Assessment in Learning 1 | 1

RAMON
MAGSAYSAY
MEMORIAL
COLLEGES
MARBEL
INC.
COLLEGE OF TEACHER
EDUCATION

EDUC206:
Assessment in Learning 1
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Module 1: Basic Concepts of Assessment

Time Table: 2.5 hours

Learning Outcomes:

a. Define terms in assessment

b. Compare and contrast the roles of assessment in classroom instruction
c. Discriminate the different purposes, roles, types and modes of assessment

Deepen!

Assessment
• Process of gathering, describing, or quantifying information about student performance.
• It is a prerequisite to evaluation. It provides the information which enables evaluation to take place
• The purpose of assessment is to determine whether expectations match standards set by school
authorities.
o Expectations are provided by instructional objectives, that in turn, are translated into
learning outcomes.
o Standards are levels of performance set by school authorities set by school officials as
measures of excellence or attainment
Example: “After a 40-minute instruction, the student should be able to locate ten
Asian counties on a world map with 90 percent correctness.”
Expectation: to locate ten Asian countries on a world map
Standard: 90 percent correctness
Teachers can set any of the following kinds of standards (Zais, 1976):
1. Absolute maximum standard is a level of performance that can be reached
only by a few students, e.g. 95% performance
2. Absolute minimum standard can be attained by majority of students enough
to guarantee promotion to the next higher grade/year level, e.g. 75%
performance
3. Relative standard refers to the level of competency compared with the
performance of other students in a class or group, e.g. ranking
4. Multiple standard is a level of performance or competency that utilizes a
combination of the first three standards. This kind of standards is employed
to document and determine the learning growth pattern of students
Measurement
• A process of quantifying or assigning number to the individual’s intelligence, personality, attitudes
and values, and achievement of the students.
• Process of obtaining a numerical description of the degree to which an individual possesses a
particular characteristic.
• TYPES OF MEASUREMENT
o Norm – Referenced
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▪ Describe student performance according to relative position in some known group or

with other students
▪ It is usually expressed in percentile, a grade equivalent score or stanine (e.g. Ranks
5th in a class of 40 students.)
▪ The purpose is to rank each student with regards to the achievement of others in
broad areas of knowledge and to discriminate high and low achievers
▪ Usually, it covers a large domain of learning tasks, with just a few items measuring
each specific task
▪ Highlights discrimination among individuals with regards to relative of level of learning
▪ Favor items of large difficulty and typically omits very easy and very hard items.
▪ Interpretation requires a clearly defined group

o Criterion – Referenced
▪ Describe student performance according to specified domain of clearly defined
learning tasks or with respect to a particular criterion or standard.
▪ It is usually expressed in percentages and student achievement is reported for
individual skills. (e.g. Scores 4 out of 10 spelling words)
▪ The purpose is to determine whether each student has achieved specific skills or
concepts and to find out how much students know before instruction begins and after
instruction begins.
▪ Usually, it focuses on a delimited domain of learning tasks, with a relative large
number of items measuring each specific task
▪ Emphasize what individuals can and cannot do or perform
▪ Match item difficulty with learning tasks without altering item difficulty or omitting easy
and hard items
▪ Interpretation requires a clearly defined and delimited achievement domain.

Evaluation
• A process of systematic analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data in order to make sound
judgement or decision
• It involves judgement about the desirability of changes in students.
Test
• An instrument designed to measure any quality, ability, skill or knowledge
• Comprised of test items of the area it is designed to measure
• Formal and systematic instrument, usually paper and pencil procedure designed to assess the
quality, ability, skill or knowledge of student by giving a set of questions in uniform manner
Testing
• It refers to the administration, scoring and interpretation of the procedures designed to get
information about the extent of the performance of the learners
• It is a method used to measure the level of achievement or performance of the learner.

MODES OF ASSESSMENT
MODE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES
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Traditional The objective paper- • Standardized • Scoring is • Preparation of

pen test which usually test objective instrument is
assesses low-level • Teacher – • Administration time-
thinking skills made tests is easy consuming
because • Prone to
students can cheating
take the test all
the same time
Performance A mode of assessment • Practical test • Preparation of • Scoring tends
that requires actual • Oral and aural the instrument to be subjective
demonstration of tests is relatively without rubrics
skills or creation of • Projects easy • Administration
products of learning • Measures is time
behaviors that consuming
cannot be
deceived

MODE DESCRIPTION EXAMPLES ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Portfolio A process of gathering • Working • Measures • Development is
multiple indicators of portfolios student’s time consuming
student progress to • Showcase growth and • Rating tends to
support course goal in portfolios development be subjective
dynamic, ongoing and • Documentary • Intelligence fair without rubrics
collaborative process portfolio

PURPOSES OF ASSESSMENT
1. Assessment forLearning
• Pertains to diagnostic and formative assessment tasks
• Examples are pre-tests, written assignments, quizzes, concept maps, focused questions,
among others
• It is done during and before instruction
2. Assessment asLearning
• It employs tasks or activities that provide students with an opportunity to monitor and further
their own learning – to think about their personal learning habits and how they can adjust
their learning strategies to achieve their goals
• It involves process like reflection and self – regulation
• Students are accountable for their own learning
• Examples are self and peer assessment rubrics and portfolios
3. Assessment of Learning
• Summative and done at the end of a unit, task, process or period
• Its purpose is to provide evidence of a student’s level of achievement in relation to curricular
outcomes
• It is used for grading, evaluation and reporting purposes
• It provides the foundation for decisions on student’s placement and promotion

FOUR ROLES OF ASSESMENT IN CLASSROOM INSTRUCITON

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1. Placement assessment
• It is done at the beginning of instruction
• It is concerned with the entry performance of the student
• Its purpose is to determine prerequisite skills, degree of mastery of the course
objectives, and the best mode of learning
• It is an assessment that is not graded
2. Formative Assessment
• It is done during instruction
• It is a type of assessment used to monitor the learning progress of the students during
or after instruction
• Purposes of formative assessment
o Provide immediate feedback to both student and teacher with regards to the
success and failures of learning
o Identify the learning errors that is in need of correction
o Provide information to the teacher for modifying instruction to improve
learning
3. Diagnostic Assessment
• Type of assessment given at the beginning of instruction or during instruction.
• Its aim is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the students regarding the topics
to be discussed.
• Purposes:
o Determine level of competence of the students
o Identify the students who already have knowledge about the lesson
o Determine the causes of learning problems that cannot be revealed by
formative assessment
o Formulate plan for remedial action
4. Summative Assessment
• Type of assessment usually given at the end of a course or unit
• Purposes:
o Determine the extent to which the instructional objectives have been met
o Certify students’ mastery of the intended learning outcome and used for
assigning grades
o Provide information for judging appropriateness of the instructional objectives
o Determine effectiveness of instruction

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES

Adapted and modified from Gronlund, Linn, and Miller (2009)

Function of Example of
Classification Type of Assessment
Assessment Instruction
Nature of Assessment Maximum Performance It is used to determine Aptitude tests
what individuals can do Achievement tests
when performing their
best
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Typical Performance It is used to determine Attitude, interest and

what individuals will do personality inventories;
under natural conditions observational
techniques; peer
appraisal
Forms of Assessment Fixed – choice test An assessment used to Standard multiple
measure knowledge choice test
and skills effectively
and efficiently
Complex – performance An assessment Hands-on laboratory
assessment procedure used to experiment, projects,
measure the essays, oral
performance of the presentation
learner in context and
on problems valued in
their own right

Function of Example of
Classification Type of Assessment
Assessment Instruction
Use in classroom Placement An assessment Readiness test, aptitude
instruction procedure used to test, pretest on course
determine the learner’s objectives, self-report
pre-requisite skills, inventories,
degree of mastery of observational
the course goals, and/or techniques
best mode of learning.
Formative An assessment Teacher-made tests,
procedure used to custom-made tests from
determine the learner’s textbook publishers,
learning progress, observational
provides feedback to techniques
reinforce learning and
corrects learning errors
Diagnostic An assessment Published diagnostic
procedure used to tests, teacher-made
determine the causes of diagnostic test,
earner’s persistent observational
learning difficulties techniques
Summative An assessment Teacher-made tests,
procedure used to performance rating
determine the end-of- scales, product scales
course achievement for
assigning grades or
certifying mastery of
objectives

OTHER TYPES OF TESTS

MAIN POINT OF COMPARISON TYPES OF TEST

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Psychological Educational
• Aims to measure students • Aims to measure the result
intelligence or mental ability of instructions and learning
in a large degree without (e.g. Achievement Tests,
Purpose
reference to what the Performance Tests)
students has learned (e.g.
Aptitude tests, Personality
Tests, Intelligence tests)
Survey Mastery
• Covers broad range of • Covers a specific objective
objectives • Measures fundamental
• Measures general skills and abilities
Scope of Content
achievement in certain • Typically constructed by the
subjects teacher
• Constructed by trained
professional

MAIN POINT OF COMPARISON TYPES OF TEST

Language Mode Verbal Non - Nonverbal
• Words are used by • Students do not use words
students in attaching in attaching meaning to or
meaning to or responding in responding to test items
to test items
Construction Standardized Informal / Non-standardized
• Constructed by a • Constructed by a
professional item writer classroom
• Covers a broad range of • Covers a narrow range of
content covered in a content
subject area • Various type of items are
• Uses mainly multiple choice used
• Items written are screened • Teacher picks or writes
and the best items were items as needed for the
chosen for the final tests
instrument • Scores manually by the
• Can be scored by a teacher
machine • Interpretation is usually
• Interpretation of results is criterion - referenced
usually norm - referenced
Manner of Administration Individual Group
• Mostly given orally or • This is a paper-pencil test
requires actual • Loss of rapport, insight and
demonstration of skill knowledge about each
• One-on-one situations, examinee
thus, many opportunities for • Same amount of time
clinical observation needed to gather
• Chance to follow-up information from one
examinee’s response in student
order to clarify or
comprehend it more clearly
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Effect of Biases Objective Subjective

• Scorer’s personal • Affected by scorer’s
judgement does not affect personal opinions, biases
the scoring and judgements
• Worded that only one • Several answers are
answer is acceptable possible
• Little or no disagreement • Possible to disagreement
on what is the correct on what is the correct
answer answer
Time Limit and Level of Power Speed
Difficulty • Consist of series of items • Consist of items
arranged in ascending approximately equal in
order of difficulty difficulty
• Measures student’s ability • Measures students speed
to answer more and more or rate and accuracy in
difficult items responding

MAIN POINT OF COMPARISON TYPES OF TEST

Format Selective Supply
• There are choice for the • There are no choices for
answer (e.g. Multiple the answer (e.g. short
choice, true or false, answer, completion,
matching type) restricted or extended
• Can be answered quickly essay)
• Prone to guessing • May require a longer time
• Time consuming to to answer
construct • Less change to guessing
but prone to bluffing
• Time consuming to answer
and score
Nature of Assessment Maximum Performance Typical Performance
• Determines what • Determines what
individuals can do when individuals will do under
performing at their best natural conditions