MODULE IV: ASSESMENT AND EVALUATION

INTENDEDLEARNING OUTCOMES

After studying this module, you are expected to:

Define the terms, tests, measurement, assessment and

evaluation
Describe the various types of tests, their limitations and
strengths
Describe ways of grading and recording of the results
Explain the different categories of evaluation and their
application in teaching and learning.

Summary of Learning Activity

In this activity I have started by defining tests, assessment and evaluation. I have also
described the various types of tests, their limitations and strengths and the properties of a
“good” test. The different ways of grading and recording the results from assessments has been
explained as well as the categories of evaluation. Lastly, the application of assessment and
evaluation in teaching and learning has been discussed.

The activity is organized as follows:

4.1 Assessment
4.2 Kinds of tests
4.3 Formulating tests
4.4 Grading and Reporting
4.5 Evaluation

Key Concepts

 Formulating test instruments

 The different types of test items
 Grading and recording
 Evaluating the teaching and the learning
Key Words

1. Assessment: is a process of gaining information about students’ learning and making value
judgments about their progress.
2. Evaluation: To calculate or judge the value or degree of.
3. Formative evaluation (internal): is a method of judging the worth of a program while the
program activities are forming (in progress). The focus is on the process.
4. Measurement:
5. Reliability: That which may be trusted and is dependable.
6. Standardized Tests: Compares the performance of every individual subject with the norm or
criterion.
7. Summative evaluation (external): is a method of judging the worth of a program at the end
of the program activities (summation). The focus is on the outcome.
8. Test or Test item: assessment administered on paper intended to measure the learners
knowledge, skills, aptitude of the content learnt
9. Validity: measures what it is supposed to measure.

Introduction to Content
Every thing related to the teaching and learning that has been covered in the previous
activities can be assessed and evaluated. That is: the objectives, scope of the content, quality of
the teaching, learners, learning process, the equipment and materials used. Assessment is the
presentation of a standard set of questions through which you obtain a measure. Evaluation on
the other hand is a continuous process of collecting and interpreting information in order to
assess outcomes, in this case of teaching and learning.

Assessment and Evaluation

Read through this passage and note down: why teaching and assessment are
complementary?
For effective assessment and evaluation of learners, we need to observe the upward,
downward or steady (constant) trend in their performance.
 These are pointers to the behavioural change in the learners. Whatever change is
evident, will be a guide to what measures should be undertaken or adopted. The measures
adopted should enhance the teaching/learning process.
The assessment tools used should be able to illustrate the change in the learner.
This involves the educational measurements, which deals with techniques and strategies for
evaluating how successful the educational process has been. It provides a valuable feedback to
the educator because it answers the questions:

• Are we getting the results we are expecting? If the answer is “Yes” then the teacher
can be pleased with a job well done.
• If the answer is “No” it means he/she has to find out why and try to remedy the
situation.

Teaching and measuring are looked upon as complementary activities for both the
teacher and the learner. No matter how efficient the teacher, how intelligent the learners, how
adequate the audio-visual equipment, if no provision is made for some evaluation of progress,
the teaching effort may be completely invalidated. Too often in schools and colleges, teachers
are unwilling to test and evaluate because of extra work it presents.

On the other hand, learners are scared of being tested. Some teachers dispense with
tests as a means of achieving popularity with learners. Often by the end of the year, without
tests, the teacher and the learners have drifted from one topic to another and neither the
teacher nor the learners can tell what has been achieved except that one year of classroom
activities came to an end To avoid such a situation, the relationship between objectives of
education, the content and techniques used to achieve these objectives and process of
evaluating the outcome of the educational endeavor should be adopted.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

COURSE OF EVALUATION CONTENT AND TECHNIQUES

 Each of the elements in the triangle influences the other two and is in turn influenced by
them. In any valid teaching/learning situation; these three elements must be present. Objectives
in education are worthless without the content and techniques for achieving them and without
methods of determining whether or not they have been achieved.

Therefore teaching and measuring are looked upon as complementary activities for the
teacher and the learner.

4.1 ASSESSMENT

PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT

Why is assessment necessary? As you read through the passage identify several
purposes of assessment and also note down the wrong reasons for assessing. Few people,
particularly those on the receiving end, enjoy the process. To determine the worth of something,
we need to evaluate it. We need to find a method against which to judge the information we
require worth of circular, teaching methods etc.
It is by analysis of the assessment results that we can make informed decisions. To put
it as simply as possible, the purpose of assessment is to measure, in the most reliable way, how
far the educational objectives of the course are being attained. There are many reasons for this
exercise: First, if there are objectives in mind, it is not possible to make progress in teaching
unless there is some way of measuring the extent to which the objectives are attained. So the
prime purpose of assessment is to provide information about present attainment to guide
teaching and learning in the future, in other words, assessment can be an instrument for
educational progress. Thus assessment:

• Motivates learners to study.

• Determines the learners’ special abilities
 • Provides information on individual students experience and achievement.
• Identifies what students know, understands.
• Provides information to guide future learning.

These functions are positive and beneficial to the educational process. However, there
are negative uses to which assessment have been put and should be discouraged. E.g. Testing
in order to punish the learner for bad behaviour can lead to hatred of examinations and tests
and education in general.

It is wrong to fail a learner on any grounds other that he/she has not reached an
appropriate level of achievement. Tests are regularly used to motivate learners to study/learn
towards weekly test, monthly test, terminal tests or yearly promotion tests. Without these tests,
learners would be reluctant to make time for private study and some would be less likely to
listen attentively in class, no matter how lively and interesting the teaching maybe.

Although the tests are for verification of the efforts put in by teachers and learners, they
should not be given in excess if they are too many students begin to work solely to pass
examinations. This view is unfortunately dreaded by many teachers especially those handling
final year examination classes. They teach with the view of giving their students a better chance
to pass public examinations. An educator can, call this an “examination system”. This involves
too much testing.

There should be much softer reasons for teaching students assessment other than
taking and passing examination. An ideal situation is where sufficient number of tests are given
to encourage the learner to study and pay attention but not too many that they become
excessively examination conscious.

It is the experienced and skilful teacher who knows when the right balance has been
achieved. In practice teachers give too few rather than too many tests. Classes are too large
that marking tests in addition to other teaching duties is a formidable task.

Learning Tip

Assessment main principals are five:

1. Practicality: consider the time constraint, cost, administration, evaluation procedures

2. Validity: an assessment that measures what it intends to achievement of objectives,
content taught, skills acquired and knowledge.
3. Reliability: determines the consistency of an assessment and the student’s results.
Forms of Assessment

Assessment is a process which:

• Provides information on individual students’ experience and achievement.

• Identifies what students know, understands.
• Provide information to guide future learning.

A teacher, an examiner or indeed the student himself/herself cam measure this

assessment. Assessment is often equated with tests and examinations. A test is a particular
situation set for the purpose of making an assessment, while an examination is large – scale
test, or combination of several tests and other assessment procedures.

Formative/Continuous Assessment

Formative assessment is integral with the learning and takes place throughout learning.
Formative assessment gives the teacher and the learner feedback, information about whether
the learning objectives are being attained. It also provides information on areas of weaknesses
and strengths.

Summative/External Assessment

The examination boards offer external examinations. Summative is concerned with the
final summing up. This type of assessment often comes at the end of the course or a
school/college career. The judgments it makes are for the learner. Usually the concern is to
differentiate between students so that a selection can be made. Parents, employers and the
public attach great importance to it in general. Public expects external assessment to provide
various kinds of information e.g. provides ranking and selection criterion for employers, for
higher and further education and in the eyes of the community, provides validation of the
education system and generally recognized qualifications. A college’s or school’s success in the
assessment stakes may also influence prospective parents.

There are three main reasons why assessment is necessary for;

• Diagnosis
• Guidance
• Reporting

Diagnosis
 This process helps to gain accurate understanding of a person by analyzing the
observable and measurable behaviour of a student. Diagnosis is mainly student-tcentered and
is concerned with gathering information from a wide range of student characterizes, analyzing
the observed factors or problems to determine strengths and weaknesses. In a classroom
situation, progress is monitored to find out how he/she is assimilating what is being taught. It
serves as means of determining which learner’s programme. Diagnosis should not only identify
strength and weaknesses are noted, specific remedial strategies should be instituted. For
students with positive aptitude, diagnosis should serve as basis for developing their
unrecognized abilities. Diagnosis can indirectly apply to the teachers and the curriculum as well.

Guidance

Test results are used to assist the learners make decisions about their future whether it
concerns choice of subject or course or career. Through a series of oral questions, paper-pencil
tests, manipulative skill tests, individualized instructions, assignments, projects etc. the learner
needs and difficulties and take remedial measures. The assessor may also use the test results
to spot the talents of those learners who may require who may require more challenging
assignments.

Reporting

To examine without reporting the results to relevant audience is a waste of time, energy,
and money. Reporting is the communication of significant and relevant information on the
individual student’s experience and achievements. An examining system allows policy makers
to focus public attention on what students are learning and what it is that facilitates or hinders
their learning.

Learning Tip

The main reasons of assessing are diagnosis guidance and reporting of both the learning
and the teaching process. This could be done during formative and summative
assessment.

TYPES OF TESTS

 Criterion referenced: evaluate the cognitive domains the recall of facts, procedures,
and concepts.
  Performance tests: evaluate the psychomotor domain physical movement, coordination
and motor skills.

 Attitude test: evaluates the effective domains which deal with emotions, feeling, values
and appreciation.

As a teacher sets questions or even ask the learners questions in class they must pay
attention to all the domains. In the next activities we will explore Bloom’s taxonomy this time on
key words used in questioning and their implication in testing

ASSESSING SKILLS AND ABILITIES

On its own, adequate coverage of the content of the course is not sufficient to ensure
that assessment is valid. The content of the course is important and much time was spent
before and during the development of the syllabus – to determine the most appropriate material
for conclusion, but the course is much more than a detailed syllabus, lesson notes, and
information for students. The content of the course provides the context in which they develop
as a result of working with the material. If assessment is to be valid it must specify them in
categories, which can be recognized.

This is done by using a simplified and modified version of the educational objectives
specified in Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives.

Application of Bloom’s Taxonomy in Assessment and Evaluation.

Key Words in Questions

In classroom tests and external examinations certain key words are used more
frequently to introduce or specify questions than others. The table below shows some of these
terms and their implications.
 Use these common key words to formulate questions from your teaching subject area.
You could also add to the list of key words.

Different questions also test different domains of learning as you noted down in the
readings. The table below shows what domains different questions involve and their
implications.

These categories will only become meaningful when associated with particular questions
in an assessment meanwhile; these points should be noted with regard to the list of abilities:

• They are arranged in a hierarchy – that is the intellectual demands which are made on
students increase in complexity from knowledge to evaluation the ability to analyze and evaluate
and unfamiliar passage from literature requires more complex thinking than does the solution of
a routine problem of defining.
• The ability in the hierarchy usually requires an element of those lower than it. For
example the ability to comment on an unfamiliar method of extracting a metal will require both
knowledge and comprehensives of the general methods which are used to extract metals. It
follows that if the objectives of the course include the development of all these abilities the
students must be given a chance to display them in examinations and any other forms of
assessment if the assessment is to be valid.

• Activities or methods of teaching and learning. The assessment situation should not be
radically different from the teaching/ learning situations. Students who have been engaged in
certain activities during the course should find themselves in similar activities during their
assessment. If this is not so, given the pressure of examination success which exists, the
examination will tend to give rise to other, and possibly less desirable teaching methods

A comprehensive evaluation of the results of schooling should include examples from

the three domains of educational objectives. These are;

• Cognitive domain
• Affective domain
• Psychomotor domain

Read these in articles again this time focus on the domains. Note the key words which
were used to describe the learning objectives, learning activities are going to be used to
measure whether they have been achieved.

Activity 5.
This time test your memory and fill six key words for each domain by category
Without referring to the reading
i) COGNITIVE
Objectives refer to the intellectual results of schooling. Improvement in the learners
intellectual structure, increase in knowledge his ability to reason rather than just remember.

• Describe
•Define
•Identify
•Collect
•Discuss
•Classify

ii) AFFECTIVE
Objectives refer to his/her emotional education i.e. acquiring certain desirable attitude,
interests and appreciation.

•Select
•Relate
•Share
•Justify
•Choose
•Perform

iii). PSYCHOMOTOR
Objectives refer to physical manipulative skills learnt at school.
•Apply
•Demonstrate
•Create
•Perform
•Build
Show
 Go back to activity one and cross check the correct order and words for each domain. All
the three domains can be described figuratively as referring to;

• The head – Cognitive

• The heart – Affective
• The body – psychomotor

Most books on education put emphasis on affective domain than either cognitive or
psychomotor. Conversely, the emphasis in educational measurement has up to now been on
cognitive skills followed by the psychomotor skills. The affective domain has hardly been
formally evaluated.

This is true of developing countries where misguided enthusiasm for the white collar jobs
has resulted in lack of attention to the affective objectives of education. The results are that the
schools and colleges have produced thousands of highly lettered graduates most of whom are
hardly educated in the real sense of the word. This will have serious consequences on the
developing countries in the future.

2.2 KINDS OF TESTS

ESSAY TESTS
 Characteristics

• Essay tests require a student to organize and express herself in her own words.
• Essay tests consist of few questions which require lengthy answers.
• The quality of an essay test depends on the skill of the person setting and marking the
examination.
• Essay test are relatively easy to prepare and hard to mark very accurately.
• Essay test permit bluffing. If the person marking the essay test answers has a skill in
reading essays, and the grade awarded will be equivalent to the student’s performance.

 Limitations

• Poor content sampling: essay questions usually do not all cover the same content, in
other words, students answer questions on different contents. To avoid theproblem of
poor content sampling, it is better for the teacher to set several questions requiring short
answers and covering a wider area.
• Low reader reliability: some students do better on some questions and poorly on others.
This risk could be minimized by careful construction of the questions and also setting up
specific scoring procedures.
 • The student does not always understand what the question is asking and therefore is not
sure how to respond. This problem could be minimized by the examiner writing the
question so that the student’s task is defined as completely and specifically as possible.

 Guidelines

• Try as far as possible to restrict the subject matter to be covered by the question.
• Define the learner’s task as completely and as clearly as possible.
• Try to provide generous time limits for the test.
• Always check the adequacy of the question by seeing if you and any other ‘experts’ can
agree on an ideal answer.

OBJECTIVE TESTS

 Characteristics

• Objective tests require a learner to fill in a short answer, of one or two words, or choose
among several available alternatives.
• Objective tests have more questions, and they take less time to answer than essay
questions. Further, objective tests are in many ways more reliable.
• The quality of an objective test depends mainly on the skill of the person constructing the
test.
• Objective tests are difficult and time consuming to prepare.
• Objective tests permit guessing. When blind guessing occurs in an objective test, it is not
likely to result in a significant change in a student’s position with respect to the standard he
is expected to achieve.

Formats of Objective Questions

A) Short answer Items: A short answer item is made up of a question or incomplete statement
that the pupil has to answer with a word or a phrase.

For example: The first President of the Republic of Senegal was called____________

The limitation of short answer items is that they tend to cover only details and also reflect
the student’s familiarity with this kind of test, instead of the student understanding and
application. In short answer items, word the item in such a manner that only one answer is
correct.

 Matching: A matching test is made up of a list of statements and a list of response

statements list. The purpose of doing this is to cut down the chances of guessing.
 • Arrange the lists in some meaningful order, such as chronological or alphabetical
order.

• You have to provide in your instructions for the test the basis on which the
Matching is to be done.

B) True-False Items:

 Characteristics

These are test items where the learner is asked to indicate whether a statement given is
true or false. The major advantage of true-false test items are:

• A true-false test can satisfactorily cover a large amount of subject matter in a short time.
• True-false questions are relatively easy to construct.
• They are particularly suitable for testing belief in popular misconceptions and
superstitions.

 Limitations

• They often measure trivial pieces of information that are similar to many short answer
items.
• The scores of students on a true-false test can be greatly influenced by good or Poor
luck in guessing.
• True-false items are often ambiguous.
• The exposure of students to false items is definitely a poor method of learning.

 Guidelines

• Attempt to use statements that are clearly true or false, without exceptions.
• Avoid the use of specific determiners such as ‘all’, ‘always’, and ‘never.’
• Try to restrict each statement to a single idea.
• Use an approximately equal number of true and false items.
• Make an effort to avoid negative statements
• Avoid the exact wording of the textbook.

C) Multiple Choice Test items:

 These are the most popular of the objective test. They consist of direct questions
followed by two, three or four possible answers, of which only one is to be chosen as the correct
or best answer. The following are advantages of multiple choice test items:

• Multiple choice test items can measure a variety of knowledge skills including recall,
understanding, applications and combinations of all three.
• Multiple choice test items are relatively efficient, that is, the results of the test are usually
quickly available after the test because it is easy to mark.
• The difficulty level of the multiple choice test item can be controlled by changing the
degree of homogeneity of the items listed. This is done by including simple or difficult
questions.
• Multiple choice are less likely than true-false questions to produce score variations
because of guessing.

 Limitations

• They usually ask trivial, ambiguous questions that may handicap the really able
student.
• They are not easy to construct, in that they take a lot of time on the part of the teacher.
• There is a tendency for teachers to write multiple choice test items that demand only
factual knowledge.

 Guidelines

• Choose relevant, important topics from which to develop the items.

• Write the stem first, try to make it as short as possible and use clear, simple language.
(The stem is the part of the question which introduces the items between which the
student is asked to choose.)
• Try to make all the distracters equally plausible to well-prepared student, but obviously
wrong to well-prepared students. The word ‘distracters’ refers to those words or
sentences that are not correct answers. These are listed together with the correct
answer so as to confuse a student who is not well prepared for the multi-choice test.
• Make all the alternatives about equal in length.
• Place the correct answer equally often in each position.
• Arrange the responses in a logical order.
• Make sure all responses fit grammatically with the stem. If only grammatical way, you
are providing a clue for the student who is guessing.
• Phrases such as ‘None of these’ should be avoided as a distracter in best answer
choices.
Learning Tip

There are different types of questions: essay, objectives such as short answers,
matching, true-false and multiple choices, practical and oral

4.3 FORMULATING TESTS

Planning for the Test

Before plunging directly into test item writing, a plan should be constructed. Without an
advance plan, some test items will be over represented while others may stay untouched. Often,
it is easier to build test items on some topics than on others. These easier topics tend to get
over-represented. It is also easier to build test items that require the recall of simple facts, rather
than items calling for critical evaluation, integration of different facts, or application of principles
to new situations. A good test or evaluation plan has a descriptive scheme that states what the
learners may or may not do while taking the test. It includes behavioural objectives, content
topics, the distribution of test items, and what the learner’s test performance really means.

Table of Specifications

The principle behind any kind of testing is that the test items (question) should not be
written until the objective and content areas to be measured are identified. The emphasis to be
placed on each is decided using blue print or table of specifications.

The basic purpose of a table of specifications is to ensure that all intended outcomes are
measured and the test includes the appropriate number of items for each measured outcome. A
table of specification is a two-way table with one axis being a topic/content outline and the other
axis being a behaviour/skill desired according to Bloom’s Taxonomy. The cognitive skills
required to be tasked, should be stated in terms of action verbs.

The procedure for designing and using a table of specification is to:

 • Decide on the type and number of questions the question paper should have.
• Decide on which aspects or parts of the syllabus the test will cover.
• Decide on what skills will be tested and the percentage weighing according to the level
of the course on which the test is being developed.
• Decide on what percentage weighting will be allocated to the various aspects of the
syllabus.
• Balance the number of questions and skills to be tested and the distribution of
questions from all parts of the syllabus (sampling).

4.4 MARKING EXAMS

The type of test or examination determines the technique of marking answers.

• Answers to select-type of objective test/examinations may be by ticking, ticking and

underlining, encircling or crossing off certain responses on a specially prepared answer sheets.

• Alternatively, ticking, underlining, encircling or crossing off certain responses on especially

prepared answer sheets can give answers to such test items.

• The latter is commonly used in secondary schools. The teacher or the examiner prepares
unused test paper by ticking, underlining or encircling correct answers.

• This becomes the master sheet or the key. It is essential that the teacher/examiner check this
key carefully with other colleagues in order to ensure that all the answers are correct. This
consultation is done before the test goes into print.

• No matter how expert the examiner, experience shows that small errors and misconception
can occur this may adversely affect the value of the questioned items.

• The learner’s answers can be marked by companying them with responses in the key or
making scheme.

• Two schools of thought prevail in marking is of essay type examinations and practical.

“General impression method”

“Detailed scheme method”

In the “general impression method” the teacher/examiner reads through the answer, the
general expression on how it fits an ideal answer in the mind and opinion of the examiner and
thereafter award marks out of the maximum assigned for that question.
 This general scheme technique assumes that:

• There is an accepted body of knowledge, which will form the answer to the question.
• The teacher/examiner has a good command of this body of knowledge and can
identify it in the student’s answers.
• The teachers impression of the answer is unaffected by the previous knowledge or
lack of it, with particular reference to the topic under question.
• The three are consolidated by consultation among various experts but the marking of
this type remains subjective and the marks obtained are not reliable.

The Detailed Scheme Technique

• In the most public examinations and diploma training colleges, this method is suitable
and “detailed scheme method” is adopted.
• Examiner assigns marks in proportion to these major points.
• Before beginning to use the scheme, it should be discussed with colleges and
moderated accordingly. This ensures the marking scheme is comprehensive.
• As far as possible, the major marking points relevant to the question have been
included in the marking scheme.
• Such points are given their proper relative weighting
• In a practical type of question of the examination/test, the teacher or examiner
performs the activities in the practical test and makes a marking scheme before giving
the students the practical examination.
• This ensures that all the skills are expressed and there is no problem with the
apparatus and chemicals or specimens to be handled by the learners when handling
the paper.
• The marking scheme should be verified by the members of the departments before
using it for marking.
• After the examination is marked, there is interpretation of marks and their moderation

All exams questions must be prepared with a marking scheme accompanying each
question before the exam is administered.
4.5 GRADING AND REPORTING

Assigning students grades is an important component of teaching and many schools

issue progress reports at mid-term, end-term or both.

Activity 5.
The results below are grades of a form three class in a Mathematics class.
The marks are out of 100%

10 30 40 10 25 15 45

50 65 70 17 16 21 24
 08 06 30 50 12 14 32

a) What is the mean score? Show your solution.

First, add all scores
10+30+40+10+25+15+45+50+65+70+17+16+21+24+08+06+30+50+12+14+32= 590
Divide the total number into 21, the mean score is 28.1
b) Explain in 100-150 words how the teacher can use these grades to prepare lessons
to suit the learners
 If a student asks why his grade or score is too low, the instructor might show
the student all of the activities in which he/she performed poorly and explain
why this is the case so that the student doesn't wonder why his friend had a
higher mark. It's important to speak with your students and remind them that,
if they want to get a good grade or consistently perform well, this may help
them become a great teacher in the future.

Learning Tip

Assigning grades is an important component of teaching for issue of reports to

parents /guardian and record keeping. Weighting of assignments, homework quizzes
progress assessments may combine achievement, effort, growth, attitude, and
participation and test scores.
Grading could be letter grading A, B, C, pass or fail system, a check list proficient,
partial proficient, needs improvement and numerical grades

4.6 EVALUATION

Testing of the learning and training outcomes are done through measurement and
evaluation. Evaluation has to do with judgment and description. The science of subjecting
learners or trainees to specific tasks and then evaluating and measuring the outcomes, in order
to identify the learners or trainees attributes under specific conditions is called psychometrics.
Learning is evaluated in the three domains.

• The intellectual or cognitive domain

• The physical or manipulative or psychomotor domain
• The effective domain or the domain of the feeling and aesthetics.

Measurement and evaluation involve two types of tasks:

 a) Timed tasks referred to as ‘pencil and paper’ examinations and include:

i. Written examinations
ii. Performance/practical examinations
iii. Oral and aural examinations

b) Unlimited tasks, which cover:

i. Course-work practical undertaken during the teaching/training session.

ii. Project work undertaken by individual or groups of trainees.

Interpretation of Marks

No matter how much effort is involved in planning, constructing, administering and

marking examination/tests, it would all be wasted if enough thought were not given to the issue
of interpreting the marks. Teachers have over years, handed down their colleagues a number of
marks. The vast majority of these marks are misinterpreted and such have led to uncountable
erroneous executive decisions.

The value of proper interpretation of marks cannot be over-emphasized. The physician

has understood the meaning of temperature determined by a thermometer or blood pressure
determined by stethoscope in relation to certain clinical characteristics in order to be able to
diagnose the patients’ condition. The same is true for the teacher and the marks obtained from
the tests and examinations.

The information gathered from the marked examination is analyzed and evaluated and its worth
is placed on each student’s performance. This always involves making judgment. We judge or
decide that something is good or bad, satisfactory or average in quality on the basis of
information we have and the values we use in making our decisions.

Student Related Evaluation

Is a Student successful to go the next stage? This is the diagnostic function of

evaluation. Students who already possess considerable knowledge on a topic can do
enrichment activities such as individual projects or supplemental reading. They can also act as
aids assisting the teacher with those students who are having difficulties with the materials or
who have missed some of the work or if circumstances permit the students who score
sufficiently well on the present can go on to the next unit of work.

This function of evaluation diagnoses the students’ level of understanding.

Learning Tip

Standardized tests are used to:

 Assess the student’s progress
 Diagnose the learner’s strengths and weakness
 Select students for specific programmes
 Assist teachers in planning
 Promote accountability

There are different types of standardized tests achievement tests (assess content areas),
diagnostic tests (assess skills and abilities) and aptitude tests (predict thefuture).

TYPES OF EVALUATION

Formative Evaluation

The student feedback on their performance is very important. Everybody would like to
know how well he/she is doing and experiencing success is a strong motivation to continue our
efforts to learn.

Even the evidence that we have not accomplished a task may cause us to try harder. Of
course, continuous failure usually has negative effect and may lead to student’s giving up and
even dropping out of school. Because education has such a strong effect on student action
teachers must be especially conscious of how their evaluation activities affect the students.

Realistic feedback can serve to reinforce students on things they are doing well and
show them where improvement is needed. Evaluation serves to shape student behaviour in a
desired direction. Sometimes they do not know where they are going wrong.

Evaluation is designed to give students immediate feedback, therefore helps to form or

shape the students learning, a continuous process that takes place throughout the instruction.

A means of reporting student progress is a form of evaluation that sums up and takes
place at the end of the instruction.
 In Secondary Schools, teachers are required to assign grades to all students at a given
period e.g. every six weeks or end of term. This report card will now be used to extract the
relevant information to the learner, teacher and guardian.

This is done by invoking an unknown but written scheme on the meaning of percentage
marks.

Below 20% - Very poor

30% - Poor
30% to 45% - Weak
45% to 55% - Average
55% to 70% - Fair
70% to 80 % - Good
Above 80% - Very good

There is a great deal of impression in the way verbal descriptive terms have been used
to interpret achievement.

• The section of the report that states that the student must repeat the class (failure) or move to
the next class (normal promotion) or discontinue the course (very poor) holds the attention of
the parent/guardian since the cost of education has risen.

• Such report should help parents/guardian to form a good mental image of the attainment levels
and prospects of their children.

• The schools and colleges are therefore expected to render regular accounts to parents of the
performance of their children using the type of language they will understand.

Learning Tip

When the assessment and evaluation is done by teachers’ the learner’s results could
show:
 Learners who show an upward trend, these ones are rewarded and reinforced.
 Learners who are steady, these ones are given a push to motivate them to move
upwards.
 learners who show a downward trend are reinforced in a manner that they do not
feel useless but can perform in other kinds of activities other than in academic
field or given remedial classes.
Synthesis of the Module

Congratulations for completing this module Andragogy of Learning. This module

has introduced you to Andragogy of Learning or The Teaching Methodology. These are

the theoretical basis of learning, nature of the teachers and learners, planning for

teaching and learning interpreting of the syllabus, scheming and lesson planning,

preparing for micro-teaching , classroom organization, discipline and conflict resolution

in a classroom and finally assessment and evaluation.