Meaning of Assessment
In education, the term assessment refers to the wide variety of methods that educators use to evaluate, measure, and document the academic readiness, learning progress, and skill
acquisition of students from preschool through college and adulthood. It is the process of
systematically gathering information as part of an evaluation. Assessment is carried out to see
what children and young people know, understand and are able to do. Assessment is very important for tracking progress, planning next steps, reporting and involving parents, children
and young people in learning.
Meaning of Evaluation:
Evaluation is a broader term that refers to all of the methods used to find out what happens as a result of using a specific intervention or practice. Evaluation is the systematic
assessment of the worth or merit of some object. It is the systematic acquisition and assessment
of information to provide useful feedback about some object.
Types of Assessment:
Based on Purpose:
i. Placement
A placement assessment expands the findings of an assessment with analysis of abilities
and potentials with a further dimension: the future development of the concerned person, as well
as the necessary conditions, timeframe and limits.
ii. Formative
Formative assessment provides feedback and information during the instructional process,
while learning is taking place, and while learning is occurring. Formative assessment measures
student progress but it can also assess your own progress as an instructor. A primary focus of
formative assessment is to identify areas that may need improvement. These assessments
typically are not graded and act as a gauge to students' learning progress and to determine
teaching effectiveness (implementing appropriate methods and activities)
iii. Diagnostic
Diagnostic assessment can help you identify your students’ current knowledge of a subject, their skill sets and capabilities, and to clarify misconceptions before teaching takes place. Knowing students' strengths and weaknesses can help you better plan what to teach and how to teach it.
Summative
Summative assessment takes place after the learning has been completed and provides
information and feedback that sums up the teaching and learning process. Typically, no more formal learning is taking place at this stage, other than incidental learning which might take place
through the completion of projects and assignments.
Scope :
Teacher Made
Teacher-made assessments are constructed by an individual teacher or a group
of teachers in order to measure the outcome of classroom instruction
Standardised
Standardized assessments,
on the other hand, are commercially prepared and have uniform procedures for administration
and scoring
Nature of interpretation
Norm referenced ( NRT )
Not measured against defined criteria.
Relative to the student body undertaking the assessment.
It is effectively a way of comparing students.
The IQ test is the best known example of norm-referenced assessment.
Many entrance tests (to prestigious schools or universities) are norm-referenced, permitting a fixed proportion of students to pass ("passing" in this context means being accepted into the school or university rather than an explicit level of ability).
This means that standards may vary from year to year, depending on the quality of the cohort; criterion-referenced assessment does not vary from year to year (unless the criteria change).
Criterion Referenced ( CRT )
Candidates are measured against defined (and objective) criteria.
Used to establish a person's competence (whether s/he can do something).
Attribute measured:
Achievement:
Academic performance should be measured in multiple manners and methods such as: teacher observation, benchmark assessments, student portfolios, rubrics, progress monitoring
tools, standardized assessments and other local assessments. ―Using multiple assessments helps
educators determine what is working and not working… and eventually can lead to better outcomes for students
Attitude:
- An attitude may be defined as a preference along a dimension of favorableness to unfavorableness to a particular group, institution, concept.
- Attitudes are learned behaviors.
- Knowledge about learners attitude will enable teachers to promote desirable attitudes
Aptitude:
Aptitude tests measure general educational development being common to a variety of content areas are much more effective predictions of future achievement than content oriented achievement test. This is the most important reason for which aptitude tests are preferred to predict future learning
Uses of aptitude test:
- For placement
- For diagnosis
- For feedback
- For planning future courses
CHARACTERISTICS OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT:
The different characteristics of classroom assessment are given below.
Learner-Centered:
The primary attention of teachers is focused on observing and improving learning.
Teacher-Directed:
Individual teachers decide what to assess, how to assess, and how to respond to the information gained through the assessment. Teachers do not need to share results with
anyone outside of the class.
Mutually Beneficial:
Students are active participants.
Students are motivated by the increased interest of faculty in their success as learners. Teachers improve their teaching skills and gain new insights.
Formative:
Assessments are almost never "graded". Assessments are almost always anonymous in
the classroom and often anonymous online. Assessments do not provide evidence for evaluating or grading students.
Context-Specific:
Assessments respond to the particular needs and characteristics of the teachers, students
and disciplines to which they are applied. Customize to meet the needs of students and course.
Ongoing:
Classroom assessment is a continuous process. Part of the process is creating and maintaining a classroom "feedback loop". Each classroom assessment event is of short
duration.
Rooted in Good Teaching Practice:
Classroom assessment builds on good practices by making feedback on students' learning
more systematic, more flexible and more effective.
