Lesson 1

BasicConcepts, Theories, and Principles in

Assessing Learning Using
Alternative Methods

Suggested Timefrome 45 ho
What is assessment for learning using nontraditionalmethods?

UNDERSTAND
Desired Significant Learning utcomes:
inthis lesson, you are expected to:
explain the alternative assessment and related concepts and
demonstrate an understanding of the different principles in assessing
learning using alternative methods of assessment.

Significant Culminating Performance Task and Success Indicators

At the end of the lesson, youshould be able to prepare an
to show understanding of the concepts and principles in assessment pia
using alternative methods of assessment. You are consideredassessing learnns
successful in ths
cuiminating performance task ifyou have satisfied at least the following indicators
of success:

Performance Tasks Success Indicators

Develop a matrix of the difference Explain alternative assessment in
between the traditional and terms of the matrix developed.
alternative assessment of learning
Propose a plan or strategy for Plan assessment practices that appy
aSsessing student learning based the principles in assessing learning
on the core principles in assessing using alternative assessment
learning using alternative methods of methods
assessment

Prerequisite of This Lesson

As this is the first lesson, there is no prerequisite lesSon that you needtdto have
read and understood. However, an adequate understanding of lessons learnedin
your Assessment in Learning 1 course may help you understand and appreciate

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 this lesson better. It is suggested that you go back to these lessons if
there is an
opportunity.

PREPARE
To be able to suCcessfully describe what alternative
assessment for learning
is, you need to develop amatrix of the difference between the traditional and
alternative assessment of learning and document the experiences of teachers
whoapply the principles in assessinglearning using alternative methods. To be
able to do these, you need to read the following information about the basic
concepts and principles in assessing learning using nontraditional methods.
You are expected to read this information before the discussion, analysis, and
evaluation when you meet the teacher face-to-face or in your virtual classroom.
If the information provided in this worktext is not enough, youcan look up more
information that you can access on the Internet.
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, wh¹reas assessment
of learning can be defined as the systematic and purpose-oriented collection,
analysis, and interpretation of evidence of student learning in order to make
informeddecisions 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 thelearning 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 designand implement assessment tasks or activities that refrain
from using traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which typically assess cognitive

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learning outcomes and thus have right or wrong answers. The following are
features of alternative assessment (Silvestre-Tipay 2009, p.58):
1 Assessment is based on authentictasks that demonstrate learners' abilitvto
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 the practice of assessing learning using traditional methods like paper.
and-pencil tests is stillcommon in many classrooms, there is an emerging trend
toward the use of alternative assessment or assessment using nontraditional
methods, which in theory and practice can capture learning targets and learning
outcomes in more authentic ways. Indeed, the use of alternative assessment
can lead to more authentic assessment of learning. In comparison, traditional
assessments are viewed as less authentic types of assessment.
While traditional assessmenttypically uses paper-and-penciltests, alternative
assessment is more concerned with performance assessment or performance
based assessment. Performance assessment refers to assessing student learning
by requiring a student
t o perform atask or develop aproduct as a demonstration
of one's 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. Aportfolio 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 Studentsto 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 portfolioassessment 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 alsoprovide opportunities for using

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self-assessment and peer assessment, which allow for a more comprehensive
assessment of student learning and performance in the classroom.
What are the different mnodels of alternative assessment?
The three most common models of nontraditional assessment are:
(1) Emergent Assessment, (2) Developmental Assessment, and (3) Authentic Assessment.
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. The assessor should have
no preconceived notions or biases regarding learning outcomes or instructional
goals. With this model, assessment is more qualitative and the assessor uses
multiple methods to record all data accurately and determine their importance
and quality. Hence, categories emerge from the observations of the assessor. In
this model, direct and indirect evidence of student learning are both collected.
Direct evidence refers to tangible andcompelling evidence of what students have
and have not learned, whereas indirect evidence refers to proxy signs for learning
that are less tangible and less compelling compared to direct evidence.
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 of
what studentscan do at different time points and/or different contexts to assess
if there is progress. Developmental assessment is said to be useful for assessing
learning outcomes based on students' development rather than a final product.
Assessorsshould have adequate knowledge of how a skillor attribute develops
soappropriate assessment strategies and tools can be designed.
Authenticassessment 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 allowlearners 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. Hence, an assessment can
be more authentic or less authentic compared to other assessments. 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.

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 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...
students;
1. be built around topics or issues of interest to the
2. replicate real-world communication contexts and situations;
3. involve multistage tasks and real problems that require creative use of
language rather thansimple repetition;
4. require learners toproduce 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.

What are the different principles in assessing learning using alternative

methods?
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 tostudent performance or product and the process they
engage in to performor 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 tothe 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., crativity, 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 n
nature. Hence, an assessment should also consider the assessment of these
noncognitive outcomes. Nontraditional assessment tools like rubrics, scales,
and checklists allowthe measurement of noncognitive learning outcomes
that allow amore complete and assessment of student learning.

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4 Assessment should reflect real-life or real-world contexts. Assessment
tasks or activities should be authentic. The assessrnent should closely,
If not fully approximate real-life situations or experiences. Authenticity of
assessment can be thought of as a contínuum frorm least authentic to rnost
authentic, with mnore authentic tasks expected to be more meaningful for
students. Performance assessment is optimal if the perforrmance task to be
demonstrated is similar or close to what is expected in the real world.
5. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic. Assessnent should
be performed using avariety of strategies and tools designed to assess
student learning in a more integrative way, Assessrnent should be conducted
in multiple periods to assess learning over tirne. Moreover, the use of both
traditional assessment and alternative assessment strategíes and tools
should be considered. Nontraditional methods of assessrnent (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
conceptsof 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 instructionor 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.