ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING

Assessment of learning refers to strategies designed to confirm what students know, demonstrate whether or not they have met
curriculum outcomes or the goals of their individualized programs, or to certify proficiency and make decisions about students' future
programs or placements.

Evaluation – involves a qualitative judgment to see whether the outcomes of a program are satisfactory with reference to its objectives
Measurement – process of determining the extent, dimensions or quantity of something
Test – device or tool used to obtain data in measurement
*The score from a test represents the measurement, the interpretation of the meaning and value of that score represents evaluation.*
Assessment – process of documenting, usually in measurable terms
Metrology – science of measurement
Psychometrics - measures personality

FUNCTIONS :
Main – gauge learner performance/improvement
Others – to maintain standard
- To select students
- To motivate learning
- To guide learning
- To furnish instruction
- To appraise intrumentalities

*ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING VS ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING VS ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING

TYPES/PHASES/ROLES OF ASSESSMENT:
1. placement – to determine the level of the student
2. diagnostic – conducted before instruction to determine the entry performance
3. formative – conducted during instruction to obtain ongoing feedback
4. summative – conducted after instruction to assess attainment of objectives
Classification of Tests

A. According to Type of Language/System Used

1. verbal – uses words and may be oral or written
2. non-verbal – uses symbols, figures, numbers and may be oral or written;
ex. Abstract reasoning

B. According to Origin
1. oral test – requires verbal answers
2. written test – pencil and paper test; requires printed answers
3. performance test – non-verbal, non-written; measures motor skills

C. According to Manner of Scoring

1. objective test – answers are chosen from given options and corrected uniformly whoever the scorer may be; ex. T-F,
multiple choice, matching type
2. subjective – scorer brings in his personal judgment since the question is not specific; ex. Essay

D. According to Function or Purpose

1. achievement test – measures outcomes of teaching, accomplishment of student’s school work in a given period of time;
measures general educational standing
2. aptitude test - measures future success in a given area
3. intelligence/mental ability test – measures verbal, numerical and abstract ability of a person in comparison to another of
the same sex, age or grade
4. personality test – measures traits/behavior/interest/attitudes of a person
a. adjustment questionnaire
b. attitude survey
c. interest inventory
5. diagnostic test – measures strengths and weaknesses in particular area
6. physical test – demands manual dexterity and skill
7. readiness test – determines readiness to learn and level of preparation
8. power test – measures level of maximum ability without any time limit
9. speed test – measures level of maximum ability with time limit
10. scale test – items are arranged according to degree of difficulty
11. projective test – indirect measure of personality traits and innermost thoughts and feelings; ex. Ink-blot test
12. psychological test – measures person’s ability or personality as developed by general experience
13. simulated test – makes a pretense or appearance of a certain activity
14. formative test – evaluates student comprehension of a particular lesson/topic; measures student progress
15. summative test – given at the end of instruction
16. placement test – determines the level of a child
E. According to Manner of Construction
1. structured – questions are given within a framework; ex. T-F, Multiple Choice
2. unstructured – does not follow prescribed framework; ex. Essay, projective test

F. According to Manner of Administration

1. individual test – given to one examinee at a time
2. group test – given to many examinees at a time
3. oral test
4. written test
5. timed test – under time pressure
6. untimed test – no time limit

G. According to Manner of Describing Performance of Examinees

1. criterion-referenced test – describes performance of examinee directly without referring to performance of others but
compared to a given criteria ex. Teacher-made tests
2. norm-reference test – measures performance of examinee in comparison to a standard or norm ex. Standardized tests
(NSAT, NEAT, etc.)
3. ipsative - is the practice of assessing present performance against the prior performance of the person being assessed.

Things to Remember in Constructing Classroom Tests

1. construct a table of specification to ensure validity

2. include items which check whether or not the course objectives are being met
3. prepare tests of sufficient length to provide reliable results
4. do not attempt to include every item discussed in class
5. select the format best suited to the subject matter covered
6. stress thinking, not rote memorization
7. phrase items clearly
8. make directions clear
9. prepare the test short enough to complete within the time allotted

Alternate Response Items: (15-30 secs)

Good for:
 Knowledge level content
 Evaluating student understanding of popular misconceptions
 Concepts with two logical responses
Advantages:
 Can test large amounts of content
 Students can answer 3-4 questions per minute
Disadvantages:
 They are easy
 It is difficult to discriminate between students that know the material and students who don't
 Students have a 50-50 chance of getting the right answer by guessing
 Need a large number of items for high reliability
Tips:
1. choose a variety of test items
2. avoid using the answer to one question as a key to the following item
3. avoid quoting from the text/verbatim
4. avoid too many easy/difficult items
5. avoid double negatives, unfamiliar words, ambiguities or unnecessary verbiage; a test should be a measure, not a puzzle
6. avoid using never and always
7. randomize correct answers which may have been employed to facilitate scoring
8. ask a colleague to read items for clarity
9. assemble items of one type in the same test; do not intermix
10. try to include sample questions to guide response patterns
11. avoid long sentences as these tend to be “true”; keep the sentences short
12. avoid patterns
13. avoid a grossly disproportionate number of either response

Multiple Choice Items: (30-90 secs)

- stem and options (response and distracters)
Good for:
 Application, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation levels
Advantages:
 Very effective
 Versatile at all levels
 Minimum of writing for student
  Guessing reduced
 Can cover broad range of content
Disadvantages:
 Difficult to construct good test items.
 Difficult to come up with plausible distracters/alternative responses.
Tips:
1. provide only one correct or best answer
2. write 4 or 5 alternative responses for each item
3. make each response plausible
4. make responses of approximately equal length
5. make sure that responses proceed grammatically from the end of the stem
6. avoid confusion caused by unnecessary length, ambiguity or tricky language
7. underline words like not, all or except to avoid their being overlooked
8. do not reveal answers by the use of “a” or “an” at the end of the stem
9. scatter correct answers in random order
10. avoid items which are verbatim from the text
11. when the “best” option is asked, “none of the above” is not appropriate

Matching Type Items: (2-4 mins for 5 items)

– simple and compound, perfect and imperfect
Good for:
 Knowledge level
 Some comprehension level, if appropriately constructed
Advantages:
 Maximum coverage at knowledge level in a minimum amount of space/preptime
 Valuable in content areas that have a lot of facts
Disadvantages:
 Time consuming for students
 Not good for higher levels of learning
Tips:
1. Make the alternative answer list longer than the problem, unless directions specifically indicate that each alternative may be
used more than once.
2. make problems and responses in each question deal with one subject (homogenous)
3. make items brief without sacrificing meaning
4. avoid splitting matching items on parts of two pages
5. arrange possible problems and answers in some discernible manner (alphabetically, chronologically, logically)

Completion/Short-Answer Items: (30-60 secs, 1-4 mins)

Good for:
 Application, synthesis, analysis, and evaluation levels
Advantages:
 Easy to construct
 Good for "who," what," where," "when" content
 Minimizes guessing
 Encourages more intensive study-student must know the answer vs. recognizing the answer.
Disadvantages:
 May overemphasize memorization of facts
 Take care - questions may have more than one correct answer
 Scoring is laborious
Tips:
1. avoid giveaway articles (a, an)
2. avoid singular and plural antecedents
3. avoid indefinite completion items which may be answered correctly in several different ways
4. restrict blanks to key words and do not omit so many that sentences resemble puzzles
5. require answers to be written or marked uniformly

Essays: (15-20 mins, 30-50 mins) extended and restricted

Good for:
 Application, synthesis and evaluation levels
Types:
Advantages:
 Students less likely to guess
 Easy to construct
 Stimulates more study
 Allows students to demonstrate ability to organize knowledge, express opinions, show originality.
Disadvantages:
 Can limit amount of material tested, therefore has decreased validity.
  Subjective, potentially unreliable scoring.
 Time consuming to score.
Tips:
1. phrase the directions in such a way that students are guided on the key concepts to be included
2. inform them on the criteria to be used for grading (coherence, accuracy, clarity, creativity, etc.)
3. put a time limit on the test
4. decide on the grading system prior to the test
5. evaluate all of the students’ answers to one question before proceeding to the next question
6. evaluate the essay questions without knowing the identity of the writer
7. if possible, have two or more persons grade each answer

  Data analyses/graphing 15-25 minutes

  Drawing models/labeling 20-30 minutes
  Extended essays 35-50 minutes
Faulty Test Items:

1. The US entered the World War I in ______________

2. Famous general in World War I __________
3. South America is ____________ a. 30 b. 37 c. large d. a continent
4. The council members are elected by:
a. The residents at an election in spring
b. do not run for office
c. the mayor selects them
5. ______________ discovered _____________
6. Who named him?
7. Elections are always won by democrats. True False

8.& 9. Column A Column B

___ 1. Jose Rizal A. considered the 8th wonder of the world
___ 2. Ferdinand Marcos B. the national hero of the Philippines
___ 3. Corazon Aquino C. National Heroes’ Day
___ 4. Manila D. the first woman President of the Philippines
___ 5. November 30 E. the capital of the Philippines
___ 6. Banaue Rice Terraces F. the President of the Philippines who served the longest
10. A test item is valid when _________________ .
A. it measures what it purports to measure.
B. covers a broad scope of subject matter
C. reliability of scopes
D. easy to administer
11. This is a true-false test item: The Manila Bay sunset is the most beautiful sunset in the world.
12. Jose Rizal was born in:
a. Calamba, Laguna b. June 1861.

Criteria for Good Tests

1. Validity – the test measures what it is supposed to measure

2. Reliability – consistency of a test; when it is administered again at another time the same answers are given; increases with
objectivity
3. Objectivity – elimination of biases on the part of the scorer; same scores result even when scored by different persons
4. Administrability – ease in giving the test; clarity of instructions, etc.
5. Scorability – ease in checking
6. Comparability – relevance to present knowledge in specific area
7. Acceptability – economy of the test as to cost, etc.
8. Discriminatibility – test discriminates able and less/more able students or slow and fast learners

Table of Specifications – indicates the objectives, test types, number of test items, time allotment, etc; designed to aid in test
construction rather than in teaching; indicates the relative importance of topics discussed; ensures test validity
- test plan or test blueprint
*Bring a sample test and construct a TOS

Test Bank – collection of test items that may be used in the future

Item Analysis – aims at evaluating each test item

Index of Difficulty/Facility – indicates the level of difficulty of a test item; (0 – 1)

(0 = nobody got the item correctly; 1 = everybody got the item correctly; too easy);
formula: no. of students who got the item correctly
total no. of students (N)
 Index of Discrimination – differentiates between the upper and lower groups; (+) or (-)

formula: U – L or difference between upper & lower grps who got the item correctly
N total no. of students

STATISTICAL CONCEPTS

Score – the value or data obtained from educational evaluation; needs to be interpreted first in order to have meaning; will have
meaning only in relation to the group; consider the lower and upper limit

A. Measures of Relative Position:

1. Ranking – uses rank and order method; does not consider gaps
2. Percentile – position in a scale of 100 relative to the others in a group
3. Percentile Rank – position in a scale of 100 relative to the score; proportion of scores below or above than a given score

B. Measures of Central Tendency (averages; clustering; location; position)

Ungrouped data : < 30 cases Grouped data : > or = 30 cases

1. Mean(Mn) – arithmetic average; most stable; most sensitive; measure of typical performance
- sum of scores divided by the number of scores (population)
2. Median (Mdn) – counting average; midpoint of the group; used when there are extreme scores; divides the group into two equal
halves; used when performance curve is badly skewed
- rank the scores then get the middle value
3. Mode (Mo) – inspectional average; most frequently occurring or most popular value; least stable measure of central tendency

C. Measures of Variability (spread or dispersion of scores)

- the lower the variability, the better the performance of the group
1. Range – difference between the highest and lowest value; least stable
3. Standard Deviation – deviation from the mean; most stable; considers all values; most sensitive
Variance = square of the SD or SD = square root of the variance (v)

The Normal Probability Curve

or Gauss-Laplace Curve : sk = 0
Mdn = Mn = Mo
up to 1δ = 34.13% ---1δ--- bell-shaped
up to 2δ = 47.72% 1 SD = 1δ
up to 3δ = 49.87% ------2δ---------
------------3δ---------- asymptomatic

-3 -2 -1 Mean +1 +2 +3
(standard deviations from the mean)

D. Measures of Divergence from Normality:

1. Skewness – refers to the shape (symmetry or asymmetry) of the curve
a. negatively-skewed – tapered at the left; more students scored higher than the mean; better performance

Mdn
Mo
(-) Mn (+)

tapering

b. positively-skewed – tapered at the right; more students scored lower than the mean

Mo
Mdn
(-) Mn (+)

tapering

2. Kurtosis – concerned with the height (peakedness or flatness) of the performance curve
a. leptokurtic (1) : < .263
b. mesokurtic (2) : = .263
c. platykurtic (3) : > .263
1
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Alternative VS TRADITIONAL Assessment

: Authentic - Performance –Based
Portfolio – 6 Principles:
Content/Curriculum, Learning, Teaching,
Assessment, Equity & Product/Technology Principles
Project

Rubric- it is a scoring guide which specifies the competencies to be tested, performance tasks, evaluation criteria and their indicators
and the qualitative and quantitative descriptions of each performance level

Important Elements of a Rubric

 Competency to be tested (performance based)
 Performance Task (relevant, authentic, feasible, multiple foci)
 Evaluative Criteria and their indicators
 Qualitative and quantitative descriptions of each performance level
 An indication whether a holistic or an analytic scoring rubric is to be used.

Types of Rubrics:
1. Analytical – describes the quality of a performance or product in relation to a specific criterion.
2. Holistic Rubric – describes the overall quality of the output (product and performance)

Holistic Rubric
Advantages
* allows fast assessment
* provides one score to describe a performance
Disadvantages
* Does not pinpoint specific strengths and weaknesses
* Does not permit differential weighing of the qualities of performance
Analytic Rubric
Advantages
* considers several phases of the performance
* helps teachers pinpoints specific areas of strengths and weaknesses
* allows for the differential weighting of performance
Disadvantages
* more time consuming than the holistic rubric
* students may have the same score even if they differ in the qualities of work.

DEMONSTRATION TEACHING RUBRIC (Sample Holistic Rubric)

E Exceeds Expectation: An area where the student has shown exemplary ability. The student performs the task extremely well
without assistance. (93-100%)
I Independent: The student teacher has shown a level of consistent and effective skill in the classroom. This student is capable
of working independently with success. (87-92%)
L Learning: The student teacher has performed at a satisfactory level in the classroom. This student has shown growth and
performs well with support. (81-86%)
NL Needs to Learn: The student teacher has performed with intermittent success. The student requires significant support or
assistance to accomplish the task. Additional reading, observation and experience are needed for the student teacher to become
proficient in this area. (75-80%)
U Unsatisfactory: The student teacher has not performed with success. This student has significant difficulties and has shown
minimal effort or a lack of willingness to make improvements. (74% and below)

CRITERIA
E I L NL U
Educational Foundations: reflects on the teachers’ roles and responsibilities
Technology: utilizes technology resources appropriately in implementing instruction; uses
technology to communicate and elaborate
Educational Theory: selects teaching strategies based on theories
Reflective Practitioner: reflects on own practice and changes instruction based on reflections;
engages students in reflective practices and uses them to base future instruction
Critical Thinker/Problem Solver: identifies, selects, models and implements appropriate
strategies to promote higher level thinking skills; utilizes critical thinking while teaching
Diversity: implements a variety of instructional strategies that connect to students’ personal and
cultural experiences; implements appropriate assessment strategies that assess diverse students’
performances; creates a positive, productive environment where all students have an equal
opportunity to learn; develops culturally responsive pedagogies which help students accept and
appreciate their own differences/similarities and those of others
Collaboration: effectively collaborates with others to plan and carry out instruction; establishes a
positive learning environment; selects and implements appropriate collaborative teaching and
learning strategies;
Curriculum: writes the lesson with objectives and activities consistent with those objectives;
plans learning activities based upon students’ prior knowledge and experiences; plans
developmentally appropriate lessons guided by research and standards; writes a lesson plan that is
organized, clear and coherent so that another teacher could implement instruction; develops a
sequence of learning activities that meet diverse students’ needs and interests; creates integrated
instruction including integrated units that include several content areas
Instruction: teaches based on content area knowledge; uses a variety of strategies that motivate,
meet students’ needs and help them become independent learners; uses effective questioning
strategies; manages individuals, small and large groups and can solve individual concerns and
problems; demonstrates flexibility in all classroom situations
Assessment: creates and implements effective informal assessment tools and is able to interpret
and utilize results; uses a variety of assessment tools to monitor student growth; selects
developmentally appropriate assessment tools; interprets, summarizes and utilizes results from
formal assessment