1. EDU704 – Assessment and Evaluation
Basic Terms and Purpose of Assessment and Evaluation
Week 2
Acknowledgement:Satish P. Chand

2. What is Assessment?
Any of a variety of procedures used to obtain information about student performance. Includes traditional paper and pencil tests as well as extended responses (e.g., essays), performances of authentic tasks (e.g., laboratory experiments), teacher observations, and student self report.
Answers the Question: How well does the individual perform?

3. What is Assessment?
Assessment is a systematic process that plays a significant role in effective teaching.
It begins with identification of learning goals, monitors the progress students make toward those goals and ends with a judgment concerning the extent to which the goals have been attained

4. What is Test?
An instrument or a systematic procedure for measuring a sample of behaviour by posing a set of questions in a uniform manner.
Because test is a form of assessment it also answers the question: How well does the individual perform?- This is either in comparison with others or in comparison with a domain of performance tasks.

5. What is Measurement?
The process of obtaining a numerical description to the degree of which an individual possesses a particular characteristic.
Measurement answers the question “How much”?

6. The assessment process
Assessment is more comprehensive and inclusive term than measurement or testing.
Measurement is limited to quantitative descriptions of students i.e. the results of measurement are always expressed in numbers( e.g. Alex solved 35 of 40 Maths problems). Does not include qualitative descriptions. (e.g.. Sams work was neat)

7. The assessment process
Assessment includes both quantitative description (measurement) and qualitative descriptions (nonmeasurement) of students
Assessment always include value judgments concerning the desirability of the results.

8. Reliability and Validity
What is reliability?
Reliability is consistency in measurement
Does this procedure or test yield the same results if you repeat the measurement, so long as conditions have not changed?
Stern Tone Variator, from The Archives of the History of American Psychology
PSY Research Methods

9. What is measurement validity?
Validity is “truth” in measurement
Does this procedure or test actually measure the construct or dimension it is intended to measure?

10. Reliable, but not valid
Reliable: pattern shows the shot hits the same part of the target each time: it is consistent, so it is reliable.
Not valid. The goal is to hit the center of the target, but the shots are not in that area.

11. Valid, but not reliable
Valid because the pattern is evenly distributed around the correct goal (center): the person probably tried to hit the correct place.
Not reliable because the shots are off the mark in every possible direction; they are not consistent.

12. Neither reliable nor valid
Not reliable because the shots are not tightly clustered together; they are not consistent.
Not valid because, to the extent there is any pattern, it is not at the true target, the center.

13. Both reliable and valid
Reliable: the darts land close together. The red player can reliably hit the same part of the target.
Valid: the darts are clustered at the center, where they were aimed.
Bullseye!! by modenadude at

14. Exam A set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge
It connotes the presentation of a standard set of questions to be answered.

15. Advantage of exams
With exams, a person will be able to know his performance and knowledge.
For most people, exams may encourage them to work and learn.
Sometimes with exams, it can create competition, which push the competitors to do their best.
It helps in developing one’s own personality and confidence.
If a person passes the exams and get good marks, it helps him/her to get a scholarship which will assist to have a good job. (a good future)

16. Disadvantage of Exams
Some students do not score well even if they know the material, poor reading skills can handicap a student, questions on examination might not test progress as well as they could.
For some people, exams make them stressed. This is because there is too much pressure of their parents and teachers.
What will happen if a person is sick or a dear one of his/her die? The answer is that the person will be penalized

17. Disadvantage of Exams
During the exam, a person may also have problems with questions :- Bad choice of questions, Irrelevant answers.
For most failure, who have got bad result, it will affect their future.
For some, it can change their character or lead to suicide.
But most lose confidence in themselves

18. Types of Assessment Assessment Norm- Referenced Assessment
Criterion- Referenced Assessment

19. Norm Referenced Assessment
Norm-referenced assessment is the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students by judging (and ranking) them against the performance of their peers.
Norm reference- describe the performance in terms of the relative position held in some known group
(X typed better than 85% of class members)

20. Criteria-referenced assessment
Criteria-referenced assessment is the process of evaluating (and grading) the learning of students against a set of pre-specified criteria.
Criterion-referenced- describes the specific performance that was demonstrated ( X typed 45 words per minute without error)

21. The Differences Between Assessment And Evaluation
Assessment is the gathering of information about something, such as student performance.
Evaluation is the act of setting a value on the assessment information
Assessment is information
Evaluation is a judgment
Assessment is qualitative
Evaluation is quantitative as well as qualitative
Assessment pinpoints specific strengths and weaknesses
Evaluation ranks and sorts individuals within groups
Assessment is diagnostic and formative, as well as summative
Evaluation is only summative
Assessment focuses on the individual student
Evaluation focuses on the group

22. Why do we assess?
To know if students can apply what they have learned in authentic situations

23. Purpose of assessment Students Enhancing learning......
Providing feedback about progress......
Helping stimulate motivation....
Building self confidence and esteem
Developing skills in evaluation (self & peer)

24. Purpose of assessment Teachers
Info. about the learning (class/ individuals)
Background info. on students....
Diagnosis of students......
Comparison of performance....
Diagnosis of teaching....
Enhancing curriculum.....
Reporting purposes.....
Demonstrating accountability.....

25. Purpose of assessment Parents
Providing information about students’ development, learning and efforts at school.
Providing guidelines for assisting at home with learning

26. Purpose of assessment d) Schools
Providing valid information to evaluate the learning of an individual student, the class and whole school, the achievement of learning outcomes, the appropriateness of curriculum, and the use of resources
Comparing student achievement levels with national performance levels

27. Purpose of assessment Government/ system
Measuring achievement and standards across the system.
Demonstrating accountability for taxpayers’ money spent on education

28. Purpose of assessment Community, employers and tertiary institutions
Providing valid and reliable information to assist in selecting employees or determining entry to tertiary institutions
Making and keeping schools accountable for what is learned.

29. Types of Assessment on the basis of their functions
Formative Assessment
Diagnostic Assessment
Summative Assessment
Placement Assessment

30. Placement Assessment
Placement assessment is concerned with the student’s entry performance and typically focuses on questions such as the following (determine student performance at the beginning of instruction)
Does the student possess the knowledge and skill needed to begin the planned instruction?
To what extent has the student already developed the understanding and skills that are the goals of planned instruction?

31. Formative Assessment (Assessment for Learning)
Formative assessment is used to monitor learning progress during instruction.
Its purpose is to provide continuous feedback to both student & teacher concerning learning success & failing.
Feedback to students provides reinforcement of successful learning & identifies the specific learning errors and misconceptions that are in need of correction.
Feedback to teachers provide information for modifying instruction and for prescribing group & individual work

32. Diagnostic Assessment
To diagnose learning difficulties during instruction
It involves the use of specially prepared diagnostic tests as well as various observational techniques.

33. Summative Assessment (Assessment of Learning)
Summative assessment typically comes at the end of a course (or unit) of instruction.
It is designed to determine the extent to which the instructional goals have been achieved and is used primarily for assigning course grades or for certifying student mastery of the intended learning outcomes.

34. References
Miller, M.D.; Linn, R.L.& Gronlund, N.E.(2009). Measurement and assessment in teaching(10th ed.) :Pearson pp

35. Thank you