LECTURE NOTES IN ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 1

LECTURE 1 Basic Concepts in Assessment

Introduction
Assessment of Learning focuses on the development and utilization of assessment tools to improve
the teaching-learning process.

• It emphasizes on the use of testing for measuring knowledge, comprehension and other
thinking skills.

• We need to find out if the learners are actually learning as a result of teaching…change of
behavior.

• Assessment is a means of finding out what learning is taking place.

There is a lot of debate about how to assess learning, and especially about how to evaluate
performance. The assessment itself can be done in different ways:

1. Ask the learner to recall facts or principles (Ex: What is ‘x’?).

2. Ask the learner to apply given or recalled facts or principles (Ex: How does ‘x’ help you solve
this problem?).

3. Ask the learner to select and apply facts and principles to solve a given problem (Ex: What do
you know that will help you solve this problem?).

4. Ask the learner to formulate and solve his or her own problem by selecting, generating, and
applying facts and principles (Ex: What do I see as the pro as the problem here and how can I
reach a satisfying solution?).

5. Ask the learner to perform tasks that shows mastery of the learning outcomes.

6. Learners should be actively involved in both the development of learning objectives, and as
much as possible in their own assessment.
In many education systems, assessment is used as a tool for ‘sorting’ students for selection
process (progression to a higher level of education, higher rewards, among others).
Assessment where students are compared with each other is known as norm-referencing.
Assessment of learners in relation to a particular target or level of performance is called
criterion-referencing.
Different terminologies: assessment, test, measurement, & evaluation

• The term ASSESSMENT refers to the different components and activities of different schools.

• An assessment can be used to student learning and in comparing student learning with the
learning goals of an academic program.

• Assessment is defined as an act or process of collecting and interpreting information about

student learning.

• A systematic process of gathering, interpreting, and using this information about student
learning.

• It emphasizes on individual student or groups of individuals and on the academic program of a

certain educational institution.
 • There are different purposes of assessment such as: to provide feedback to students and to
serve as diagnostic tool for instruction.

• For this purpose assessment usually answers the questions, “Was the instruction
effective?” and “Did the students achieve the intended learning outcomes?”

• Assessment is a general term that includes different ways that the teachers used to gather
information in the classroom.

• The most common for assessment is giving a test.

• Since test is a form of assessment, hence, it also answers the question, “how does individual
student perform?”

• Test is formal and systematic instrument, usually paper and pencil procedure designed to
assess the quality, ability, skill or knowledge of the students by giving a set of question in
uniform manner.

• Testing is one of the different methods used to measure the level of performance or
achievement of the learners.

• Also, it refers to the administration, scoring, and interpretation of the procedures designed to
get information about the extent of the performance of the students.

• Measurement is a process of quantifying or assigning number to the individual’s intelligence,

personality, attitudes and values, and achievement of the students.

• Express the assessment data in terms of numerical values and answer the question, “how
much?”

• Evaluation refers to the process of judging the quality of what is good and what is desirable.
• It is a comparison of data to a set of standard or learning criteria for the purpose of judging the
worth or quality.
Types of assessment procedures
NATURE OF ASSESSMENT

1. Maximum Performance – it is used to determine what individuals can do when performing at

their best. Examples of instruments using maximum performance are aptitude tests and
achievement tests.

2. Typical Performance – it is used to determine what individuals will do under natural

conditions. Examples of instruments using typical performance are attitude, interest, and
personality inventories, observational techniques and peer appraisal.
FORMAT OF ASSESSMENT

1. Fixed-choice Test – an assessment used to measure knowledge and skills effectively and
efficiently. Standard multiple-choice test is an example of instrument used in fixed-choice test.

2. Complex-performance Assessment – an assessment procedure used to measure the

performance of the learner in contexts and on problems valued in their own right. Examples of
instruments used in complex-performance assessments are hands-on laboratory experiment,
projects, essays, oral presentation.
ROLE OF ASSESSMENT IN CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION

• According to Swearingen (2002) and Kellough (1999), Teaching and Learning are reciprocal
processes that depend on and affect one another.
• Assessment enhances learning in the instructional processes if the result provides feedbacks
to both students and teachers.
There are four roles of assessment used in the instructional process.
Beginning of Instruction

• Placement Assessment according to Gronlund, Linn, and Miller (2009) is concerned with the
entry performance. The purpose of placement assessment is to determine the prerequisite
skills, degree of mastery of the course objectives and the best mode of learning.
During Instruction

• The main concern of a classroom teacher is to monitor the learning progress of the students.

• Teacher should assess whether students achieved the intended learning outcomes set for a
particular lesson.

• The teacher should provide a feedback to reinforce learning.

During Instruction

✓ Diagnostic Assessment is a type of assessment given at the beginning of instruction or

during instruction.

✓ It aims to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the students regarding the topics to be
discussed. The purposes of diagnostic assessment are:

a) To determine the level of competence of the students;

b) To identify the students who already have knowledge about the lesson;

c) To determine the causes of learning problems that cannot be revealed by formative

assessment; and d) To formulate a plan for remedial action.

During Instruction

✓ Formative Assessment is a type of assessment used to monitor the learning progress of the
students during instruction. The purposes of the formative assessment are the following:

a) To provide immediate feedback to both student and teacher regarding the success and

failures of learning; b) To identify the learning errors that are in need of correction;

c) To provide teachers with information on how to modify instruction; and

d) To improve learning and instruction

End of Instruction

✓ Summative Assessment is a type of assessment usually given at the end of a course or unit.
The purposes of summative assessment are:

a) To determine the extent to which the instructional objectives have been met;

b) To certify student mastery of the intended learning outcomes as well as use it for assigning
grades;

c) To provide information for judging appropriateness of the instructional objectives; and

d) To determine the effectiveness of instruction.

METHODS OF INTERPRETING THE RESULTS

1. Norm-referenced Interpretation – it is used to describe student performance according to

relative position in some known group. In this method of interpretation it is assumed that the
level of performance of students will not vary much from one class to another class.

2. Criterion-referenced Interpretation – it is used to describe student performance according to

a specified domain of clearly defined learning tasks. This method of interpretation is used when
the teacher wants to determine how well the students have learned specific knowledge or skills
in a certain course or subject matter.
MODES OF ASSESSMENT
Traditional Assessment - it is a type of assessment in which the students choose their answer
from a given list of choices. In traditional assessment, students are expected to recognize that
there is only one correct answer or best answer for the question asked.
Alternative Assessment – students create an original response to answer a certain question.
Students respond to a question using their own ideas, in their own words.
Components of Alternative Assessment

a) Assessment is based on authentic tasks that demonstrate students’ ability to accomplish

communication goals.

b) The teacher and students focus on communication, not on right and wrong answers.

c) Students help the teacher to set the criteria for successful completion of communication tasks.

d) Students have opportunities to assess themselves and their peers.

Performance Assessment. It is an assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world
tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills.

It is the direct, systematic observation of an actual student performance and the rating of that
performance according to previously established performance criteria.
Portfolio Assessment. It is a systematic, longitudinal collection of student work created in
response to specific known instructional objectives and evaluated in relation to the same criteria
(Ferenz, K., 2001)
… is also an alternative to pen-and-paper objective test.
… a purposeful, on-going, dynamic and collaborative process of gathering multiple indicators of
the learner’s growth and development.
Portfolio is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress and
achievements in one or more areas over a period of time.

• Established guidelines are set-up

• Students are engaged in the selection of some materials

• Clear and well-specified scoring criteria

Reasons for Using Portfolio Assessment
It tests what is really happening in the classroom
It offers multiple indicators of students’ progress
It gives the students the responsibility of their own learning.
It offers opportunities for students to document reflections of their learning.
 It demonstrates what the students know in ways that encompasses their personal learning
styles and multiple intelligences.
It offers teachers new role in the assessment process.
It allows teachers to reflect on the effectiveness of their instruction.
It provides teachers freedom of gaining insights into the student’s development or achievement
over a period of time.
Principles of Portfolio Assessment
Content Principle suggest that portfolio should reflect the subject matter that is important for the
students to learn.
Learning Principle suggest that portfolio should enable the students to become active and
thoughtful learners.
Equity Principle explains that portfolios should allow students to demonstrate their learning styles
and multiple intelligences.
Types of Portfolio
Working Portfolio (Growth or Development Portfolio)
A collection of student’s day-to-day works which reflect his/ her learning.
Show Portfolio (Display, Showcase, Best Works)
A collection of a student’s best works. Student chooses work, profile are accomplishments and
individual profile emerges.
Documentary Portfolio
A combination of a working and a show portfolio. Like a scrapbook of information This includes
observations, tests, checklists, and rating scales.
Assessment Portfolio
document what a student has learned based on standards and competencies expected of
students at each grade level.
demonstrates their mastery of the standards and competencies.
Process Portfolio
A purposeful collection of student work that documents student growth from novice to master.
Product Portfolio
A collection of all the products or services offered by a company.
Steps in Portfolio Development
1. Set Goals
2. Collect (Evidences)
3. Select
4. Organize
5. Reflect
6. Evaluate (using rubric)
7. Confer/Exhibit

Contextualized Assessment
• The focus is on the students’ construction of functioning knowledge and the students’
performance in application of knowledge in the real work context of the discipline area.
 • It uses performance-based tasks which are authentic in nature.
• It measures skills and knowledge in dealing with specific situations or perform specific tasks
which the students have identified as important and meaningful to them.
• Application of the skills and knowledge must be in the context of the real world as possible.

Decontextualized Assessment
• It includes written exams and term papers which are suitable for assessing declarative
knowledge.
• Do not necessarily have a direct connection to a real-life context (Biggs, 2011).
• It focuses on declarative knowledge and/or procedural knowledge in artificial situations
detached from the real work context.

The Role of Assessment in Learning

Assessment is used for various
purposes:
Assessment for learning: where assessment helps teachers gain insight into what students
understand in order to plan and guide instruction, and provide helpful feedback to students.
Assessment as learning: where students develop an awareness of how they learn and use that
awareness to adjust and advance their learning, taking an increased responsibility for their
learning.
Assessment of learning: where assessment informs students, teachers and parents, as well as
the broader educational community, of achievement at a certain point in time in order to celebrate
success, plan interventions and support continued progress.
Guidelines for Effective Student Assessment

Gronlund (1998) provided the general guidelines for using student assessment effectively:

1) Effective assessment requires a clear concept of all intended learning outcomes.

2) Effective assessment requires that a variety of assessment procedures should be used.

3) Effective assessment requires that the instructional relevance of the procedure should be
considered.

4) Effective assessment requires an adequate sample of student performance.

5) Effective assessment requires that the procedures must be fair to everyone.

6) Effective assessment requires specifications of criteria for judging successful performance.

7) Effective performance requires feedback to students emphasizing strengths of performance

and weaknesses to be corrected.

8) Effective assessment must be supported by comprehensive grading and reporting system.

Lecture Notes in CPE105: Prof. Arnold B. Asotigue

Faculty. Department of Secondary Teaching
College of Education MSU Main Campus, Marawi City