Southern Luzon State University College of Teacher Education

Contents
Introduction to Assessment in Learning 2 01
Alternative Ways in Assessing Learning 02
Analysis and Reporting of Assessment Data
Using the Alternative Methods 03

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 1
 PREFACE
PED 07 Assessment in Learning 2 is offered to undergraduate students of the
College of Teacher Education. It covers topics such as introduction to Assessment in
Learning 2, alternative ways in assessing learning, and analysis and reporting of
assessment data using the alternative methods. Specifically, this course focuses on the
principles, development and utilization of alternative forms of assessment in measuring,
monitoring and evaluating authentic learning and communicating its results. It
emphasizes on how to assess process- and product-oriented learning outcomes as well as
affective learning. Pre-service teachers will experience how to design, develop, select and
use rubrics and other alternative assessment tools for performance-based and product-
based assessment. The course further addresses how to provide accurate and constructive
feedback to improve instruction and learner performance.

These modules aim to engage students in the learning environment where

reflective learning, constructivism, and inquiry-based learning are at play. The
discussions included in this material were copied and modified primarily on the work of
Balagtas, et al (2020). Examples were also lifted from the work of several teachers, DepEd
materials and other related resources. The activities in every module provide opportunities
for the students to discover and reflect in a particular topic that will lead greater
understanding of the nature of assessment in both basic elementary and secondary level.

DGG
GDP
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PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 2
 Lesson 1 Basic Concepts, Theories and
Principles in Assessing Learning Using
Alternative Methods

Objectives

After the study of Lesson 1, you should be able to:

1. Define and explain the alternative assessment and related concepts.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the different principles in assessing learning using
alternative methods of assessment.

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, whereas 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 informed decisions 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 the learning 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 design and implement assessment tasks or
activities that refrain from using traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which typically assess
cognitive 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 authentic tasks that demonstrate learners' ability to 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 still common 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 assessment typically uses paper-and-pencil tests, alternative assessment is

more concerned with performance assessment or performance- based assessment. Performance
Assessment refers to assessing student learning by requiring a student to perform a task or
PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 3
develop a product 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. A portfolio 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 students to 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 portfolio
assessment 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- outcomes). The use
of rubrics and scales may also provide opportunities for using self-assessment and peer
assessment, which allow for a more comprehensive assessment of student learning and
performance in the classroom.

What are the different models 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 and 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 and compelling 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 students can 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.
Assessors should have adequate knowledge of how a skill or attribute develops so appropriate
assessment strategies and tools can be designed.

Authentic Assessment 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 allow learners 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.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 4
 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:
1. Be built around topics or issue of interest to the students;
2. Replicate real world communicati0on contexts and situations;
3. Involve multistage tasks and real problems that require creative use of language rather
than simple repetition;
4. Require learners to produce 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 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

to student performance or product and the process they engage in to perform or 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 to the 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., creativity,
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 in nature. Hence, an assessment should also
consider the assessment of these noncognitive outcomes, Nontraditional assessment tools
like rubrics, scales, and checklists allow the measurement of noncognitive learning
outcomes that allow a more complete and assessment of student learning.

4. Assessment should reflect real-life or real-world contexts. Assessment tasks or activities

should be authentic. The assessment should closely, if not fully approximate real-life
situations or experiences. Authenticity of assessment can be thought of as a continuum
from least authentic to most authentic, with more authentic tasks expected to be more
meaningful for students. Performance assessment is optimal if the performance task to be
demonstrated is similar or close to what is expected in the real world.

5. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic. Assessment should be performed using

a variety of strategies and tools designed to assess student learning in a more integrative
way. Assessment should be conducted in multiple periods to assess learning over time.
Moreover, the use of both traditional assessment and alternative assessment strategies and
tools should be considered. Nontraditional methods of assessment (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 concepts of assessment for
learning and assessment as learning. Assessment for learning refers to the use of

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 5
 assessment to identify the needs of students in order to modify instruction or 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.

LEARNING TASKS

Task 1

Use the table below to develop a matrix of the difference between traditional
assessment and alternative assessment of learning.

Area Traditional Assessment Alternative Assessment

Definition Use of traditional assessment
strategies or tools to provide
information on student learning
Tools Paper-and-pencil tests
Focus Knowledge
Orientation Outcome-oriented
Assessor Teacher or External

Task 2
Based on the lessons on the basic concepts and principles in assessing learning
using nontraditional or alternative methods, select two core principles in assessing
learning and explain them in relation to your experience with a previous or current
teacher in one of your courses/subjects.
Example:

Principle Illustration of Practice

Assessment In our practicum course, we were In our practicum course, we were asked to
asked to prepare should reflect a lesson plan prepare a lesson plan then top execute the
then to execute the plan in front of the real- plan in front of the students with my critic
life or real- students with my critic teacher teacher around to evaluate my performance.
around to evaluate my world contexts. The actual planning of the lesson and its
execution in front of the class and the critic
teacher are authentic ways of assessing my
ability to design and deliver instruction rather
than being assessed through demonstration in
front of my classmates in the classroom.

Principle Illustration of Practice

1.

2.

Reference:

Balagtas, M., et.al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. REX Printing Company, Inc.
Quezon City, Metro Manila.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 6
 Lesson 2 Learning Targets for Performance and
Product-Oriented Assessment

Objectives

After the study of Lesson 2, you should be able to:

1. Formulate learning target that can be assessed through performance and product-oriented
assessment.
2. Create an assessment plan using alternative methods of assessment.

Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives

Educational objectives are specific statements of student performance at the end of an

instructional unit. Educational objectives are sometimes referred to as behavioral objectives and
are typically stated with the use of verbs. The most popular taxonomy of educational objectives is
Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. Bloom's Taxonomy consists of three domains:
cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. These three domains correspond to the three types of goals
that teachers want to assess: knowledge-based goals (cognitive), skills-based goals
(psychomotor), and affective goals (affective). Hence, there are three taxonomies that can be used
by teachers depending on the goals. Each taxonomy consists of different levels of expertise with
varying degree of complexity. The succeeding sections describe the taxonomies for the
psychomotor and affective domain.

Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective Domain describes five

levels of expertise: receiving, responding, valuing, organization, and characterization by a value
or value complex. Table 2.1 provides an elaboration of this taxonomy.

Table 2.1. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Affective Domain

Level Description Illustrative Verbs Sample Objective

Receiving Awareness or passive asks, chooses, holds, Listens attentively to
attention to identifies, listens the instruction of the
phenomenon or teacher
stimulus
Responding Active attention and answers, complies, Participates actively
response to a participates, in the focus-group
particular practices, writes discussion
phenomenon or
stimulus
Valuing Attaching value or completes, Demonstrates belief
worth to a demonstrates, in the value of the
phenomenon or differentiates, election process
object. Valuing may explains, justifies
range from
acceptance to
commitment
Organization Organizing values adheres, defends, Defends the
into priorities by integrates, organizes, importance of
comparing, relating, synthesizes graduate education in
and synthesizing the career of a teacher
specific values
Internalizing values/ Having a personal acts, displays, Displays commitment
characterization by a values system that is influences, solves, to helping
value or value now a characteristic verifies economically
PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 7
complex of the learner disadvantaged
students

In terms of educational objectives in the psychomotor domain, Bloom and colleagues did
not propose levels unlike in the cognitive and affective domains. However, other scholars like
Elizabeth Simpson (1972) built a taxonomy for the psychomotor domain from the work of
Bloom. In Simpson's Taxonomy Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain, seven
levels of expertise are described: perception, set, guided response, mechanism, complex overt
response, adaptation, and Organizing. Table 2.2 provides an elaboration of this taxonomy.

Table 2.2. Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the Psychomotor Domain

Level Description Illustrative Verbs Sample Objective

Perception The ability to use adjusts, describes, Detects non-verbal
sensory cues to guide detects, identifies, cues from the
motor activity selects participants
Set The mental, physical Copies, performs, Shows motivation to
and emotional sets follows, reacts, learn a new skill
that predispose a responds
person’s response to
different situations
Guided Response Demonstration of a copies, performs, Performs the
complex skill through follows, reacts, mathematical
guided practice like responds operation by
imitation and trial following the steps
and error demonstrated by the
teacher
Mechanism Learned responses assembles, Plays the guitar
have become habitual dismantles, fixes,
and movements can manipulates, plays
be performed with
some degree of
confidence and
proficiency
Complex Overt Performance of assembles, Demonstrates one’s
Response motor acts that dismantles, fixes, expertise in playing
involve complex manipulates, the guitar
movement patterns in organizes (similar
a quick, accurate, and with Mechanisms but
highly coordinated performed in a more
manner. accurate, more
Characterized by coordinated, and
automatic quicker way)
performance and
performance without
hesitation
Adaptation Psychomotor skills adapts, alters, Modifies the dance
are well developed modifies, rearranges, steps to suit the
and the person can varies abilities of one’s
modify movement groupmates
patterns to fit special
requirements
Origination Creating new arranges, builds, Creates new steps for
movement patterns to combines, creates, a contemporary
fit a particular designs version of a classic
situation or specific dance hit.
problem. Learning
outcomes emphasize
creativity based upon
highly developed
skills.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 8
 Bloom's taxonomies of educational objectives for affective and psychomotor domains are
able to provide teachers with a structured guide in formulating more specific learning targets in
the classroom. The taxonomies serve as guide for teachers in both instruct and assessment of
student learning in the classroom. The challenge is for teachers to identify the levels of expertise
that they expect the students to achieve and demonstrate. This will then lead to the identification
of the assessment methods required to properly assess student learning. Higher level of expertise
in a given domain requires are assumed to require more sophisticated assessment methods or
strategies.

Learning Targets
As previously learned from Assessment in Learning 1, a learning target is a statement on
what students are supposed to learn and what they can do because of instruction. Learning targets
are more specific compared with educational goals, standards, and objectives and lend themselves
to more specific instructional and assessment activities. Learning targets should be congruent
with the standards prescribed by a program or level and aligned with the instructional or learning
objectives of a subject or course. Teachers formulate learning targets from broader standards and
learning objectives. The learning targets should be clear, specific, and meaningful to students.
Thus, learning targets are more effectively stated in students' point of view, typically using the
phrase "I can..." For example, "I can differentiate between traditional methods and alternative
methods of assessment".

The purpose of learning targets is to effectively inform students of what they should be
able to do or demonstrate as evidence of their learning. Therefore learning targets should specify
both the content and criteria of learning. With specific learning targets formulated, appropriate
classroom instruction and assessment can be designed.

The most common typology of learning targets are knowledge, reasoning, types of
learning targets.

Table 2.3 Description and Sample Learning Targets

Types of Learning Targets Description Sample

Knowledge targets Refers to factual, conceptual, I can discuss the research
and procedural information design that I used for my
that students must learn in a thesis.
subject or content area
Reasoning targets Knowledge-based thought I can justify my choice of
processes that students must Analysis of Variance
learn. It involves application (ANOVA) as my statistical
of knowledge in problem- analysis for my thesis
solving, decision-making, and research.
other tasks that require
mental skills.
Skills targets Use of knowledge and I can perform Analysis of
reasoning to perform or Variance (ANOVA) on
demonstrate physical skills research data using the
software SPSS.
Product targets Use of knowledge, reasoning I can write the results and
and skills in creating a discussion section of a thesis
concrete or tangible product. manuscript.
Affective targets Refers to affective I can appreciate the role of a
characteristics that students thesis adviser in the
develop and demonstrate completion of a thesis
because of instruction. research.

What are the appropriate alternative methods of assessment

for learning targets?

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 9
 While all five types of learning targets (knowledge, reasoning, skill, product, and affect)
can be assessed by the use of alternative methods of assessment, three types of learning targets
can be best assessed using alternative assessments. These are skills, products, and affect.

Stiggins et al. (2006) defined skills type of learning targets as one's use of knowledge and
reasoning to act skillfully. In other words, skills refer to learning targets that require the
development and demonstration of behavioral or physical task. To able to demonstrate skills or
act skillfully, students must be able to possess the knowledge and reasoning ability related or
relevant to the skills to be demonstrated.

On the other hand, Stiggins et al. (2006) described product learning targets as the use of
knowledge, reasoning, and skills to create a concrete product. Thus, products refer to learning
targets that require the development of a tangible and high-quality product or output. Students are
expected to create products that have certain core attributes that will serve as basis for evaluating
its quality.

Meanwhile, affect or disposition was defined by Stiggins et al. (2006) as students'

attitudes about school and learning. In practice, we look at affect/ disposition to encompass a
broad range of noncognitive attributes beyond attitude that may affect learning and performance,
including motivation, interest, and other affective states. The development of affect/disposition
simultaneously occurs as a student learns concepts and skills in the classroom.

Table 2.4 provides further examples of learning targets for skills, products, and affect
across different subject areas:

Table 2.4 Sample Learning Targets Across Subject Areas

Subject Area Typology Learning Targets Learning Targets

English Skills Participate in conversation
with others
Products Write an argumentative essay
where arguments are justified
by providing factual or
empirical data as support.
Affect Enjoy reciting a poem in front
of an audience.
Physical Education Skills Dribbles the ball to cross the
half-court.
Products Create a three-month personal
fitness plan.
Affect Show determination to
complete the physical task.
Mathematics Skills Measure angles using a
protractor.
Products Given the data, construct a
histogram with normal curve
using SPSS.
Affect Demonstrate interest in
attending mathematics class.
Science Skills Use laboratory equipment
properly.
Products Prepare a report about a field
observation.
Affect Consider the safety of others
in the conduct of an
experiment.
Social Studies Skills Participate in civic
discussions on current social
issues.
Products Create a timeline for 2017
Marawi Seige.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 10
 Affect Argue with others in a
constructive manner.

Once the learning targets are identified, appropriate alternative methods of assessment
can be selected to measure student learning. In terms of skills, having the required skills to apply
one's knowledge and reasoning skills through the performance of a behavioral or physical task is
a step higher than simply knowing or being able to reason based on knowledge. Hence, skills
targets are best assessed among students through performance-oriented or performance- based
assessment as skills are best gauged through actual task performance.

In terms of products, a student's knowledge, reasoning, and skills are all required before
one can create a meaningful product or output. Obviously, product targets are best assessed
through product assessment. Given the need to also give value to the process of creating a
product, performance assessment is also typically used vis-a-vis product assessment.

For affect or disposition, a student may already hold a particular affect or disposition in
relation to a particular lesson or learning target and such affect may change or not depending on
the learning and instructional and assessment experiences of the student. Affect or disposition is
best assessed through affective assessment or the use of self-report measures (checklists,
inventories, questionnaires, scales) and other alternative strategies to assess affective outcomes.

Table 2.5 presents a simple matrix of the different types of learning targets best assessed
through alternative assessment methods.

Table 2.5 Matching Learning Targets with Alternative Assessment Methods

Learning Performance- Product- Portfolio Self-Scale

Targets Oriented Oriented Report
Skills √√√ √√√ √√√ √
Product √√√ √√√ √√√ √
Affect/Disposition √ √ √√√ √√√

Note: More checks mean better matches.

Across the different nontraditional or alternative methods of assessment, teachers can

expand the role of assessor to other students (peer assessment) and the students themselves (self-
assessment). This allows assessment to become really authentic. There are also other methods or
strategies for alternative assessment, and it is up to the teachers to select the method of
assessment and design appropriate tasks and activities to measure the identified learning targets.

LEARNING TASKS

Task 1

Answer the following questions.

1. What is the difference between educational objectives and learning targets?
2. Why is it important that learning targets and assessment tasks/activities are
matched?
Task 2

Select a specific lesson for a subject area and grade level that you think you
should be able to teach and handle when you are already a teacher in a school. Using
the DepEd Curriculum Guide for the subject, create an assessment plan for student
learning by formulating learning targets that can best assessed using alternative

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 11
 methods of assessment (you may focus on skills, products, affective, or any
combination of these learning targets).

Assessment Plan Using Alternative Assessment Methods

Subject
Specific Lesson
Learning Outcome/s/
Instructional Objectives
Learning Targets
Assessment
Task/Activity
Why use this assessment
task/activity?
How does this assessment
task/activity help you
improve your instruction?
How does this assessment
task/activity help your
students achieve the
intended learning
outcomes?

Reference:

Balagtas, M., et.al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. REX Printing Company, Inc.
Quezon City, Metro Manila.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 12
 Lesson 3 Performance Assessment

Objectives

After the study of Lesson 3, you should be able to:

3. Design appropriate performance assessment tools for intended student learning
outcomes.
4. Distinguish between traditional and performance assessments

What is performance assessment?

Performance assessment is an assessment activity or set of activities that required student

to generate products or performances that provide direct or indirect evidence of their knowledge,
skills, and abilities in an academic content domain. It provides teachers with information about how
well a student understands and applies knowledge and goes beyond the ability to recall information.
It is used for assessing learning outcomes that involve designing or creating projects such as
research papers, art exhibits, reflective essays, and portfolios. On the other hand, performance-
based tasks include actual performance of making those products, such as carrying out laboratory
experiment creative and artistic talent, such a dancing ,painting ,and playing a musical instrument
,and demonstrating writing skills through extemporaneous essay writing, article review, and
reflective papers. Both product-based and performance- based assessment provide information
about how a student understands and applies knowledge and involve hands- on tasks or activities
that students must complete individually or in small groups. Below are examples of product-based
and performance-based assessments:

Types Example
A. Product-Based Assessment
Visual Products Charts ,illustrations, graphs ,collages, murals ,
timeline flows , diagrams ,posters,
advertisement, video presentations , art exhibit
Kinesthetic Products Diorama , puzzles , games , sculpture , exhibit ,
dance recital
Written Products Journals , diaries , logs , reports , abstracts ,
letters, thought or position papers, poems,
story, movie/ TV scripts, portfolio, essay,
article report ,research paper ,thesis
Verbal Products Audiotapes ,debates ,lectures ,voice recording ,
scripts

B. Performance-Based Assessment
Oral Present/Demonstration Paper presentation ,poster presentation
,individual or group report on assigned topic
,skills demonstration such as baking, teaching
,problem solving
Dramatic/Creative Performances Dance ,recital ,dramatic enactment ,prose or
poetry interpretation , role playing musical
instruments
Public Speaking Debates ,mock trial ,simulations , interviews ,
panel discussion ,story-telling ,poem reading
Athletic Skills Demonstration/competition Playing basketball , baseball ,soccer,
volleyball ,and other sports

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 13
 Similar to performance assessment is the concept of authentic assessment authentic
assessment requires students to actually demonstrate their skills in applying skills and knowledge
they have learned from class. It involves tasks that resemble what people do in the real setting or
context, such as doing an actual research, making a case study, giving a speech, or performing on a
stage.

What are the characteristics of a good performance assessment?

With so many different types of performance assessment tasks or tools that can be used to
measure students learning outcomes, deciding which one to use can be confusing and challenging.
In choosing and designing the best performance assessment, it is good to evaluate its suitability
against the following criteria.

1. It is authentic, that is, it includes performance tasks that are meaningful and realistic.

Performance assessment should present or require tasks that are realistic and related to
everyday life. As it involves an authentic task , it should convey its purpose and reflect its
relevance to the students , their discipline , the outside world as a whole .For example ,in an
Entrepreneur class wherein one of the learning outcomes is ability to develop a business plan ,
instead of giving final exams to test students’ knowledge of concepts, principles ,and
processes of developing a business plant ,the students will be required to submit a proposed
business plan for a putting up a new investment. This performance tasks entails students to
identify the market needs and gaps, plan out the marketing mix (7Ps) and the 4Ms of
operations, and forecast the costs and revenues of the business .This task allow students to
have hand-son experience in performing a task that is done in the actual world.

2. It provides opportunities for students to show both what they know and how well they can do
what they know.

Performance assessment should achieve a balanced approach where it given students

opportunities to show their knowledge- and- skill competencies .Since the main goal of
teaching and learning is for students’ acquisition and application of knowledge and skill,
course assessments should therefore help answer the question ‘’Do the students know it?’’ and
‘’How well can use what they know?’’ to determine whether the students have actually
achieved this goal. For example, in a Practical Research 2 class, the teacher may require
research output at the end of the course, sine this performance task will not only inform the
teacher whether the students learning the different part of a research paper but also whether the
students can conceptualize a good research paper ,conduct review of related literature ,apply
appropriate data gathering procedure and analysis, and make valid interpretations of the
results. The main challenge is for the teachers to choose performance tasks that can measure
both the competencies of ‘’ knowing’’ and’’ applying’’ and at most ‘’creating’’.

3. It allows students to be involved in the process of evaluating their pees’ performance and
output

Performance assessment should allow students to be involved in the process of evaluating

themselves and their peer. It should give students the opportunity for self- reflection or self-
assessment, as well as to be involved in evaluating their classmates’ performance .Self-
assessment allow students to make judgment about their learning process and products of
learning ,track their progress ,and identify the areas where to focus or improve on .Peer
assessment ,on the hand ,allows students to given constructive feedback about the
performance of their classmate or group mates , which the latter can use to revise or improve
their work .Both assessment require that scoring or grading is based on the criteria agreed
upon by the teacher and the students. The use of a rubric can facilitate self- assessment and
peer assessment.

4. It assesses more complex skill.

Unlike traditional test that usually assess a single skill and require simple tasks such as
remembering or recalling of concepts, performance assessment usually taps higher- order
cognitive skills to apply knowledge to solve realistic and meaningful problem .As such,

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 14
 performance assessment allows students to engage in more challenging activities that require
various skill, such as planning and decision-making, problem-solving, critical thinking,
communication, and creating skills, among other. For example, instead of giving final exams
to assess student’ learning in a marketing class, the teacher may require the students to conduct
a marketing and market research, come up with a marketing strategy , and\ or conduct an
actual marketing for a product of their choice. These performance tasks not only assess
students’ knowledge of principles and processes in marketing but also tap their creativity,
planning skills, collaborative skills, and communication skills, and research skills.

5. It explains the task, required elements, and scoring criteria to the students before the start of
the activity and the assessment.

At the start of the class, it is important that the requirements of the required tasks, activities
or projects, the expected quality and level performance or output, the criteria to be include
for assessment, and the rubric to be used. Ideally, student to be involved in the whole
assessment process from the very onset, by providing them assessment option, getting them
involved in the whole assessment process from the onset, by providing them assessment
options, getting them involved in discussions and decision-making on performance standards
and criteria, allowing them opportunity to give feedback on teacher-made rubrics and to revise
them, and training them on how to apply rubric for self-and peer-assessment.

What are the general guidelines in designing performance assessment?

The learning outcomes at the end of the course serve as the bases in designing the
performance assessment tasks. With the learning outcomes identified, the evidence of student
learning that are most relevant for each learning outcome and the standard or criteria that will be
used to evaluate those evidence are then identified. To guide you in designing performance
assessments, the following questions may be addressed:

1. What are the outcomes to be assessed?

2. What are the capabilities/skills implicit or explicit in the expected outcomes (e.g., problem-
solving, decision-making, critical thinking, communication skills)?
3. What are the appropriate performance assessment tasks or tools to measure the outcomes and
skills?
4. Are the specific performance tasks aligned with the outcomes and skills interesting, engaging,
challenging, and measurable?
5. Are the performance Tasks authentic and representative of real-world scenario?
6. What criteria should be included to rate students’ performance level?
7. What are specific performance indicators for each criterion?

Furthermore, the choice of teaching and learning activities is also of utmost importance in
choosing the performance assessments to use. There should also be an alignment among the
learning outcomes, the teaching learning activities, and assessment tasks. For example, in a
Physical Education-dance class, the following three-course components should be explicitly clear
and linked, as shown below:

Intended Learning Teaching-Learning Performance Assessment

Outcomes Activities Tasks
At the end of the course, the
students should be able to:
 Perform dance routines and Lecture, class discussion, Culminating dance class
creatively combine movement exercises, dance recitals, practical test for each
variations with rhythm, demonstration, actual dancing type of dance, reflection
coordination, correct with teacher and partners, papers, peer evaluation rating
footwork technique, frame, collaborative learning
facial and body expression.
 Participate in dance socials Required attendance and Actual dance performance in
and other community participation in school and school or community
fitness advocacy projects. community dance programs, reaction/ reflection
performances. papers.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 15
How do you conduct performance assessment?

Unlike in most traditional tests wherein student responses can be scored using an answer
key, performance assessments require the teacher’s and peer’s judgment when evaluating the
resulting products and performances. This necessitates using a set of predetermined criteria that
are aligned with desired targeted standards or desired learning outcomes.

The following are the basic steps in planning and implementing performance –based or
product-based assessments:

Define the
purpose of Choose the Assess
Create the
Performance activity/output Define the student's
performance
or product- that you will criteria. performance/
rubric.
based assess. product.
assessment.

1. Define the purpose of performance or product-based assessment. The teacher may ask the
following questions?
 What concept, skill, or knowledge of the students should be assessed?
 At what level should the students be performing?
 What type of knowledge is being assessed 9e.g. remembering to create)?

2. Choose the activity/output that you will assess. The required performance or output should
be feasible given the time constraints, availability of resources, and amount of data/materials
needed to make an informed decision about the quality of a student’s performance or product.
The performance tasks should be interesting, challenging, achievable and with sufficient depth
and breadth so that valid evaluation about students’ learning can be made.

3. Define the criteria. Criteria are guidelines or rules for judging student responses, products, or
performances. Before conducting the assessment, the performance criteria should be
predetermined. The set of criteria should be discussed and agreed upon by the teacher and the
students. Performance criteria are important since they define for the students the types of
behavior or attributes of a product that are expected, as well as allow the teach and the students
to evaluate a performance or product as objectively and as consistent as possible. There are
four types of criteria that can be used for evaluating student performances:
A. content criteria - to evaluate the degree of a student's knowledge and understanding of
facts, concepts, and principles related to the topic/ subject;
B. process criteria - to evaluate the proficiency level of performance of a skill or process;
C. quality criteria - to evaluate the quality of a product or performance; and
D. impact criteria - to evaluate the overall results or effects of a product or performance.

4. Create the performance rubric. A rubric is an assessment tool that indicates the performance
expectations for any kind of student work. It generally contains three essential features: (1)
criteria or the aspects of performance that will be assessed, (2) performance descriptors or the
characteristics associated with each dimension or criterion; and (3) performance levels that
identifies students' level of mastery within each criterion. There are different types of rubrics:

A. holistic rubric - in holistic rubric, student performance or output is evaluated by applying

all criteria simultaneously, thus providing a single score based on overall judgment about
the quality of student's work
B. analytic rubric - in analytic rubric, student's work is evaluated by using each criterion
separately, thus providing specific feedback about the student's performance or product
along several dimensions
C. general rubric - contains criteria that are general and can be applied across tasks (e.g., the
same rubric that can be used to evaluate oral presentation and research output)
D. task-specific rubric - contains criteria that are unique to a specific task (i.e., a rubric that
can only be used for oral presentation and another rubric applicable only for research
output)

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 16
 For a more detailed discussion on the types of rubric and the steps in developing a rubric,
please refer to Lesson 6: Process in Developing and Using Rubrics for Alternative Assessment.

5. Assess student’s performance/ product. In assessing a student’s work, it is important to

adhere to the criteria set and use the rubric developed. This is to ensure objective, consistent,
and accurate evaluation of student’s performance. It is also important to provide specific and
meaningful feedback and explanation to students on how they have performed the tasks,
clarifying to them what they understand, what they don’t understand, and where they can
improve.

LEARNING TASKS

Task 1

Answer the following questions.

1. What are the types of performance assessments?
2. What are the basic steps in conducting performance-based or product-based
assessments?

Task 2

Use the following template to come up with your performance assessment

plan. In doing this, you need the following information:
1. Desired learning outcomes for subject area
2. Level of cognitive /thinking skills appropriate to assess the desired learning
outcomes
3. Specific activity or output to assess (i.e., performance task)
4. Appropriate types of performance assessment to use
5. Criteria for evaluating students’ performance
6. Type of rubric to use.

Performance Assessment Plan

Subject
Specific Lesson

Desired Learning Types of Performance Tasks Criteria for evaluating

Outcome/s students’ performance

Reference:
Balagtas, M., et.al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. REX Printing Company, Inc.
Quezon City, Metro Manila.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 17
 Lesson 4 Affective Assessment

Objectives

After the study of Lesson 4, you should be able to:

1. Develop an assessment tool to measure affective outcomes of learning.
2. Determine the taxonomy of affective domain in learning

What is affective assessment? Why assess affective domain?

Think about your answer to the following questions:

How do you feel doing mathematics?

What do you like in mathematics?

Your responses may vary. Some may like the subject, or for the majority, the feeling is
the opposite. If we deal with measurement of feelings, attitude, or interest, we are into affective
assessment. From the word itself, this type assessment deals with the affect dimension of
students' learning. The affective domain (from the Latin affectus, meaning "feelings') includes a
host of constructs such as attitudes, values, beliefs, opinions, interests, and motivation. They are
the noncognitive outcomes of learning that are not easily seen or explicitly demonstrated. The
type of assessment in this domain is not aimed to determine what the students have learned.
Rather, it looks into how students feel while they are learning, how their learning experiences
have influenced their emotions and future behavior. Teaching is not only imparting content
knowledge that requires cognition. it is also knowing and understanding students as learners and
humans. Therefore, it is essential that teachers know the feeling of pleasure, enjoyment, or even
anxiety that learners experience because these feelings will have bearing on their attitudes,
motivation, and beliefs that will eventually be manifested in their future behavior. Further, with
information about the students' affective characteristics, teachers will be able to individualize
their approaches to students and reshape the lesson plan based on the identified needs of students.

Assessment on the affective domain is not only on the part of teachers to know
information about students. It is also useful for student themselves. Self-awareness of feelings,
emotions, and attitudes can make students reflect on how they are in the process of learning. This
type of metacognition has proven to enhance learning and contribute to success in the academic
task. Student attainment is a result of the functioning of his or her whole personality. Cognitive
and affective assessment should work in tandem as what empirical studies have proven.

Unlike cognitive and psychomotor assessment, affective assessment does not determine
the grades the students get. It rather helps teachers determine what steps need to be taken to help
students achieve academic success. Knowledge of what students view, perceive, and feel as they
are engaged in learning activities will guide teachers to improve their teaching strategies and
enhance learning. Affective assessment can provide supplemental information about a learning
difficulty or behavior problem that affects learning. For example, if students feel nervous in just
seeing numerical symbols and sign of operations, how will the students be helped in this kind of
anxiety? Fear about mathematics will cause nervousness and possibly lead to poor performance,
if not failure. Teachers have always been focused on the attainment of student content knowledge
and more often, feel frustrated with students' poor achievement. The low performance may be
caused by affective factors, such as attitude, interest, and motivation. According to Stiggins
(2005), motivation and desire represent the very foundation of learning. If the students do not

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 18
want to learn, there will be no learning. Further, Popham (2011) contends that affective variables
are often more significant than cognitive variables. In the past, more effort was devoted in the
measurement of cognitive learning behavior, but in recent years, assessment of affective
characteristics of learners has been given more importance. Admittedly, assessment is far more
difficult domain to assess and to objectively analyze since affective objectives range from simple
attention to complex and internal qualities of character and thinking of learners. Nevertheless,
teachers need to deal with ssessment and measurement of students' abilities in this domain.

What is the taxonomy of affective domain in learning?

In the assessment of cognitive domain, you have used the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy of
Cognitive Processes identified as remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating,
and creating. As presented in Lesson 2, in the affective domain of learning, Krathwohl et al.
(1964) developed a taxonomy of affective qualities that can serve as guide in doing affective
assessment. As shown in Table 2.1, these include the following behavior:

1. To receive: In this level of affective behavior, the learner demonstrates an awareness in an

activity that is happening such that he/she gives attention to that activity. This level involves
willingness to receive the stimulus. For example, looking at the teacher during lecture is an
awareness on a learning stimulus, but listening and paying attention indicate willingness in
receiving that stimulus.

2. To respond: In this case, the learner reacts to a given stimulus or information that has been
received. If a learner participates in a class discussion, and not merely listening, then the
learner is in this level of behavior. This behavior may be compliance to a given task, voluntary
engagement, or doing an activity with interest.

3. To value: This is the level where the learner demonstrates commitment to the object,
knowledge, or activity. Here, the learner has internalized a set of specific values such that
these values are manifested through overt behaviors. For example, picking up litters outside
the classroom without teacher's presence or saving money for a book, or putting off lights after
class on own volition are "valuing" behaviors.

4. To organize: This is the level where the learner has internalized and integrated his or her
feelings, emotions, beliefs, opinions, etc., resulting to actions where new values and traits
emerged. in this level, the learner is able to discern independently the right from wrong, and
he/she is able to make a decision on what is more valuable based on his or her own judgment.

5. To characterize: In this level of affective trait, the learner demonstrates his or her beliefs and
attitudes not only in a single event or situation but in multiple events, showing consistency of
the behavior that establishes an image or character of the learner. The behavior extends
beyond the school setting and becomes part of his or her lifestyle. For example, if doing an
experiment has instilled the value of patience, such trait could be carried over to the student's
nonscience activities.

What are the affective variables in learning?

As mentioned earlier, a number of variables can be investigated using affective

assessment and these basically deal with how students feel or think about a lesson, a person, or an
activity. In the education field, the most common variables for affective assessment are the
following:
1. Attitudes. This is the most talked about affective factor in a student's learning. We always talk
about attitude toward something. This means we are referring to a person's reaction whether
negative or positive, favorable or unfavorable toward an object, activity, person, or
environment. In teaching, this will be concerned with the attitude toward learning, subject,
teachers, classmates, homework, and projects or even attitude with wearing of uniforms,
attendance to flag ceremony, and others. Here, we all desire to foster positive attitudes. On the
other hand, we also want students to have negative attitude on things like cheating, bullying,
fighting, drugs, absenteeism, and smoking. It is important to note that attitude cannot be taken
as solely affective. It also has a cognitive component where the learner has the content

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 19
 knowledge that defines the worth or value of the object or situation. For example, knowledge
about the effect of smoking on health and knowledge about nicotine ideally should make
students have negative attitude toward smoking. However, this is not always the case. One may
have the knowledge but applying the knowledge is another thing. Cognitive knowledge can just
be a contributing factor to effect a desired affective outcome. Some empirical research
reinforced the importance of assessing attitude. Othuon (2010) found out that negative attitude
toward English is the most affective and psychological factor that results in the students' poor
performance in English. The ability of students to master a second language is not only
influenced by the mental competence or language skills but also by the students' attitudes and
perceptions toward the target language (Abidin et al. 2012).

2. Values and Beliefs. Values are characteristics or traits that a person holds in high importance.
These include principles that one considers to be right, and consequently which guides the
person's future actions and decisions. In a school setting, values that are included in the
curriculum are honesty, patience, perseverance, respect for others, cleanliness and order, care
for environment, etc. Beliefs, on the other hand, refer to our convictions or opinions we hold to
be true even without evidence. While beliefs are traditionally associated with religion, they
have been talked about in the field of education. There are such things as beliefs about
mathematics, freedom, gender equality, etc. Beliefs emanate from multiple sources, from what
one hears, sees, reads, and experiences. Values are developed from beliefs. Beliefs, as well as
values, can change over time from learned experiences. As such, it is important that teachers
provide positive learning experiences to students because from these experiences, they form
beliefs that lead to the formation of values that are desired. Further, these beliefs and values
determine attitudes which are correlated with a learner's performance. This sequential
relationship reinforces the importance to assess these affective factors that can aid teachers in
developing their instructional plan to attain intended curriculum goals and objectives.

3. Interest. Interest is a psychological state that draws a person's attention to an object, idea, or
event. In a classroom setting, it is what students are "into" or the learner's disposition about a
topic, such as reading, science, mathematics, history, etc. It is interest that drives the learner to
be attentive to the topic of discussion or engage in any academic activity. Interest may be
personal or situational. If a student reads a book or saves money to buy books, even if this is
not a course requirement, this means that he/her has personal interest in reading. However, if a
student has a liking for mathematics because he/she likes his or her mathematics teacher, then
his or her interest in mathematics is situational. Whether personal or situational, it is important
for the teacher to know how students are receptive on the content that is covered in the lesson.
If there is low Interest as revealed from the assessment results, the teacher can think of
intervention strategies to address the problem, like creating learning experiences that are more
exciting to engage students in interaction with peers, or with teachers. Interest is directly linked
with enjoyment and joy in doing something.

4. Motivation. Brown (1987) defines motivation as an inner drive, impulse, emotion, or desire
that moves one to a particular action. It arouses and sustains behavior. It can lead to increased
effort and energy to pursue a goal. If a learner is highly motivated, he/her is willing to give his
or her time and effort to reach a goal. It brings a learner to excitement and enjoyment to an
academic task and enhances cognitive processing and improves learning.

Motivation has other intrinsic factors like curiosity, appreciation, valuing for learning, as
well as extrinsic factors like praise, grades for completion, certification, etc. Ausubel (1968)
has identified six needs and desires that are integral parts of motivation: (1) the need for
exploration, (2) the need for manipulation, (3) the need for activity, (4) the need for stimulation,
(5) the need for knowledge, and (6) the need for ego enhancement. From this list, we see the
critical role of teachers in creating a learning environment that can provide for these needs in
order for the learners to reach the highest level of motivation. Consequently, assessment in this
aspect of affective domain is of importance.

5. Self-confidence. This refers to how a person feels about his or her abilities to accomplish a
task or reach a goal. It is the person's perception of himself/ herself and his or her capabilities to
perform successfully the task given to him/her. Empirical studies showed self-confidence is
associated with academic success. In particular, Stankov et al. (2012) have found that students
who think they are seed in Math tend to perform well on Math and English tests. In the same
study, the researchers contend that confidence tests as an assessment tool can benefit both

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 20
 learning and teaching For example: the scores from the self-confidence tests on subject contents
provide students with insights into the topics they are weak in.

What assessment tools are used to measure affective learning?

Measurement of affective traits is more challenging compared to measuring cognitive and

psychomotor dimension of learning. Such measurement may be direct or indirect. The direct
assessment of affective learning outcomes is more attainable at the lower levels in the affective
learning taxonomy of Krathwohl et al. (1964). Teachers, for example, can take attendance to
measure pupil's willingness to receive information. Likewise, teachers may consider the
number of times the pupil raised his or her hand to answer or ask questions, or the number of
completed assignments and projects. These are sample evidence at "responding' level.
However, in this age of globalization, where character and morals of citizens are becoming
more critical, educators are giving more attention to higher levels of affective taxonomy. But
then, behaviors at these levels are less amenable to direct measurement because affective
learning outcomes (e.g., attitudes, values. beliefs. etc.) are internal states that exist in the mind
and thoughts of the learners. Because of these, indirect measurements are thought to be less
reliable. Nevertheless, researchers and educationists are in continuing effort to overcome these
perceived difficulties.

The information generated from the use of indirect assessment of affective learning
outcomes can come from different sources—student himself/herself, teachers, or peers. A
variety of methods for indirectly assessing intended affective learning outcome have been
espoused. Some of the most common assessments include self-report inventory, questionnaire,
opinionnaire, semantic differential, observation and interview.

1. Self-Report Questionnaires. As the name implies, self-report or self-inventory is a type of

assessment where the respondent is asked to answer a question about himself/herself, his or
her behavior, emotions, feelings, or views. It serves many purposes to include diagnosis of
students' mental and emotional state. This is also popular in a pre-test and post-test design
when the teacher wants to assess change (e.g., in attitude, interest, motivation) before and
after instructional period. This assessment tool is easy to administer to get immediate results
and information directly from the person who is most knowledgeable about himself/herself.
One limitation of this method is the honesty of the person—his or her tendency not to write
the truth of what he/she feels. Instead, the student may choose a response that can satisfy the
teacher, rather than actually writing the truth. The respondent can also be personally biased
because he/she is responding to a nonfactual or subjective statement from his or her own
point of view only. To prevent this possibility, the one handling the assessment should try to
ensure setting e right environment for getting the most truthful data.

Self-report inventories use a variety of formats. The most common are presented in the
following:

a. Likert scale. This measuring tool, invented by Rensis Likert, is a series of questions or
items that requires the respondent to select on a scale a rating reflecting the level of
agreement or disagreement on items that ate related to a particular topic, experience, or
issue. The responses, both in descriptive and numeric form, range from one extreme to
another, such as "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree", where "5" is the numerical value of
the extreme positive feeling and "1" for the extreme negative. This kind of scaling gives
deeper insight into what the students are thinking and feeling. An example of Likert scale is
shown below:

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 21
 From your review of research literature, you must have noted that most of the Likert scale
instruments indicate the numeric scale value as seen in the rating scale on Views About
Mathematics:

Strongly
Strongly Slightly Agree
Agree Agree Agree Disagree Disagree

(5) (4) (3) (2) (1)

One danger of having the numeric scale values Of 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 is the possibility that an option
with a higher value will be more attractive to the respondents. You have the choice to omit the
numeric scale and just indicate the actual scale labels in the instrument. Likewise, descriptive
labels and numeric scale value can vary to be more congruent with the Likert items. For example,
in a Reading Inventory, some items may be written this way:

"I like reading books by myself."

“I save my money to buy extra books I like."

The two statements above are action statements rather than commonly used Strongly Agree.
Agree, etc. It may be more appropriate to use the descriptive scale labels and numeric scale
values as: Always (5); Almost Always (4); Sometimes (3); Rarely (2); Never (1) OR Always (5);
Very Often (4); Often (3); Not Very Often (2); Never (1).

The 5-point scale is the most common continuum, but this will be more fitted if your
respondents are adults. A 4-point or 3-point scale will be easier for younger respondents. Also,
instead of the numerical values that usually appear in many of the standardized rating scales,
some visuals might be more useful to catch the attention of the younger respondents in answering
the instrument.

The following is another example:

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 22
 An alternative format for labeling the response shown in the previous page may work out
better for some respondents especially to lower age level of students.

Writing Statements for Rating Scale for Self-Report

Some guidelines might be of help in creating your self-report assessment instrument.

1. Statements should refer to the present conditions rather than past or future situations.

2. The statement should be relevant to the psychological construct being measured.

3. Avoid factual statement since the nature of what is assessed are affective traits.

4. Statement should elicit a response that lends itself to one interpretation.

5. Statements should be clear and simple sentences using precise and direct language.

6. Considering that responses in the instrument reflect gradation, statements should no longer
contain always, nearly, only never, and just. These words are ambiguous.

7. Use vocabulary appropriate for the level of understanding of the respondents.

8. Avoid double negative sentences.

Steps in the Construction of the Rating Scale

1. Select the affective trait you want to assess which you find relevant to teaching-learning
situation. Make sure that you or your school is going to benefit from it and use the data to
improve the present situation.
Example: You may be interested to know students' interest about specific educational
issues like climate change and environment. This inventory will not only help the science
teacher in classroom situation, but the data may also help teachers to know who can be tapped
to participate in Waste Management and Segregation Project the school is launching.

2. Construct items that are clear, definite, and focused on the trait you want to measure. Consider
the different levels of affective taxonomy in constructing the items. In addition, since what you

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 23
 are assessing is on emotion or affect, items should include positive and negative positions that
will make the respondent think carefully the answer to the item.

3. Pilot test or field try the inventory and revise the parts that appear to be unclear. This is advised
when you want to measure more encompassing and long term affective learning outcomes.
The purpose of field testing the instrument is to detect unclear questions and statements and
procedural difficulties the intended respondents can experience with the questionnaire. It is
preferred that field test be given to comparable set of students. If the inventory is intended for
Grade 6 students, then having another class of Grade 6 to give feedback to the inventory will
best suit the purpose of field testing.

4. Administer the self-report inventory to your target respondents. It is advised that adequate time
like on power test is provided for completion of the inventory.

5. Analyze the results and consider the findings and draw the implication. The most common
scale is 1 to 5, with 1 as the extreme negative option, followed by the less negative, and mid-
range ratings indicating a level of neutrality through 5 being the highest positive or favorable
response. For the negative items, the numerical values are reversed. The use of simple
statistics essential. This involves frequency count relative to each option in the scale,
cumulative percentages to see pattern of responses in each item as well as the entire scale.
Simple computation of mean will be useful in visualizing the collective outcome as a class, or
as a grade level or in the entire school. The most common way to treat data using Likert scale
is to sum the values of each selected option and determine the score for each respondent. The
score represents a specific trait—agreed or not agree, satisfied or not satisfied, confident or not
confident, etc.

Again, if your intention is for classroom setting only, data analysis does not have to be
complex and computation of a score may not be the focus. The teacher may give more attention
to patterns of responses vis-a-vis the content and essence of the affective items. Consequently, the
teacher should be able to define the implications of the results to improve the learning
environment.

b. Semantic Differential. This is a widely used scale that employs ratings of concepts with
contrasting adjectives placed at opposite ends of the number scale. For example, the concept of
"Problem Solving" can be assessed using the following semantic differential scale:

In this example, the students are asked to express their attitudes toward problem solving.
They need to make a check mark on the scale indicating the degree of agreement they have with
the adjectives listed. Similar to the Likert scale where there are negative items, the position of the
positive and negative adjectives in semantic differential are reversed to balance the scale and
create a less biased measurement. The response could then be summed, and a mean could be

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 24
determined in each of the adjective pairs. In this way, the concept "problem solving" would be
scaled on the various pairs of the adjectives.

c. Checklist. A checklist is a form of self-report that asks persons to indicate whether they
demonstrate a set of qualities or behaviors. In particular, for affective assessment, it is a tool
for identifying the presence or absence of a feeling, attitude, or behavior. The behaviors that
are checked will reflect what values and beliefs learners hold. For example, attitude toward
environment may be measured by giving students a checklist that enumerates different actions
related to environment awareness and commitment in one column and space in another
column where students will put a check or a cross, indicating whether those actions are being
done or not.

An Example of a Self-Report Behavior Checklist

Another form of checklist also provides students a list of adjectives for describing something
or making judgment about behavior and actions and asks the respondents to check those that
apply to them.

2. Interview. This is an oral assessment of student learning that is conducted through spoken
words and casual conversation. This assessment tool allows the teacher to collect and explore
more in-depth information about the trait being assessed that cannot be captured by written
instrument nor even be observed. The assessment data are not just answerable by "Yes" or
"No" or other predetermined responses. Through this assessment technique, the teacher is able
to probe responses that other forms of assessment tool cannot. The students can qualify and
expand their previous answers, which can be vague at the earlier part of the conversation. It
provides students opportunity to open other thoughts and ideas, and the teachers can be
flexible to adapt questions as the need arises. It can provide a powerful “moments of sharing"
where the learner is able to express face-to face his or her feelings and emotions. Prerequisite
to achieve all of these is the trust you have to build with the interviewee by demonstrating care
and respect.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 25
 Interviews may be structured or unstructured. In the structured interview, there is a
planned sequence of questions, which lead to open-ended discussions between the teacher and
the student, either done individually or by group. One limitation though of the structured
interview that predetermined questions tend to limit flexibility. Some important Formation
about the learner on constructs you want to pursue may be missed ignored because you can be
controlled by the list of questions you need complete. On the other hand, informal interview
will appear to be natural, and it can create a more conversational environment for sharing,
wherein the teacher will be able to elicit more truthful information from students about
themselves. In many cases, even when trust has been established, students lay not also be
comfortable talking about values and sharing feelings when he/she is in a one-to-one
conversation with the teacher. This is especially true for young adolescents who are more
particular with the image they create with others. A group interview may work better on older
students to elicit lost authentic information. Younger children can be more candid and honest
with their answers whether the interview is done individually or in a group. Nevertheless, in
whatever manner, interview is considered an effective tool for affective assessment. Imagine
yourself as a student and you experience teacher spending time talking to you about how you
are doing in his or her subject, asking you face-to-face on how you are learning, or how you
are feeling toward his or her subject. Questions like "How did you do on the assignment I gave
you?", "What questions in the test excite you most?", and What task did you find most
difficult?" will make a great deal on students' feelings. In other words, interviews may go
beyond cognitive improvement. Spoken words will motivate students to learn.

For interview to be an effective assessment tool, the following are general steps in
developing and conducting an interview:

1. Select the assessment objectives.

2. List the oral questions in sequence based on the objectives. However, the sequence is
not absolute, instead, there should be a room for flexibility. Questions should start
with general questions followed by more specific ones.
3. Make a report sheet or any form to record responses
4. Conduct the interview. Start with statements that will make the learner be at comfort
level with the teacher.
5. Record the responses, both elicited responses and responses that were aided by
prompts. Record as well the questions that were not answered and additional questions
that were given during the process. Record the wait time for the response. It will also
be worth noting to record the nonverbal behavior like body movements during the
interview process.

Sample: The Interview

Questions Teacher Notes

 How did you feel about your
participation in our class today?
• What did you think about the story that
we discussed?
• Did the story interest you?
• What is the part of the story that caught
most of your attention? Why did it
interest you most?
• What makes you read a book without
being told so by your teacher?
• How do you like your reading class?
What makes you dislike it if ever you
feel so?
• What different approach should your
teacher use to help you and your
classmates better?

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 26
3. Student journals. These are effective tools that can be used in assessing and
monitoring student thinking and attitudes. Journal writing gives students guided
opportunities to "think aloud" through writing. It is a special form of documentation
that records personal experiences and thoughts. It is a reflection of learners' own
perception about a problem, a situation, or an activity they are tasked with. A student
who encountered a difficult problem and is asked to write about the situation through a
journal will reflect more deeply and think critically about the problem or situation and
what actions and decisions were made to hurdle the difficulties, In journal writing,
students are given opportunity to rewind previous experiences that can give them new
perspectives in facing future actions. Further, through journals, students are given the
opportunity to open up and express their thoughts and feelings, which can reveal their
thinking both on the cognitive and affective aspect of the problem task. For example,
if the student is asked the question, "When a person is a hero to you?, the student's
writing will reveal not only his or set of beliefs and values (the affective component),
but also his or her knowledge on the concept of heroism (the content part).

Journal writing opens the door for a one to one dialogue between the teacher and
student. It creates an environment of partnership where teachers and students resolve
issues and conflicts of ideas and understanding in confidential manner. The written
journal provides information for teachers to give feedback and ask questions to
students that can develop different ways of thinking. While the primary intention of
journal writing is to capture students' feelings and emotions, the discourse can lead to
improving the cognitive domain of learning. To attain this, journals are guided by a set
of leas questions, or problems.

In choosing journal writing as an assessment tool for affective learning outcomes,

here are some guide questions to consider:

o What is your purpose for the student journal writing (i.e., critical thinking,
reflection, self-awareness, goal review, developing self-confidence, overcoming
anxiety)?
o What is the format (i.e., handwritten free form, typed, full sentences)?
o What is the topic? What do you want the students to write about?
o How much do you want your student to write (i.e., number of pages, number of
paragraphs, or number of words)?
o How will the students be given feedback (i.e., individual, with a small group,
with the teacher)?
o Who will read the journal (i.e., with teacher only, with other teachers, with
selected students)?
o How will the students be graded (i.e,, Pass/Fail, Rubric, no scoring needed)?

4. Observation. It is an assessment tool that involves looking out for the presence or
absence of behaviors of learners in a natural setting. Observation allows the teacher to
assess student behavior in the actual teaching and learning process unlike other forms
of assessment that require separate .time with the student to answer the measuring
instrument. This method is a rich source of clues that can be both obtrusive and
unobtrusive measures of attitude, beliefs, disposition, character, etc. Example: A
Physical Education (P.E.) teacher watches students play basketball in a school court.
While the focus may be on the skill of playing basketball like shooting or throwing the
ball correctly, the teacher can also directly watch who play the "clean" game and who
play on "foul" moves or what we often term, the "dirty tricks". Such behavior is
indicative of important affective characteristics like honesty, patience, and positive
disposition, which we aim to develop not only in P.E. but across the school
curriculum. Like interview observation may be structured or unstructured. A
unstructured observation is open-ended, with no formal recording of what is observed
as assessment process is ongoing, This does not mean though that it does not require
planning. You have to be very clear of what to observe and list the behaviors and
actions that will indicate the possession of the trait. There is still the need to record
observed data right after actual observation time. Recall the more specific events,
which can be significant, and include both positive and negative actions. Unstructured
observation data had been criticized for being subjective. Thus, be mindful of your
personal interpretation of observed data.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 27
 On the other hand, in the structured observation, you need to prepare a checklist
or rating form before the actual observation. This checklist defines the positive and
negative behaviors indicative of the trait you wish to measure. The recording is
straightforward as it just requires a check on the 'Yes" and "No" column for the
presence or absence of the behavior, respectively, or a check on the appropriate
numerical and descriptive scale if rating scale is used. These are illustrated in the
exhibits below.

The measures obtained from observation approach can be made more valid
reliable with the following guidelines:

1. Set a clear definition of the affective trait you want to observe.

2. Prepare a checklist or rating scale that will define the more specific affective
behavior you want to capture. This checklist or rating scale will also be used
in collecting and recording your data.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 28
 3. Consult with a colleague or expert about the behavior listed as doable for
observation or not. You can try this with a sample of students.
4. Have a colleague/colleagues to work with you in the actual observation time.
5. Be clear on ethical issues.
6. Record the observation immediately. Use the checklist, supplemented by
anecdotal records that are an open-ended way to record observation. Record
factual observation and be cautious on personal interpretation and biased
statements.
7. Review data. Reflect on outcomes.
8. Decide future steps based on the observation results.
9. Adjust planning and apply interventions.
10. Monitor progress.

LEARNING TASKS

Task 1

Create a graphic organizer that shows how far you have understood the
contents about assessment of affective domain of learning.

Task 2

Construct an affective assessment tool for the subject you will most likely
handle when you are already a teacher. To provide you a sound basis to define
and decide on what affective assessment tool will be most appropriate and
useful to you, you need to do the following:
1. Look for the document on the Basic Education K to 12 Curriculum
frameworks of your major field as future teacher.
2. List the affective traits that are articulated in the curriculum framework.
3. Among the list of affective traits, decide which is the most important trait
you want your future students to emulate. Make sure the answer to this
question "Why do you value it most to be measured?" is very clear for you
to appreciate this performance task.
4. Review the taxonomy of affective domains as you develop the items in the
assessment tool. You can choose any of the assessment tools discussed
earlier in the module.
5. Considering that affective traits are not easily learned and developed, your
assessment tool is intended at the end of the year, or midyear at the earliest.

Reference:
Balagtas, M., et.al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. REX Printing Company, Inc.
Quezon City, Metro Manila.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 29
 Lesson 5 Portfolio Assessment

Objectives

After the study of Lesson 5, you should be able to:

1. Develop a plan in assessing students’ learning using portfolio assessment.
2. Define the meaning, purpose and procedure of portfolio assessment.

What is portfolio assessment?

Portfolio assessment is an alternative to pen-and-paper objective test as an approach to

assessing students' learning. It is a purposeful, ongoing, dynamic, and collaborative process of
gathering multiple indicators of the students' growth and development in a course or program of
study. Portfolio assessment is also a performance-based approach to assessing learning but more
authentic than anyone-time performance task as it allows examination of multiple evidence of the
process and product of learning developed across time.

Why portfolio assessment?

Burke (1999) recognizes portfolio as another type of assessment and considered authentic
because of the following reasons:

 It tests what is really happening in the classroom.

 It offers multiple indicators of students' progress.
 It gives the students the responsibility of their own learning.
 It offers opportunities for students to document reflections of their learning.
 It demonstrates what the students know in ways that encompass their personal learning
styles and multiple intelligences. It offers teachers new role in the assessment process.
 It allows teachers to reflect on the effectiveness of their instruction.
 It provides teachers freedom of gaining insights into the students' development or
achievement over a period of time.

How do we do portfolio assessment?

In doing portfolio assessment, one should be guided by the content, learning, and equity
principles.

1. Content principle suggests that portfolios should reflect the subject matter that is important
for the students to learn.
2. Learning principle suggests that portfolios should enable the students to become active and
thoughtful learners.
3. Equity principle explains that portfolios should allow students to demonstrate their learning
styles and multiple intelligences.

Portfolios could come in three types: working, show, or documentary.

1. The working portfolio is a collection of a students' day-to-day works that reflect his or her
learning.
2. The show portfolio is a collection of a students' best works.
3. The documentary portfolio is a combination of a working and a show portfolio.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 30
 Figure 5.1 shows the steps in portfolio development.

1. Set Goals

This is the first step in portfolio assessment in which the students set their goals in
developing a learning portfolio. To guide the students in stating then goals, the teachers may
articulate first the goals of the course or subject and his or her expectations to the students.
Students could also ask what their parents expect from them. They could also be given goal
setting planners.

2. Collect

In this stage, the students should start collecting all possible entries in their portfolio.
They should be advised to have a temporary container for all their entries and this should be
placed in the school so that keeping of entries will be part of the daily activities of the
students. A good practice in collecting the portfolio entries is to have a log of all entries with a
few descriptions how they were obtained and why they were kept in the portfolio.

Goal-Setting Planner

I participate in this activity because:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

I am doing this work because:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

What I target to accomplish are:

________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________

3. Select

This is the stage where the students are asked to select what will finally be used to gauge
their success from all their collections of possible entries in a portfolio. The selection usually
depends on what the teacher requires them to do, their parents' choice, and the entries that they
personally chose as the best gauge of their accomplishment in the program. Selections could
include evidence that show in- and out-of-class activities participated in by the students in
relation to the program.

4. Organize

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 31
 This is the stage where the students decide on how they will organize their entries. The
teachers should guide them by telling them to make a table of contents for their portfolio
entries and a direction on where to find them. The organization of the portfolio could vary
depending on the style of the students. Some teachers take this stage as the opportunity for the
students to develop or hone their creativity and resourcefulness. The organizer could also be of
any material, but it is suggested that the container is something flexible that it could allow one
to add, modify, or delete any entry any time. Examples of materials used in making portfolios
are clear book, album, accordion bag, box with dividers, envelopes, colored magazines. CDs,
flash drives, or cloud-based storage.

5. Reflect

An important trait of a portfolio is the presence of students' reflections of their

experiences. Making reflective journals, log of entries, and labeling an evidence in a portfolio
are just some of the different ways to show knowledge, understanding, attitudes, values,
writing skills, and creativity. This is the opportunity for the students to reflect on the
meaningfulness of their experiences, as well as the impact of their teacher's styles and
methodology in teaching.

6. Evaluate

This is the stage where the students, their peers and teachers, or even the parents are
involved in rating the achievement of the students based on their evidence of learning, their
reflections of their experiences, and the organizations of their portfolio. Rubrics are often used
in rating students' performance using their portfolios. Rubrics in rating portfolios should be
given to the students, even at the beginning of the portfolio process, so that they are guided on
what to put in their portfolio and how to organize them based on the criteria and indicators of a
quality product or excellent performance. Evaluation of the portfolio could be done by
individual entry on a specified date or when the development is complete. However, most
teachers prefer rating the student-required evidence upon their submission so that the students
can be given immediate feedback on their work. What are usually rated at the end of portfolio
development are the students' selected evidence of their learning, and the packaging of their
portfolio, which could reveal their personal traits.

7. Confer

This is the stage when the teachers confer with the students or parents to discuss the
students' performance and progress of learning. This is also the time to congratulate the
students for their accomplishment or to help them identify areas for their improvement.

8. Exhibit

This is the time to celebrate success in the form of an exhibit of students' portfolios. The
highlight of the exhibit is the awarding of the best learning portfolio. Again, since reading,
viewing, and or exploring the Internet need time from you, they should be done outside the
class time. Your class time should then be reserved to clarify with your teacher your
confusions and to interact with your classmates on what they have understood and probably
found out different from what you have discovered from your own exploration of the lesson.

LEARNING TASKS

Task 1

To know if you have acquired the needed information about portfolio

assessment, kindly complete this graphic organizer based on what you read,
viewed, and listened to.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 32
 Portfolio Assessment How?
What?

Why? When?

Task 2

Plan your own portfolio assessment for a subject area and grade level that you
thought you should be able to teach and handle when you are already a teacher in a
school. You may plan for portfolio assessment for one quarter, for all quarters, or
whole year. This is an individual portfolio plan you have to make. In your plan, you
should provide the following information:

1. Curriculum competencies in the subject area and grade level that are appropriately
assessed through portfolio assessment.
2. The nonnegotiable evidence in the portfolio that should be produced by the
students as a product of performance tasks done individually or in groups as a
gauge to success in achieving the identified curriculum competencies.
3. The assessment rubric to allow students’ tracking of their way to success to these
nonnegotiable evidence of doing the defined performance tasks.
4. The students’ self- selected entries as supporting evidence to their journey to the
successful achievement of their defined performance tasks.
5. The overall assessment rubric that could certify their success in meeting the
desired significant learning outcomes
6. The process in analyzing and communicating the assessment results.

Portfolio Assessment Plan

Subject
Specific Lesson
Curriculum
Learning Outcome/s/
competencies
Instructional
Objectives
Significant Target Collections
evidence of Nonnegotiable
Attainment of the collections
competencies
Assessment rubric Assessment rubric
for Portfolio
Evidence

Reference:
Balagtas, M., et.al. (2020). Assessment in Learning 2. REX Printing Company, Inc.
Quezon City, Metro Manila.

PREPARED BY: PROF. DAISY G. GREGANA, PROF. GRACE D. PERMALINO & PROF. VANESSA C. ZUBIETA 33