from, what they were made of, how they were made,
and so on. Some students would sketch what they saw; other students used a
matrix to help them organize their thoughts. In this method, students will get the
hands-on experience of trying to figure out what artifacts can talk about the
people who used the items and about the items in which they lived.

6. Practical And Real-World Activities

When students personally address contemporary societal issues, they gain

a lasting sense of empowerment. Wolfe (2001) observes that such real-world
projects make the curriculum more meaningful to students, although she

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cautions teachers to make sure that each project is closely tied to learning
objectives and that students understand how the project is linked to what they’re
learning. Teachers can further tap into students’ imaginations by conducting
simulations. Although not “real” events, simulations reflect real-world problems
or scenarios and feel authentic to students, thus engaging their emotions and
encouraging interaction.

7. Teacher-Made Tests

Each type of test item has its characteristics, uses, advantages, limitations,
and rules for construction. The preliminary test planning provides a basis for
developing classroom tests that can be used for several instructional purposes.
Selecting test items that are inappropriate for the learning outcomes to be
measured, constructing items with technical defects, or unwittingly including
irrelevant clues in the items can undermine all the careful planning that has gone
on before.

The construction of good tests is an art. The skills it requires are the same
as those found ineffective teaching. Needed is a thorough grasp of the subject
matter, a clear conception of the desired learning outcomes, a psychological
understanding of the students, sound judgment, persistence, and tough
creativity. The only additional requirement is the skillful application of an array of
simple but important rules and suggestions.

The following types of teacher-made tests are:

a. Short Answer and Completion Items

The short-answer item and the completion item both are supply-type test
items that can be answered by a word, phrase, number, or symbol. They are
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different only in the method of presenting the problem. The short-answer item
uses a direct question, whereas the completion item consists of an incomplete
statement.

Example of Short Answer

Who is the national hero of the Philippines? (Jose Rizal)

Example of Completion
The name of the national hero of the Philippines is __________. (Jose Rizal)

Uses of Short-Answer Items

The short-answer item and the completion item are suitable for measuring a
wide variety of relatively simple learning outcomes. The following outcomes and
test items illustrate some of the common uses.

• Knowledge of Terminology
- A piece of land that sticks out from a larger area of water or projecting out into
a body of water is called __________. (peninsula)

• Knowledge of Specific Facts

- The president of the Republic of the Philippines can be elected for a term of
_____ years. (six)

• Knowledge of Principles
- In economics, as the quantity of the good increases, what happens to its
marginal utility? (it decreases)

• Knowledge of Method or Procedure

- What device is used for navigation, construction of landmarks, and measure of
lines in the map? (compass)

• Simple Interpretation of Data

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- How many states does the United States have? (50)

- In the Philippine flag, what do the sun and its rays represent? (liberty and the
first eight provinces to revolt against Spain)

More complex interpretations can be made when the short-answer item is

used to measure the ability to interpret diagrams, charts, graphs, and data. The
following are exceptions if the short-answer items are limited to measuring
simple learning outcomes where the solutions can be indicated by symbols or
numbers:

• Ability to Solve Numerical Problems

• Skill in Manipulating Mathematical Symbols
• Ability to Complete and Balance Chemical Equations

If the short-answer test item is most effective for measuring a specific

learning outcome, then it must be used. We should not discard it for the
selection-type items unless we are fairly certain that the same learning outcome
will be measured. For many of the simpler learning outcomes such as knowledge
of factual information, changing to some form of selection will not decrease the
validity of the measurement and will result in increased objectivity and ease of
scoring. For some of the more complex learning outco mes, however, discarding
the short-answer test item may mean a change in the learning outcomes being
measured and reduce the validity of the intended outcomes. In deciding whether
to use the short-answer items or not, remember that each learning outcome
should be measured as directly as possible and the test-item type most
appropriate for the purpose should be used.

Advantages and Limitations

ADVANTAGES LIMITATIONS
• The short-answer test item is one • Unsuitability for measuring complex
of the easiest to construct because learning outcomes
of the simple learning outcomes it • Difficulty in scoring.

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measures. Problem-solving
outcomes measured in Science and Unless the question is carefully
Mathematics are exceptions since constructed, answers can vary in degrees
the short-answer item is used of correctness so they must also be
almost exclusively to recall considered for total or partial credit. For
memorized information. example, a question like “Where was Jose
Rizal killed?” could be answered by the
name of the exact location, the new name
• The students must apply the of the location, region, country, or
answer. This reduces the possibility continent. Although the teacher may have
that students will obtain the correct an exact answer in mind, the other
answer by guessing. They must answers cannot be dismissed as incorrect.
recall the information or make And even when this problem is avoided,
necessary computations to solve scoring can be contaminated by the
the problem. students’ spelling ability. If full or partial
credit is taken for the misspelled words,
students’ scores will reflect varying
degrees of knowledge and spelling skill.

Suggestions for Constructing Short-Answer Items

1. Word the item so that the required answer is brief and specific.
2. Do not take statements directly from the book.
3. A direct question is more desirable than an incomplete statement.
4. If the answer is to be expressed in numerical units, indicate the type of
answer wanted.
5. Blanks for answers should be equal in length and a column to the right of
the question.
6. When completion items are used, do not include too many blanks.

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CHECKLIST

b. True-False or Alternative Response Items

The alternative-response test item consists of a declarative statement that

the student is asked to mark true or false, right or wrong, correct or incorrect,
yes or no, fact or opinion, agree or disagree and the like. In each cas e, there are
only two possible answers. This item type is frequently referred to as the true or
false since the true or false option is commonly used.

Example:
Directions: Read the following statements. If the statement is true, write T. If
the statement is false, write F.
__T___1. The Philippine Constitution is the highest law of our country.
__T___2. Emilio Aguinaldo is the first president of the Republic of the
Philippines.
__F___3. Sepak Takraw is the national sport of the Philippines.

Uses of True-False Items

Probably the most common use of the true-false item is in measuring the
ability to identify the correctness of a statement, fact, the definition of a term;

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principle, etc. For measuring simple learning outcomes, a single declarative

sentence is used.
• One of the useful functions of the alternative-response item is in
measuring the students’ ability to distinguish facts from opinions.
• These items measure a learning outcome that is important to all subject
matter: If students think carefully about the topic, they must be able to
identify facts from opinions and answer correctly.
• Alternative-response items include several opinion statements to which
students are required to respond true or false. This is frustrating in the
sense that there is no objective basis for determining whether a statement
is true or false. The students usually guess the answer.
• Items like these also measure the understanding of the opinion
statements attributed to an individual or group.
• Alternative-response test items can measure the students’ ability to
recognize cause-and-effect relationships. This type of item usually
contains two propositions in one statement, and the students judge
whether the relationship is true or false.

Example:
Directions: In each of the following statements, both parts of the statement are
true. You are to decide whether the second part explains why the first part is
true. If it does, encircle YES. If it doesn’t, encircle NO.

YES NO 1. The Thirty Years’ War started because Ferdinand II, emperor of
the Holy Roman Empire imposed religious uniformity.

YES NO 2. The French intervened in the Thirty Years’ War because of its
rivalry with Spain and inability to tolerate being encircled by the Hapsburg.

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• The true or false item can also be used to measure some simple aspects
of logic. A common criticism of the true or false item is that a student may
be able to recognize a false statement as incorrect but still unable to know
what is correct. For example, when students answer the following item as
false, it does not indicate whether they know the exact date of when the
Age of Enlightenment happened; all the answer tells us is that they know
it did not happen in the 11th century.

Example:
T F 1. The Age of Enlightenment happened in the 11th century.

Advantages and Limitations

• A major advantage of the true or • One of the limitations of this is in

false items is that they are the types of learning outcomes
efficient. Students can respond to that can be measured. True-false
the question faster than to items are not useful beyond the
respond in a multiple-choice test. knowledge area.
• True-false items have utility for • Another limitation is that it is
measuring a broad range of verbal susceptible to guessing. With only
knowledge two choices, a student has a 50
• It is more illusory than real: ease percent chance of selecting the
of construction. This is probably correct answer. The likelihood of
because of the common practice successful guessing has two
of taking a statement from a implications: (a) the reliability of
textbook. However, such items each item is low, and (b) the
can be answered by students diagnostic value of such a test is
easily. In a way, it is easy to practically nil since the responses
construct poor true-false items. It of the students are meaningless.
requires a skill to construct a true- • Another caution when
false item that measures constructing a true-false test is
significant learning outcomes. student response sets. A response
• A wide range of course material set is a consistent tendency to
can be obtained. Since it is easy to follow a certain pattern in
answer, teachers can cover a wide responding to an item. For
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range of content. example, some will consistently

• True-false items are most mark “true” those items that they
useful in situations in which do not know and others will mark
there are only two possible “false.” Thus, if there is not a
alternatives. balance between true and false
items, a given test will favor one
set over another and introduce an
element into the test score that is
irrelevant to the purpose of the
test.

Suggestions for Constructing True-False Items

1. Avoid broad general statements if they are to be judged as true or false.

Most broad generalizations are false unless qualified, and the use of
qualifiers provides clues to the answer.
2. Avoid trivial statements.
3. Avoid the use of negative statements, especially double negative
4. Avoid long complex sentences.
5. Avoid including two ideas in one statement unless cause-effect
relationships are being measured
6. If an opinion is used, attribute it to some source, unless the ability to
identify opinions is being measured.
7. True statements and false statements should be approximately equal in
length.
8. The number of true statements and false statements should be
approximately equal.

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CHECKLIST

c. Matching Exercises

The matching type exercise consists of two parallel columns with each
word, number, or symbol in one column being matched to a word, sentence, or
phrase in the other column. The items in the column from which the selection is
made are called premises, and the items in the column from which the selection
is made are called responses. The basis for matching premises to responses is
sometimes self-evident but more often must be explained in the directions. The
student’s task is to identify the pairs of items that are to be associated on the
basis indicated.

Example:

Directions: On the line to the left of each event in Philippine history in Column A,
write the letter of the heroes in Column B who fought in it. Each name in Column
B may be used once, more than once, or not at all.

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Column A Column B
1. Battle of Mactan A. Gregorio del Pilar
2. Battle of Caloocan B. Andres Bonifacio
3. Battle of Manila Bay C. Antonio Luna
4. Battle of Tirad Pass D. George Dewey
5. Kawit Revolt E. Jose Rizal
F. Emilio Aguinaldo
G. Lapulapu

This matching exercise illustrates an imperfect match. There are more

names in column B than are needed to match each event in column A. The
directions also indicate that an item may be used once, more than once, or not
at all. These procedures prevent students from matching the final pair of items
based on elimination.

Uses of Matching Exercises

The matching exercise is limited to measuring factual information based

on simple associations. Whenever learning outcomes emphasize the ability to
identify the relationship between two things and a sufficient number of
homogeneous premises and responses can be obtained, a matching exercise
seems most appropriate. It is a compact and efficient method of measuring such
simple knowledge outcomes. The examples of relationships that teachers
acknowledge as important are:

• Persons………….…. Achievements
• Dates………….……. Historical events
• Terms……….……… Definitions
• Rules………….……. Examples
• Symbols……….….. Concepts
• Authors………….… Title of books
• Foreign words..… English Equivalents
• Machines……….… Uses

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• Plants/Animals…. Classification
• Principles……….… Illustrations
• Objects………….… Name of Objects
• Parts…………….…. Functions

The matching exercise is also used with pictorial materials in relating

pictures and words or to identify positions on maps, charts, and diagrams.
Regardless of the form of presentation, the student’s task is to relate two things
that have a logical basis for association. This restricts the use of the matching
exercises to a small area of student achievement.

Advantages and Limitations

• One major advantage is the • It is restricted to the measurement

compact form that makes it of factual information based on rote
possible to measure a large amount learning that is highly susceptible to
of related factual material in a the presence of irrelevant clues.
relatively short time. • It is difficult to find homogeneous
• It is easy to construct. material that is significant from the
viewpoint of the objectives and
learning outcomes. For instance,
less significant material is
introduced into the test because
enough significant homogeneous
material is unavailable.

Suggestions for Constructing Matching Exercises

1. Use only homogeneous material in a single matching exercise.

2. Include an unequal number of responses and premises and instruct the
students that responses may be used once, more than once, or not at all.
This will make the responses eligible for selection for each premise and
will decrease the likelihood of successful guessing.
3. Keep the list of items to be matched brief and place the shorter responses
to the right. This is beneficial to both students and teachers. Teachers find
it easier to maintain homogeneity in a brief list while it will enable
students to read the responses rapidly and without confusion.

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4. Arrange the list of responses in a logical order, place words in alphabetical

order, and numbers in sequence.
5. Indicate in the directions the basis for matching the responses and
premises.
6. Place all the items for one matching exercise on the same page.

CHECKLIST

d. Multiple Choice Items

The multiple-choice item is considered the most widely applicable and

useful type of objective test item. It can effectively measure several simple
learning outcomes measured by short-answer item, true-false item, and
matching exercise. It can also measure a variety of complex outcomes in the
knowledge, understanding, and application areas. This flexibility plus the higher
quality items usually found in the multiple-choice form has led to its extensive
use in achievement testing.

Whether you use a direct question or incomplete statement in the stem

depends on several factors. The direct question form is easier to write, more
natural for students, and more likely to present a formulated problem.
Meanwhile, the incomplete statement is more concise and can also present a
well-defined problem. A common procedure is to start each stem as a direct
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question and shift to the incomplete-statement form only when the clarity of the
problem can be retained, and greater conciseness achieved.

Example:
Direct Question
In which of the following cities is the capital of the Philippines?
a. Manila
b. Cebu
c. Davao
d. Iloilo

Incomplete Statement
The capital of the Philippines is in
a. Manila
b. Cebu
c. Davao
d. Iloilo

In these examples, there is only one correct answer. The capital of the
Philippines is Manila and nowhere else. All other alternatives are wrong. This is
known as the correct-answer type of multiple-choice item. Not all knowledge can
be stated so precisely that there is only one correct response. When we get
beyond the simple aspects of knowledge, represented by questions of the who,
what, when, where variety, answers of varying degrees of acceptability are the
rule. Questions of why variety tend to reveal several possible reasons, some are
better than others. Questions of how variety usually reveals several procedures,
some are more desirable than the others. Measures of achievement in these
areas become a matter of selecting the best answer. This type is useful for
measuring learning outcomes that require the understanding, application, or
interpretation of factual information. The best-answer type of multiple-choice is
more difficult than the correct-answer type. This is because of the finer
discriminations called for and partly because such items are used to measure
more complex learning.

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Example:
Best-answer type
Which of the following factors is given the most consideration when selecting a
city for a state capital?
a. Location
b. Climate
c. Highways
d. Population

Which important factor contributed to the weakness in the internalization of

desirable values?
a. Lack of models among the very people expected to exemplify these values
b. Use of approaches that are mainly cognitive rather than effective
c. Lack of follow up systems from one grade level to another
d. Minimum recognition and appreciation were given to teachers

Uses of Multiple-Choice Items

The multiple-choice item is the most flexible and versatile type of test. It
can measure a variety of learning outcomes and is adaptable to most types of
subject-matter content.

Measuring Knowledge Outcomes

• Knowledge Terminology
A simple but basic learning outcome measured by multiple-choice items is
knowledge of terminology. Students can be requested to show their knowledge
of a particular term by selecting a word that has the same meaning as the given
term or by choosing a definition of the term. Special uses can be measured by
having students identify the meaning of the term when used in context

• Knowledge of Specific Facts

It provides a necessary basis for developing understanding, thinking skills,
and other complex learning outcomes. Multiple-choice items designed to

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measure specific facts can take various forms, but questions of the who, what,
when, where variety is most common

• Knowledge of Principles
Knowledge of principles is also an important learning outcome. Multiple-
choice items can be constructed to measure knowledge of principles as easily as
those designed to measure facts.

• Knowledge of Methods and Procedures

Another common learning outcome readily acceptable to the multiple-
choice format is knowledge of methods and procedures. This includes diverse
ideas as knowledge of laboratory procedures; knowledge of methods in
underlying communication; computational and performance skills; knowledge of
methods used in problem-solving; knowledge of governmental procedures; and
knowledge of common social practices.

Measuring Outcomes at the Understanding and Application Levels

• Ability to Identify Application of Facts and Principles

A common method to determine students’ learning that goes beyond
memorization of a fact or principle is to ask them to identify its correct
application in a situation that is new to the student. Application items measure
understanding and ability to transfer learning to situations that have not been
studied.

• Ability to Interpret Cause-and-Effect Relationship

Understanding can be measured by asking students to interpret
relationships among facts. One of the most important and common is the cause-
and-effect relationship. Understanding such a relationship can be measured by
presenting students with a specific cause-and-effect relationship and asking them
to identify the reason that best accounts for it.

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• Ability to Justify Methods and Procedures

A student might know the correct method in carrying out a procedure
without being able to explain why it is the best method. At the understanding
level, we are interested in the students’ ability to justify the use of a particular
method or procedure. This can be measured with multiple -choice items by asking
the student to select the best of several possible explanations of a method or
procedure.

Advantages and Limitations

• It can effectively measure various • It is limited to learning outcomes

types of knowledge and complex at the verbal level.
learning outcomes. • It requires selection of the correct
• An advantage to the true-false item answer and therefore, it is not well
is that students cannot receive adapted to measuring some
credit for simply knowing that the problem-solving skills in
statement is incorrect; they must mathematics and science or to
also know what is correct. measuring the ability to organize
• Using the best-answer type of and present ideas.
multiple-choice items also • It is difficult to find a sufficient
circumvents a difficulty associated number of incorrect but plausible
with the true-false item- obtaining distracters.
statements that are true or false
without qualification.
• It has greater reliability than true-
false items.
• The need for homogeneous material
is avoided
• Free from response sets.
• Using several plausible alternatives
makes the results amenable to
diagnosis.
• It is easier to construct high-quality
multiple-choice items than in any
other form.

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Suggestions for Constructing Multiple-Choice Items

1. The stem of the item should be meaningful by itself and should present a
definite problem

2. The item stem should include as much of the item as possible and should
be free from irrelevant material.
3. Use a negatively stated item only when significant learning outcomes
require it.
4. All of the alternatives should be grammatically consistent with the stem of
the item.
5. An item should contain only one correct or best answer.
6. Items used to measure understanding sho uld contain some novelty, but
beware of too much.
7. All distracters should be plausible. The purpose of the distracter is to
distract the uninformed from the correct answer.

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8. Verbal associations between the stem and the correct answer should be
avoided.
9. The length of the alternatives should not provide a clue to the answer.
10. The correct answer should appear in each of the alternative positions an
approximately equal number of times but in random order.
11. Use sparingly special alternatives such as “none of the above” or “all of
the above.”
12. Do not use multiple-choice items when other item types are more
appropriate.

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CHECKLIST

e. Essay Questions

Some important learning outcomes may best be measured by the use of

open-ended essay questions or other types of performance assessments. Essay
questions provide the freedom of response that is needed to adequately assess
the ability of students to formulate problems; organize, integrate, and evaluate
ideas and information and apply knowledge and skills.

Forms and Uses of Essay Questions

• To measure knowledge of factual information. It certainly can be

useful to ask students to generate, in their own words, the plot of a story,
the causes of a historical event, or the steps in a scientific process, all of
which may be provided by a text.
• Freedom of response. Students are free to construct, relate, and
present ideas in their own words.
• To measure those learning outcomes that is not readily
measured by objective test items. Learning outcomes concerned with

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the abilities to conceptualize, construct, organize, integrate, relate, and

evaluate ideas require the freedom of response and the originality
provided by essay questions.
• Essay assessments can be useful ways of assessing student
understanding and ability to organize and apply information in a
content area such as history, civics, literature, science, or
mathematics.
• Essay questions are widely used where the main focus is on
evaluating student writing without regard to any particular
subject-matter content. Essay assessments may also be used to focus
teacher and student attention on the writing process itself through the
use of various prewriting activities (e.g., discussion, listing and organizing
ideas, constructing outlines, and clarification of audience) as well as the
initial drafting and revision of essays.

Essay questions can be conveniently classified into two types:

1. Restricted-Response Essay Questions

2. Extended-Response Essays

1. Restricted-Response Essay Questions

• Usually limits both the content and the response.
• The content is usually restricted by the scope of the topic to be
discussed.
• Limitations on the form of response are generally indicated in the
question.
• More structured than the extended-response essay.

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2. Extended-Response Essays
• Allows students to select any factual information that they think is
pertinent, to organize the answer in accordance with their best judgment,
and to integrate and evaluate ideas as they deem appropriate.
• This freedom enables them to demonstrate their ability to analyze
problems, organize their ideas, describe in their own words, and/or
develop a coherent argument.
• If analysis, organization, integration, creative expression, and evaluation
skills are emphasized in the grading of the essays as well as in
instruction, this form of assessment also makes clear the value that is
placed on these higher–order thinking skills.
• Yet, as this freedom enables the demonstration of creative expression
and other higher-order thinking skills, it makes the extended-response
question inefficient for measuring more specific learning outcomes and
introduces scoring difficulties.

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Advantages and Limitations of Essay Questions

ADVANTAGES DISADVANATGES
• It measures complex learning • Unreliability of the scoring. Various
outcomes that cannot be studies have shown that written
measured by other mean; but the essays are scored differently by
use of essay questions does not different teachers and that even
guarantee the measurement of the same teachers score
complex achievement. responses differently at different
• Its emphasis on the integration times.
and application of thinking and • Failure to identify clearly the
problem-solving skills. learning outcomes being
• Essay assessments enable the measured and the failure to
direct evaluation of writing skills, establish well-defined scoring
in other cases, the assessment of rubrics. When the evaluation of
writing skills may be the sole or answers is not guided by clearly
primary purpose. defined outcomes and scoring
• Ease of constructions. In a matter rubrics, it tends to be based on
of minutes, most teachers can less stable, intuitive judgments.
formulate several essay • Amount of time required for
questions, an attractive feature scoring the responses. Scoring is
for busy teacher. done conscientiously, and helpful
• Its contribution to student feedback is provided to students
learning can be direct. The that may require several hours of
process of preparing a response scoring time. With fewer essay
to an extended-response essay questions to score in a given test,
question, for example, may also more time will be available for
be an affective learning exercise. evaluating the answers.

Suggestions for Constructing Essay Questions

1. Restrict the use of essay questions to those learning outcomes that cannot
be measured satisfactorily by objective items.

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• Complex learning outcomes such as those pertaining to the organization,

integration, and expression of ideas will be neglected unless essay
questions are used.
• By restricting the use of essay questions to these areas, the evaluation of
student achievement can be most fully realized.

2. Construct questions that will call forth the skills specified in the
learning standards

• Each question should be carefully designed to require students to

demonstrate achievement defined in the desired learning outcomes. (See
the box next page for examples of many types of questions that might be
asked)
•

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3. Phrase the question so that the student’s task is clearly defined

• The purpose a teacher had in mind when developing the question may not
be conveyed to the students if the question contains ambiguous phrasing.
• One way to clarify question is to make it as specific as possible.

4. Indicate an approximate time limit for each question

• As each question is constructed, the teacher should estimate the

approximate time needed for a satisfactory response.
• In allotting response time, keep the slower students in mind. Most errors
in allotting time needed are in giving too little time.
• It is better to use fewer questions and give more generous time limits
than to put some students at a disadvantage.
• The adequacy of time limits might very well be emphasized in the
introductory remarks so as to allay any anxiety that might arise.

5. Avoid the use of optional questions

• For example, the teacher may include six essay questions in a test and
direct the students to respond to any three of them.

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• When students anticipate the use of optional questions, they can prepare
responses on several topics in advance, commit them to memory, and
then select questions to which the responses are most appropriate.
• This provides a distorted measure of the student’s achievement, and it
also tends to have an undesirable influence on study habits, as intensive
preparation in a relatively few areas is encouraged.

CHECKLIST

IV. THE ROLE OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

At most schools, performance assessment supplement more traditional

forms on teaching and learning–they extend and apply learning and provide a
form of alternative assessment.

There are four reasons to use performance assessments:

• Personalized Learning. Performance assessment is a critical component of

creating high engagement learner-centered environment and a show what
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you know culture. Many open-ended forms of performance assessment are

at least partially interest-based. Projects often give students some control
over themes, pacing, and the final product. Compared to didactic
instruction and selected response tests, performance tasks can produce high
levels of motivation and engagement.

• Formative Assessment. Short performance assessment can be incorporated

into units of instruction to check for understanding. Performance tasks can
be combined with other forms of assessment to guide progress through
units of study.

• Competency Education. Longer and more comprehensive performance

assessments can serve as a matriculation gateway in a competency-based
environment.

• Standards-based Education. Performance assessments are often the best

way to apply knowledge and skills–particularly those difficult to measure in
traditional ways such as critical thinking, collabo ration, effective
communications, and academic mindset.

V. RIGOR AND RELEVANCE OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT

If the goal of performance assessment is to give students opportunities to

apply their knowledge and skills to complex, real-world problems or tasks, it is
important to ensure that the tasks you develop are both intellectually rigorous
and relevant to students. Rigor and relevance are key characteristics of good
performance assessments. Think about the higher levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy of
Knowledge: application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These levels
represent complex ways individuals use knowledge. To ensure that rigor and
relevance is present in a performance assessment, have students combine many
pieces of information in logical and creative ways. In other words, have them
apply, analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information in order to present it to
someone else.
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ASSEMBLING THE TEST/GROUPING AND ARRANGING TEST ITEMS

From Simple to Complex

Effective classroom assessment begins with an assessment plan that
specifically describes the instructional objectives and content to be measured and
the relative emphasis to be given to each intended learning outcome. This is
followed by the selection of the most appropriate item and task formats (e.g.,
multiple choice, essay, or hands-on performance assessment) and the
preparation of items and tasks that are relevant to the learning outcomes
specified in the plan.

The only way we can ensure that a classroom test will serve its intended
purpose is to identify the learning outcomes we want to measure and then to
construct test items and assessment tasks that call forth the specific
performance described in the learning outcomes.

Always keep in mind that the goal throughout the preparation and use of
classroom tests and assessments is to obtain valid evidence of student learning.

ASSEMBLING THE CLASSROOM TEST

The preparation of items for use in a test is greatly facilitated if the items
are properly recorded, if they are written at least several days before they are to
be used, and if extra items are constructed.

➢ Recording Test Items

• When constructing the test items, it is desirable to write each one in a
form that makes it possible to easily address and retrieve individual items.
• The items may be written into a word-processing program or onto index
card.

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• In addition to the test item, the item record should contain information
concerning the instructional objective, the specific learning outcome, and
the content measured by the item.

➢ Reviewing Test Items and Assessment Tasks

• In reviewing test items and tasks, we should try to view them from the
student’s perspective as well as from that of the teacher. From these two
vantage points, each item or task should be read carefully and its
effectiveness judge.

The following questions will help you analyze the quality of each item or task:

1. Is the format appropriate for the learning outcome being measured?

2. Does the knowledge, understanding, or thinking skill called forth by the
item or task match the specific learning outcome and subject-matter
content being measured?
3. Is the point of the item or task clear?
4. Is the item or task free from excessive verbiage?
5. Does the item have answer that would be agreed on by the experts?
How well would experts about the degree of excellence of task
performances?
6. Is the item or task free from technical errors and irrelevant clues?
7. Is the item or task free from racial, ethnic, and gender bias?

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When items or tasks have been revised and those to be included in the test or
assessment have been tentatively selected, ask the following questions:

1. Does the set of items and tasks measure a representative sample of the
learning outcomes and course content included in the assessment plan?

2. Are there enough items or tasks for each interpretation to be made?

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3. Is the difficulty of the items and tasks appropriate for the measurement
purpose and for the students for whom the test or assessment is intended?

4. Are the test items free from overlapping so that the information in one does
not provide a clue to the answer in another?

ARRANGING ITEMS IN THE TEST

There are various methods of grouping items in an achievement test, and

the method will vary somewhat depending on the use of the results.

For most classroom purposes, the items can be arranged by a systematic

consideration of:
(a) the types of items used,
(b) the learning outcomes measured,
(c) the difficulty of the items, and
(d) the subject matter measured.

First, items should be arranged in sections by item type. That is, all true-
false items could be grouped together, then all matching items, then all
multiple-choice items, and so on. This arrangement requires the fewest sets
directions, it is the easiest for the students because they can retain same mental
set throughout each section, and it greatly facilitates scoring. When two or more
item types are included in a test, there is also some advantage in keeping the
simpler item types together and placing the more complex ones in the test, as
follows:

1. True-false or alternative-response items

2. Matching items
3. Short-answer items
4. Multiple-choice items
5. Interpretive exercises
6. Restricted-response essay questions
7. Restricted-response performance tasks

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Extended-response essay questions and performance tasks usually take

enough time that they would be administered alone. If combined with some of
the other types of items and tasks listed previously, the extended response tasks
should come last.

Arranging the sections of the test in this order produces a sequence that
roughly approximates the complexity of the learning outcomes measured,
ranging from the simple to the complex. It is then merely a matter of grouping
the items within each item type. For, this purpose, items that measure similar
outcomes should be placed together and then arranged in order of ascending
difficulty. For example, the items in the multiple-choice section might be
arranged in the following order: (a) knowledge of terms, (b) knowledge of
specific facts, (c) knowledge of principles, and (d) application of principles.

If, for any reason, it is not feasible to group the items by the learning
outcomes measured, then it is still desirable to arrange them in order of
increasing difficulty. Beginning with the easiest items and proceeding gradually
to the most difficult has a motivating effect on students. Also, encountering
difficult items early in the test often causes students to spend a disproportionate
amount of time on such items. If the test is long, they may be forced to omit
later questions that they could easily have answered.

With the items classified by item type, the sections of the test and the
items within each section can be arranged in order of increasing difficulty.

Extended-response essay questions, by their very nature, require separate

administration. Performance-based tasks or oral presentations requiring
extended time or access to such resources as the library, laboratory equipment,
or a computer for construction of a response also obviously need to be assigned
as separate units rather than as part of a classroom test.

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To summarize, the most effective method for organizing items in the

typical classroom test is to: (a) form sections by item type, (b) group the items
within each section by the learning outcomes measured, and (c) arrange both
the sections and the items within sections in an ascending order of difficulty. Use
subject-matter groupings only when needed for some specific purpose.

Activity 2

Directions: With your peers, choose three among the Performance-based

assessments and three among the teacher-made tests and fill in the information
required by the matrix below.

Performance-Based Definition
Use/ Importance
Assessment (one sentence only)

Definition
Teacher-made
(one sentence When to use Example
Tests
only)

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 UNIT 4 Evaluation in Secondary Social Studies

Assessment

A. Instruction (INDIVIDUAL TASK): Answer the following questions.

Write your answers before the item.
1. Assessment: ___________; __________: what has been learned.
A. why learning is going, Precision
B. how learning is going, Evaluation
C. who is learning, Evaluation
D. where learning is on-going, Precision
2. Which of the following does not belong to group?
A. Summative Assessment
B. Formative Assessment
C. Teacher’s Assessment
D. Pre-Assessment
3. Assessments are important to use by teachers to?
A. find out their strengths and weaknesses in learning and
then take a step to ignore them.
B. provide feedback on how the students are learning.
C. discover what students know, what they do not know, and
what they want to know.
D. B and C are correct.
4. Essay questions provide the freedom of response that is needed to
adequately assess what abilities of students?
A. The ability of students to formulate problems, organize,
integrate, and evaluate ideas and information and apply
knowledge and skills.
B. The ability of students to think of others’ problems,
breakdown, relate, discriminate and present ideas from
online sources.

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 UNIT 4 Evaluation in Secondary Social Studies

C. The ability of students to understand unnecessary

information and expand it further.
D. Both A and B are correct.
5. The short-answer item and the completion item can be answered in
______________.
A. sentences and/or clauses
B. several paragraphs
C. a word, phrase, number, or symbol
D. All of the above

B. Instruction: Write TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if

otherwise.
6. To review test items and tasks, this should be viewed from the
principal’s perspective as well as from that of the parents.
7. Multiple choice items allow students to select any factual information
that they think is pertinent, to organize the answer in accordance with
their best judgment, and to integrate and evaluate ideas as they deem
appropriate.
8. Whenever learning outcomes emphasize the ability to identify the
relationship between two things and a sufficient number of
homogeneous premises and responses can be obtained, a matching
exercise seems most appropriate.
9. Summative Assessment evaluates the quality of the final product and
finds out the extent to which the instructional objectives have been
achieved.
10. Restricted-response essay used with pictorial materials in relating
pictures and words or to identify positions on maps, charts, and
diagrams.

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UNIT 4 FINAL EVALUATION

General Instructions:

You are tasked to create a 50-item exam incorporating the five types of
teacher-made tests which includes, 1.) Short Answer and Completion Items, 2.)
True-False Alternative Response Items, 3.) Matching Exercises, 4.) Multiple
Choice Items, and 5.) Essay Questions. The topic of your exam will solely focus
on the lessons found in Unit 4 – Assessment and Evaluation in Secondary Social
Studies.
After making your exam, find a partner and exchange your test sheets.
Let both of you answer the exam made by the other. Place your answers in a
clean sheet of paper. After which, scan your answer sheets and submit it to the
owner of the exam. After checking each other’s paper, record your score for it
will be 50% of your total rating for this output. Next, submit your answer sheets
along with the exam you made.
Note: The overall structure and presentation of exam depends upon you.

Format – pdf file

Paper Size – Legal
Font Style and Size - Tahoma (12)
Scoring:
• Exam Score - (50%)
• Course Facilitator’s Rating - (50%)
Total 100%

Criteria for Rating

Content 15
Structure 15
Comprehensiveness 20
Total 50

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 UNIT 4 Evaluation in Secondary Social Studies

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