(Unit -1)
MEASUREMENT, ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION
Concept of Measurement, Assessment and Evaluation
Despite their significant role in education
the terms measurement, assessment, and evaluation are usually confused with
each other. Mostly people use these terms interchangeably and feel it very
difficult to explain the differences among them. Each of these terms has a specific meaning
sharply distinguished from the others.
Measurement
In general, the term measurement is used to determine the attributes or dimensions of object. For example, we measure an object to know how big, tall or heavy it is.
Measurement is normally shown by using numbers.
For example, measuring a
box, or weighing it. Measurement is always with reference to some scale. In educational perspective measurement refers to the
process of obtaining a numerical description of a student’s progress towards a
pre-determined goal. This process provides
the information regarding how much a student has learnt. Measurement provides
quantitative description of the students’ performance.
Testing
It refers to the process of judging some ability or deciding about
some ability.
For example, testing your
ability for driving or in classroom; testing IQ. A test is an instrument or a systematic
procedure to measure a particular characteristic. For example, a test of mathematics will
measure the level of the learners’ knowledge of this particular subject or
field. A test is a set of items.
Assessment
Assessment: is a broader term and including measurement and testing
also; it is usually with reference to some goals.
For example, your assessments; like you have to learn hundred words
by this weekend. So, your assessment will be related to those 100 words that
how much and how firmly you have learnt them.
Assessment is also related
to organizations/ institutions. All organizations assess their employees such
as inspection teams visits the organization/ institutions. Kizlik (2011) defines assessment as a process by which
information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal. Assessment is
a broad term that includes testing.
For example, a teacher may assess the knowledge of English language through a test and assesses the language proficiency of the students through any other instrument for example oral quiz or presentation. Based upon this view, we can say that every test is assessment but every assessment is not the test. In short, we can say that assessment entails much more than testing. It is an ongoing process that includes many formal and informal activities designed to monitor and improve teaching and learning.
Evaluation
Evaluation: is a complex process and broader term including
measurement, testing and assessment. All
these things give you the value of the product/process that you are going to
access. Evaluation also provides us with
the ground for improvement. The central idea in evaluation is "value."
When we evaluate a variable, we are basically judging its worthiness,
appropriateness and goodness. Evaluation is always done against a
standard, objectives or criterion. In
teaching learning process teachers made students’ evaluations that are usually
done in the context of comparisons between what was intended (learning,
progress, behaviour) and what was obtained. Evaluation
is much more comprehensive term than measurement and assessment. It includes
both quantitative and qualitative descriptions of students’ performance. It always provides a value judgment regarding
the desirability of the performance. For example, Very good, good etc.
Classroom Assessment
Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of
information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving
student learning and development. Hamidi
(2010) developed a framework to answer the Why; What, How and When to assess.
This is helpful in understanding the true nature of this concept
Why to Assess:
Teachers have clear goals for instruction
and they assess to ensure that these goals have been or are being met. If objectives are the destination, instruction
is the path to it then assessment is a tool to keep the efforts on track and to
ensure that the path is right. After the completion of journey assessment is
the indication that destination is ahead.
What to Assess:
Teachers cannot assess whatever they
themselves like. In classroom assessment, teachers are supposed to assess
students' current abilities in a given skill or task. The teacher can assess
students’ knowledge, skills or behaviour related to a particular field.
How to Assess:
Teachers employ different instruments,
formal or informal, to assess their students. Brown and Hudson (1998) reported
that teachers use three sorts of assessment methods – selected response
assessments, constructed-response assessments, and personal-response
assessments. They can adjust the assessment types to what they are going to
assess.
When
to Assess:
There is a strong agreement of educationists
that assessment is interwoven into instruction. Teachers continue to assess the
students learning throughout the process of teaching.
Types of Assessment
Assessment for Learning (Formative
Assessment)
It is a type of testing in which a range of formal and informal
assessment procedures employed by teachers during the learning process in order
to modify teaching and learning activities to improve student attainment. This assessment provides students with the timely,
specific feedback that they need to enhance their learning. The essence of formative assessment is that the information yielded by
this type of assessment is used on one hand to make immediate decisions and on
the other hand based upon this information; timely feedback is provided to the students
to enable them to learn better.
If
the primary purpose of assessment is to support high-quality learning then
formative assessment ought to be understood as the most important assessment
practice. Garrison,
& Ehringhaus, (2007) identified some of the instructional strategies that
can be used for formative assessment:
·
Observations:
Observing students’ behaviour and tasks can help teacher to
identify if students are on task or need clarification. Observations assist
teachers in gathering evidence of student learning to inform instructional
planning.
·
Questioning
strategies:
Asking better questions
allows an opportunity for deeper thinking and provides teachers with
significant insight into the degree and depth of understanding. Questions of
this nature engage students in classroom dialogue that both uncovers and
expands learning.
·
Self
and peer assessment:
When students have been
involved in criteria and goal setting, self-evaluation is a logical step in the
learning process. With peer evaluation, students see each other as resources
for understanding and checking for quality work against previously established
criteria.
·
Student
record keeping:
It also helps the teachers
to assess beyond a "grade," to see where the learner started and the
progress they are making towards the learning goals.
Assessment of Learning (Summative
Assessment)
Summative assessment refers to the assessment of participants, and
summarizes their development at the particular time. In contrast to formative assessment, the focus
is on the outcome of the program.
Key points use for summative
assessment: -
·
Assessment
of participants
·
Development
at a particular time
·
The
outcome of a program
The purpose of this assessment is to help
the teacher, students and parents know how well student has completed the
learning task. In other words summative
evaluation is used to assign a grade to a student which indicates his/her level
of achievement in the course or program.
Assessment as Learning
Assessment as learning means to use
assessment to develop and support students' meta-cognitive skills.
This
form of assessment is crucial in helping students become lifelong learners. As students engage in peer and
self-assessment, they learn to make sense of information, relate it to prior
knowledge and use it for new learning. Students develop a sense of efficacy and
critical thinking when they use teacher, peer and self-assessment feedback to make
adjustments, improvements and changes to what they understand.
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