BASIC CONCEPTS, THEORIES, AND PRINCIPLES IN

ASSESSING LEARNING USING ALTERNATIVE METHODS

What is an alternative assessment?
Assessment is generally defined as the process of
gathering quantitative and/or qualitative data for the purpose of
making decisions, whereas assessment of learning can be
defined as the systematicc and purpose-oriented collection,
analysis, and interpretation of evidence of student learning in
order to make informed decisions relevant to the learners. In
contrast, assessment for learning refers to the use of
assessment to identify the needs of students in order to modify
instruction or the learning activities in the classroom.
Assessment for learning is formative in nature, and it is meant to
identify gaps in the learning experiences of students, so they
can be assisted in achieving the curriculum outcomes.
 In practice, most teachers use traditional
assessment methods to assess and evaluate the
learning of students in the classroom. Traditional
assessment refers to the use of traditional
assessment strategies or tools to provide
information on student learning. Typically,
objective (e.g. multiple-choice) and subjective
(e.g., essay) paper-and-pencil tests are used to
assess students. Traditional assessments are often
used as the basis for evaluating and grading
students. They are more commonly used in
classrooms because they are easier to design and
quicker to be scored.
 In contrast, alternative assessment refers to
the use of alternative or non-traditional
assessment strategies or tools to collect
information on student learning. Examples of
alternative forms of assessment are
performance-oriented and product-oriented
assessment methods. At the core of alternative
assessment is the need to design and implement
assessment tasks or activities that refrain from
using traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which
typically assess cognitive learning outcomes and
thus have right or wrong answers.
The following are features of alternative assessment:
1. Assessment is based on authentic tasks that
demonstrate learners' ability to accomplish
communication goals;
2. Instructor and learners focus on
communication, not on right and wrong
answers;
3. Learners help to set the criteria for successful
completion of communication tasks; and
4. Learners have opportunities to assess
themselves and their peers.
 While traditional assessment typically uses paper-
and-pencil tests, alternative assessment is more
concerned with performance assessment or performance
based assessment. Performance assessment refers to
assessing student learning by requiring a student to
perform a task or develop a product as a demonstration
learning. The focus of the assessment is on providing
opportunity for the students to apply what they have
learned through task performance and/or product
creation. The emphasis is on assessing what students
know and what they can do. If the task to be
demonstrated closely resembles what is typically
performed or experienced in the real world (high degree
of realism), then performance assessment is also more
authentic.
 Another alternative method of assessing learning is
through portfolio assessment, which pertains to
students‘ construction and use of portfolios in a
purposeful and systematic manner in order to document
their progress in the attainment of learning targets. A
portfolio is a collection of learning and performance
artifacts by a student and is typically accompanied by
personal narratives and reflections. The use of a portfolio
allows students to document and demonstrate their
accomplishments in the classroom and provide
opportunities to the learners and their teachers to
evaluate the progress in a given period of time (Tolentino,
2009). A portfolio assessment also allows the assessment
of students‘ learning processes and products/outputs in a
comprehensive and integrative manner.
 Other alternative strategies for assessing
learning are assessment of non cognitive
learning outcomes through performance rubrics
(for psychomotor outcomes) and rating scales
and checklists (for affective or dispositional
outcomes). The use of rubrics and scales may
also provide opportunities for using self-
assessment and peer assessment, which allow
for a more comprehensive assessment of
student learning and performance in the
classroom.
There are different models of alternative assessment:
1. Emergent assessment is based on Michael Scriven's goal
free evaluation model (1967). In this model, the assessment
focuses on determining the “effects" of instruction on
students. The emphasis is on the assessment of both the
intended and unintended effects or learning outcomes. Hence,
assessment is not limited to collecting information if the
intended learning outcomes defined were met or not, but also
gives importance to unintended learning outcomes whether
positive or negative.
Emergent assessment examines how and what the
educational program and instruction are doing to address the
needs of students. With this model, assessment is more
qualitative and the assessor uses multiple methods to record
all data accurately and determine their importance and quality.
2. Developmental assessment, on the other hand, focuses on
determining the extent that students have developed their
competencies from instruction. This model adopts a pre-test
and post-test methodology to collect information if a student
has developed or improved after instruction. It involves a
comparison.
3. Authentic assessment is the most popular model for
alternative assessment. It is an approach in the assessment of
student learning that refers to the use of assessment strategies
or tools that allow learners to perform or create a product that
is meaningful to the learners as they are based on real-world
contexts. The authenticity of assessment tasks is best described
in terms of degree and not in terms of the presence or absence
of authenticity. The most authentic assessments are the ones
that allow performances that most closely resemble real-world
tasks or applications in real-world settings or environments.
The following can be used as criteria in determining if an
assessment task or activity is authentic or not (Silvestre-Tipay
2009): The assessment task or activity can....
1. be built around topics or issues of interest to the students;
2. replicate real-world communication contexts and situations;
3. involve multistage tasks and real problems that require
creative use of language rather than simple repetition;
4. require learners to produce a quality product or
performance;
5. introduce the students to the evaluation criteria and
standards;
6. involve interaction between assessor (instructor, peers, self)
and person assessed; and
7. allow for self-evaluation and self-correction as they proceed.
 There are many principles in the assessment of
learning using alternative assessment or nontraditional
methods. Based on the different readings and references on
these principles, the following may be considered as core
principles:
1. Assessment is both process and product-oriented. An
assessment gives equal importance to student performance
or product and the process they engage in to perform or
produce a product. While traditional assessment methods
are focused on assessing student products or outputs, non
traditional or alternative methods like performance
assessment and portfolio assessment give value to the
product developed by students, as well as in the process
students have undergone to develop the product.
2. Assessment should focus on higher-order
cognitive outcomes. For assessment to be valid and
authentic, it should require students to
demonstrate their knowledge. However, the focus
should be on providing tasks or activities that
would allow students' demonstration of higher-
order cognitive outcomes (e.g., creating, analyzing)
or skills (e.g., creativity, critical thinking). The use of
nontraditional or alternative methods of
assessment like performance assessment allows
the assessment of both lower-order and higher
order cognitive outcomes in ways that are more
authentic.
3. Assessment can include a measure of
noncognitive learning outcomes. Traditional
assessment focuses on knowledge and other
cognitive learning outcomes. However,
psychomotor and affective outcomes are also
important learning outcomes, and there are
learning targets that are noncognitive in nature.
Hence, an assessment should also consider the
assessment of these noncognitive outcomes.
Nontraditional assessment tools like rubrics, scales,
and checklists allow the measurement of
noncognitive learning outcomes that allow a more
complete and assessment of student learning.
4. Assessment should reflect real-life or real-
world contexts. Assessment tasks or activities
should be authentic. The assessment should
closely, if not fully approximate real-life
situations or experiences. Authenticity of
assessment can be thought of as a continuum
from least authentic to most authentic, with
more authentic tasks expected to be more
meaningful for students. Performance
assessment is optimal if the performance task to
be demonstrated is similar or close to what is
expected in the real world.
5. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic.
Assessment should be performed using a variety of
strategies and tools designed to assess student
learning in a more integrative way. Assessment
should be conducted in multiple periods to assess
learning over time. Moreover, the use of both
traditional assessment and alternative assessment
strategies and tools should be considered.
Nontraditional methods of assessment (e.g., use of
rubrics, scales) allow the possibility of multiple
assessors, including the use of self and peer
assessment. This ensures that students are being
assessed in a more comprehensive and holistic way.
6. Assessment should lead to student learning.
This means that assessment should be like
classroom instruction. This principle is consistent
with the concepts of assessment for learning and
assessment as learning. Assessment for learning
refers to the use of assessment to identify the
needs of students in order to modify instruction
or the learning activities in the classroom. In
assessment as learning, assessment tasks,
results, and feedback are used to help students
practice self-regulation and make adjustments in
order to achieve the curriculum outcomes.
Thank you!!