ASSESSMENT, PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT, AND EVALUATION.
ASSESSMENT, PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.
Assessment:
- The process of obtaining information that is used for making decisions about students/clients, curricula and programs, and policies.
- It includes the full range of procedures used to gain information about students/clients’ learning. These procedures may be formal (pencil and paper tests) or informal (observation).
Test:
- A task or series of tasks that are used to measure specific traits or attributes in people.
- In educational settings, tests include paper-and-pencil instruments, which contain questions that students and pupils respond to.
- The responses provided to the questions help the test giver to obtain an estimate of the specific trait being measured.
- A test answers the question, ‘How well does the individual perform?
- Two interpretations can be given to scores from tests.
These are;
Norm-referenced interpretation:
- These describe test scores or performance in terms of a person’s position in a reference group that has been administered the assessment.
- The reference group is called the norm group.
Criterion-referenced interpretation:
- These describe test scores or performance in terms of the kinds of tasks a person with a given score can do.
- The performance can be compared to a pre-established standard or criterion.
Knowledge of MoE and GES.
Test of Practical on Worms: Platyhelminthes (Tapeworm), Nematodes, And Annelids (Earthworm)
Steps to Prepare a Temporary Slide of a Sectioned Root or Stem.
Measurement:
- The process of assigning numbers to the attributes or traits possessed by persons, events, or a set of objects according to specific rules.
- Educational measurement is the assignment of numerals to such traits as achievement, aptitude, and performance.
- It is limited to the quantitative descriptions of students.
- Measurement answers the question, ‘How much?’
Evaluation:
- According to Stufflebeam (1973), evaluation is defined as “the process of delineating, obtaining, and providing useful information for judging decision alternatives”.
- The main concern of evaluation in the classroom is to arrive at a judgment on the worth or effectiveness of teaching and learning.
- Evaluation may either be;
Formative evaluation;
- Formative evaluation is the process of judging the worth of a programme or an activity constantly during the period of implementation.
- It requires the gathering of detailed information on frequent occasions through such means as observations, questions, assignments, and short tests or quizzes.
- The main purpose is to provide feedback to both the teacher/manager and the learner about progress being made.
Summative evaluation;
- Summative evaluation is the process of judging the worth of a programme or an activity at the end of the period of its implementation.
- It is judgmental in nature.
- It attempts to determine to what extent the broad objectives set for the programme have been attained.
PRINCIPLES OF ASSESSMENT
- The test developer must be clear about the learning target to be assessed. This involves clearly specifying the intended learning goals and helps to select the appropriate assessment technique.
- The assessment technique selected must match the learning target. The main criterion is whether the procedure is the most effective in measuring the learning target.
- Assessment techniques must serve the needs of the learners. They should provide meaningful feedback to the learners about how closely they have approximated the learning targets.
- Multiple indicators of performance provide a better assessment of the extent to which a student has attained a given learning target. Assessment needs to be comprehensive.
- Proper use of assessment procedures requires that the user be aware of the limitations of each technique. In interpreting the results of the assessment, these limitations must be considered.
- Assessment is a means to an end. It is not an end in itself. Assessment provides information upon which decisions are based.
- Evidence needs to be provided that the interpretations and use of students’ assessment results are appropriate and reliable.
FORMS OR TYPES OF ASSESSMENTS
Assessment for learning:
- Assessment for learning is more diagnostic than evaluative.
- It is used to monitor learners’ learning style and ability, to provide ongoing feedback, and allow educators to improve and adjust their teaching methods, and for learners to improve their learning.
- Most formative assessment strategies are quick to use and fit seamlessly into the instruction process.
- The information gathered is rarely marked or graded, i.e., school-based assessments (SBA). SBA is more of a summative assessment.
Assessment of learning:
- Also known as Summative assessment aims to evaluate learners’ learning and academic achievement at the end of a term, year, or semester by comparing it against a universal standard or school benchmark.
- Summative assessments are often high-stakes, take place under controlled conditions, and therefore have more visibility.
And Assessment as learning:
- When assessment is used as a tool to create a learning moment, e.g., peer or self-assessment, and furthers the learner’s learning and helps them set their own goals.
PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment provides information for decisions about students, curricula, and programs, and educational policy. These decisions are:
- Instructional Management decisions
- Selection decisions
- Placement decisions
- Counselling and Guidance decisions
- Credentialing and Certification decisions
Instructional Management Decisions
- Assessment provides knowledge about the readiness of individuals (pupils, students) to learn a new set of curricular content.
- Assessment enables the teacher to set realistic instructional goals and objectives for the class as well as individual pupils.
- Assessment helps the teacher to discover the learning difficulties of the pupils and to provide remedial action. This diagnostic decision asks the question, ‘What learning activities will best adapt to this student’s individual requirements and thereby maximize the student’s opportunities to attain the chosen learning target?’
- Assessment aids the teacher in the selection of the best instructional technique to adopt for the class and for each course.
- Assessment helps in the evaluation of the degree to which objectives in the classroom are being achieved.
- Assessment enables the teacher to determine the progress made by each student in learning.
- Assessment serves as a source of motivation and directs and facilitates students’ learning. It helps them to set goals.
- Assessment provides feedback or knowledge of results to the students. This helps students to identify their own strengths and weaknesses as well as progress.
- Assessment enables the teacher to assign grades to students, which provides a record of their progress and achievement
Selection decisions
- Assessments provide information to select the right calibre of people for admission, promotion, and awarding of prizes.
- Those not acceptable are rejected.
Placement decisions
- Assessments provide information to place students/ workers/ trainees in courses/ classes/ units/ departments where they are likely to succeed in the future.
- Assessments provide the basis for grouping individuals for instruction in view of the individual differences.
Counselling and Guidance decisions
- Assessments aid in providing guidance and counselling in social and psychological adjustment problems that affect the workers’ performances in an establishment/school.
- Assessments are used to assist students in exploring and choosing careers and in directing them to prepare for the careers they select.
Credentialing and Certification decisions
- Assessments enable students to acquire certificates and testimonials that are needed for employment/promotions in the world of work.
ASSESSMENT VS. EVALUATION
- Evaluation involves looking at all the factors that influence the learning process, such as syllabus objectives, course design, materials, methodology, teacher performance, and assessment.
- It is carried out to analyse the impact of the actual project and to see whether it is in line with the agreed strategic plans.
- Assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and faith.
- When we carry out an assessment, we have to measure the performance of our students and the progress they make. We also need to diagnose the problems they have and provide our learners with useful feedback.
Who Benefits?
- For Assessment: the person whose performance is assessed benefits.
- For Evaluation: external stakeholders and decision-makers’ benefits.
Differences between assessment and evaluation.
| ASSESSMENT | EVALUATION |
| It is formative, ongoing, and to improving learning. | It is summative, final, and used to gauge quality. |
| It is process-oriented; thus, to check how learning is going | It is product-oriented, thus to check what’s been learned. |
| Diagnostic (identify areas for improvement) | Judgmental (arrive at an overall grade/score). |
| Reflective (Internally defined criteria/goals) | Prescriptive (Externally imposed standards) |
| Flexible (Adjust as problems are clarified) | Fixed (To reward success, punish failure) |
| Absolute (Strive for ideal outcomes) | Comparative (Divide better from worse) |
| Cooperative (Learn from each other) | Competitive (Beat each other out) |
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Knowledge of MoE and GES.
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Test of Practical on Worms: Platyhelminthes (Tapeworm), Nematodes, And Annelids (Earthworm)
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Steps to Prepare a Temporary Slide of a Sectioned Root or Stem.
GOALS AND LEARNING TARGETS
Instructional Objective:
- A stated desirable outcome of education or an intended learning outcome in terms of the types of performance students can demonstrate at the end of instruction to show that they have learned what was expected of them.
Behavioural objectives:
- A statement that specifies what observable performance the learner should be engaged in when the achievement of the objective is evaluated. Behavioural objectives require action verbs such as discuss, write, read, and state.
Learning objectives:
- These specify what the teacher likes the students to do, value, or feel after an instructional segment.
Importance of learning objectives (targets) for classroom assessment
- Learning objectives make the general planning for an assessment procedure easier through the knowledge of specific outcomes.
- The selection, designing, and construction of assessment instruments depend on knowing which specific outcome should be assessed.
- Evaluating an existing assessment instrument becomes easier when specific outcomes are known.
- They help to judge the content relevance of an assessment procedure.
- Specific learning outcomes provide information for judgment.
TAXONOMIES OF EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES
Taxonomies are hierarchical schemes for classifying learning objectives into various levels of complexity.
There are three main domains of educational objectives.
These are:
THE COGNITIVE DOMAIN.
This domain was developed by Benjamin Bloom in 1956; hence, it is known as Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives.
Cognitive domain objectives produce outcomes that focus on knowledge and abilities requiring memory, thinking, and reasoning processes.
The taxonomy classifies educational objectives into 6 main headings.
Knowledge.
- This involves the recall of specific facts, methods, and processes.
- They include those objectives, which deal with the recall or recognition of knowledge and the development of intellectual abilities and skills.
- It is often defined as the remembering of previously learned material.
- Illustrative verbs include define, identify, and label.
Comprehension.
- It is the ability to grasp the meaning of material.
- It is shown by translating material from one form to another, or by interpreting material (explaining or summarizing).
- Illustrative verbs include convert, explain, and summarize
Application.
- This refers to the ability to use learned material in new and concrete situations.
- This includes the application of such things as rules, methods, concepts, principles, etc.
- Illustrative verbs include change, compute, and prepare.
Analysis
- This is the ability to break down material into its parts so that its organizational structure may be understood.
- This includes the identification of parts, analysis of the relationships between parts, etc.
- Illustrative verbs include break down, differentiate, and illustrate
Synthesis.
- This refers to the ability to put parts together to form a new whole.
- This may involve the production of a unique communication or a plan of operations.
- Illustrative verbs include categorize, combine, and organize
Evaluation.
- This is the ability to judge the value of material (e.g., novel, poem, and research report) for a given purpose
- The judgments are based on a definite criterion.
- Illustrative verbs include contrast, support, appraises, compares & contrasts; concludes; criticizes; critiques; decides; defends; interprets; judges; justifies; reframes; supports.
THE AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
- Affective domain objectives produce outcomes that focus on feelings, interests, attitudes, dispositions, and emotional states.
THE PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN
- Psychomotor domain objectives produce outcomes that focus on motor skills and perceptual processes.
