MODULE II

Lesson 1 PRINCIPLES OF GOOD

PRACTICE IN ASSESSING
OUTCOMES

Lesson 2 DETERMINING PROGRESS

TOWARDS THE
ATTAINMENT OF
LEARNING OUTCOMES

Lesson 3 VARIETY OF
ASSESSMENT METHODS,
TOOLS AND TASKS

Lesson 4 PLANNING A TEST AND

CONSTRUCTION OF
TABLE OF
SPECIFICATIONS (TOS)

Module I
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MODULE I

 INTRODUCTION

OBJECTIVES

After studying the module, you should be able to:

1. Clarify the principles in assessing learning outcomes.

2. Explain the phases of outcomes assessment

3. Identify alignment of leaming outcomes and assessment tasks.

4. Discuss various assessment methods, tools and tasks including

portfolios.

5. Construct a scoring rubric

6. Give sample assessment task for each objective

7. Make a table of specifications

 DIRECTIONS/ MODULE ORGANIZER

There are four lessons in the module. Read each lesson carefully then
answer the exercises/activities to find out how much you have benefited
from it. Work on these exercises carefully and submit your output on time

In case you encounter difficulty, discuss this with your teacher during
the face-to-face meeting.

God bless and happy reading!!!

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Lesson 1

 PRINCIPLES OF GOOD
PRACTICE IN ASSESSING
LEARNING OUTCOMES

Outcomes assessment is the process of gathering information on

whether the instruction, services and activities that the program provides
are producing the desired learning outcomes.

 PRINCIPLES OF GOOD PRACTICE IN ASSESSING LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. The assessment of student learning starts with the institution’s vision,

mission and core values. There should be a clear statement on the kinds of
learning that the institution values most of its students.

2. Assessment works best when the program has clear statement of

objectives aligned with the institutional vision, mission, and core values.
Such alignment ensures clear, shared and implementable objectives.

3. Outcome-based assessment focuses on the student activities that will still

be relevant after formal schooling concludes. The approach is to design
assessment activities which are observable and less abstract such as : to
determine the student’s ability to write a paragraph which is more
observable than “ to determine the student’s verbal ability”.

4. Assessment requires attention not only to outcomes but also and equally
to the activities and experiences that lead to the attainment of learning
outcomes. These are supporting student activities.

5. Assessment works best when it is continuous, ongoing and not episodic.

Assessment should be cumulative because improvement is best achieved
through a linked series of activities done over time in an instructional cycle.

6. Begin assessment by specifying clearly and exactly what you want to

assess. What you want to assess is/are stated in your learning outcomes/
lesson objectives.

7. The intended learning outcome/lesson objective NOT CONTENT is the

basis of the assessment task. You use content in the development of the
assessment tool and task but it is the attainment of your learning outcome
NOT content that you want to assess.

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8. Set your criterion of success or acceptable standard of success. It is

against this established standard that you will interpret your assessment
results.

9. Make use varied tool for data-gathering and multiple sources of

assessment data. It is not pedagogically sound to rely on just one source of
data gathered by only one assessment tool. Consider multiple intelligences
and learning styles.

10. Learners must be given feedback about their performance. Feedback

must be specific. “Good work” is positive feedback and is welcome but
actually is not a very good feedback since it is not specific. A more specific
better feedback is “ You observed rules of subject-verb agreement and
variety of sentences. Three of your commas were misplaced”.

11. Assessment should be on real-world application and not on out-of –

context drills.

12. Emphasize on the assessment of higher-order thinking.

13. Provide opportunities for self-assessment.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY

I. There are 13 principles of good practice in assessing learning outcomes. At

the blank before each number indicate the number corresponding to the
principle illustrated in the item.
______1. Assessment should be ongoing and continuous.
______2. Supporting activities is as important as outcome.
______3. Outcomes are attained through supporting activities.
______4. Every school must publicize its mission and core values.
______5. Rubrics assessment is used for non-objective type of test.
______6. Assessment activities should be observable and measurable.
______7. Portfolios are of two types: longitudinal and best case/thematic.
______8. To solve a problem is more observable than “ analytical ability”.
______9. Supporting student activities is provided as part of instruction.
______10. The outcome assessment phrases are organized in an instructional
cycle.
______11. The institution must decide on its mission of education and values
it will develop
______12. Competencies or skills may be assessed from the simple to the
more complex level.
______13. Essay, examinations allow for student individual expression but
difficult to construct.
______14.The faculty, students, parents and staff understand and commit to
implement the program/department objectives.
______15. The program or department should have mission and objectives
aligned with the institutions’s mission and core values.

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Lesson 2

 CONSTRUCTUVE ALIGNMENT

Below is a didagram that illustrates the principle of constructive

alignment in the assessment process.

Learning
Outcomes

Teaching-
Assessment Learning
Task Activities

It illustrates the principle of constructive alignment. The principle

of constructive alignment simply means that the teaching-learning
activity or activities and assessment tasks are aligned with the
intended learning outcomes. Constructive alignment is based on
the constructivist theory (Biggs, 2007) that learners use their own
activity to construct their knowledge or other outcome/s

Example: The intended learning outcome is “to bake a cake”. The

teaching-learning activity is to bake a cake. The assessment task
is to let the student bake a cake.

You have been victims of teachers who taught you one thing but
assessed you on another. The result? Much confusion and
disappointment? If you have been victims of lack of constructive
alignment, then break the cycle by not victimizing your future
students. Observe the principle of constructive alignment. Make
sure your assessment tasks are aligned with your learning
outcomes.

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LEARNING ACTIVITY

Determine whether or not the assessment task is aligned with the

learning outcome. Write ALIGNED if the assessment task is aligned
with the learning outcome. If the assessment task is not aligned
with the learning outcome, improve it to align it with the learning
outcome.

Learning Outcome Assessment Task Answer

Dance tinikling Trace the history of
tinikling
Interpret a poem Make a poem about
family
Present a report with Demonstrate how to do
Powerpoint a Powerpoint
presentation
Solve word problems Determine what are
given and what is asked
Pronounce short a Draw objects with short
correctly a
Trace the historical Trace the historical
development of the development of the
Philippine basic Philippine basic
education curriculum education curriculum
with the use of an
appropriate graphic
organizer

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Lesson 3

 Variety of Assessment
Methods, Tools and Tasks

Assessment methods can be classified as traditional and authentic.

Traditional assessment method refers to the usual paper-and-pencil test
while authentic assessment refers to non-paper-and-pencil test. Authentic
assessment is also called alternative assessment, it being an alternative to
the traditional.

The paper-and-pencil test (traditional assessment) assesses learning

in the cognitive domain (Bloom) or declarative knowledge (Kendall and
Marzano, 2012).

The paper-and-pencil test, however, is inadequate to measure all

forms of learning. Psychomotor learning (Kendall and Marzano, 2012) or
procedural knowledge (Kendall and Marzano, 2012) and learning proven by a
product and by a performance cannot be measured by a paper-and-pencil
test.

Assessment tools for the cognitive domain (declarative knowledge)

are the different paper-and-pencil tests. The following are the basic
examples of paper-and pencil tests.

SELECTED RESPONSE CONSTRUCTED -RESPONSE

Alternate response Completion
Matching type Short answer
Multiple choice Essay restricted or non-
restricted
Problem solving

Examples of authentic assessment tools are the demonstrations of

what have been learned by either a product or a performance.

PRODUCT PERFORMANCE

Product Output Performance Tasks

e.g. graph, collagem e.g. expirements, oral

reflective journal presentation,
EDUC 103 – ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1
dramatization
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 PORTFOLIO

Portfolio falls under non-paper-and pencil test. A portfolio is a

purposeful collection of student work or documented performance (e.g.
video of dance) that tells the story of student achievement or growth. The
word purposeful implies that a portfolio is not a collection of all student's
work. It is not just a receptacle for all students’ work. The student's work
that is collected depends on the type and purpose of a portfolio you want to
have. It can be a collection of products or recorded performances or photos
of performances.

Types of Portfolio

Portfolios can be classified according to purpose. According to

purpose, portfolios can be classified either as
1) working portfolios
2) display portfolios or
3) assessment portfolios (Danielson and Abrutyn, 2015).

1. Working or Development Portfolio - A working portfolio is so

named because it is a project "in the works," containing work in progress as
well as finished samples of work. A growth portfolio demonstrates an
individual's development and growth over time. Development can be
focused on academic or thinking skills, content knowledge, self knowledge,
or any area that is important for your purposes. For this reason, it is also
called development portfolio. Growth or development portfolio can serve as
a holding tank for work that may be selected later for a more permanent
assessment or display portfolio.

2. Display, Showcase or Best Works Portfolios - It is the display of

the students' best work. Students exhibit their best work and interpret its
meaning. Showcase portfolio demonstrates the highest level of achievement
attained by the student.

3. Assessment or Evaluation Portfolio - As the name implies, the

main function of an assessment portfolio is to document what a student has
learned based on standards and competencies expected of students at each
grade level. The standards and competencies of the curriculum, then, will
determine what students select for their portfolios. Their reflective
comments will focus on the extent to which they believe the portfolio
entries demonstrate their mastery of the standards and competencies.

For example, if the standard or competency specifies persuasive,

narrative, and descriptive writing, an assessment portfolio should include
examples of each type of writing. Similarly, if the curriculum calls for

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technical skill such as use of Power Point in report presentation, then the
display portfolio will include entries documenting the reporting process with
the use of Power Point.

 SCORING RUBRICS

A rubric is a coherent set of criteria for students' work that includes

descriptions of levels of performance quality on the criteria. The main
purpose of rubrics is to assess performance made evident in processes and
products. It can serve as a scoring guide that seeks to evaluate a student's
performance in many different tasks based on a full range of criteria rather
than a single numerical score. The objectives tests can be scored by simply
counting the correct answers, but the essay tests, student's products and
student's performances cannot be scored the way objective tests are scored.
Products and performances can be scored reliably only with the use of
scoring rubrics.

Rubrics have two major parts: coherent sets of criteria and

descriptions of levels of performance for these criteria. (Brookhart, 2013).
How to create and use rubrics).

Types of rubrics

 Holistic: In this type of rubric, a single score is provided based on

raters’ overall perception of the quality of the performance. Holistic
rubrics are useful when only one attribute is being evaluated, as they
detail different levels of performance within a single attribute. This
category of rubric is designed for quick scoring but does not provide
detailed feedback. For these rubrics, the criteria may be the same as
the description of the task.

 Analytic: In this type of rubric, scores are provided for several

different criteria that are being evaluated. Analytic rubrics provide
more detailed feedback to students and teachers about their
performance. Scoring is usually more consistent across students and
graders with analytic rubrics.

Below are examples of analytic and holistic rubric.

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Example of an Analytic Rubric for Creativity

Very Creative Creative Ordinary/Routine Imitative

Depth and Ideas Ideas Ideas represent Ideas do not

Quality of represent represent important represent
Ideas starting important concepts from important
variety of concepts from the same or concepts
important different similar contexts
concepts from contexts or or disciplines
different disciplines
contexts or
disciplines.
Variety of Created Created Created product Created
Sources product draws product draws draws on a product draws
on a wide- on a variety limited set of on only one
ranging of sources, sources and source, and or
variety of including media. sources are
sources, different tests not
including media, trustworthy or
different resource appropriate.
texts, media, persons,
resource and/or
persons, and/ personal
or personal experiences.
experiences.
Organization Ideas are Ideas are Ideas are Ideas are
and combined in combined in combined in copied or
Combination original and original ways ways that are restated from
of Ideas surprising to solve a derived from the the source(s)
ways to solve problem, thinking of consulted
a problem, address an others (for
address an issue or make example, of the
issue or make something authors in
something new. sources
new. consulted)

Originality of Created Created Created product Created

Contribution product is product is serves its product does
interesting, interesting, intended purpose not serve
new, and/or new, and or (e.g. solving a intended
helpful, helpful, problem or purpos (e.g.,
making an making an addressing an solving a
original original issue. problem or
contribution contribution addressing an
that includes for its issue)
identifying a intended
previously purpose (e.g..
unknown solving a

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problem, problem or
issue or addressing an
purpose issue)
Example of a Holistic Rubric for Creativity

Very Creative Ideas represent a startling variety of important concepts

from different contexts or disciplines. Created product
draws on a wide-ranging variety of sources including
different texts, media resource persons, and/or personal
experiences. Ideas are combined in original and
surprising ways to solve a problem address an issue or
make something new. Created product is interesting new
and/or helpful making an original contribution that
includes identifying a previously unknown problem, issue
or purpose
Creative Ideas represent important concepts from different
contexts or disciplines. Created product draws on a
variety of sources including different texts media
resource persons, and or personal experiences. Ideas are
combined in original ways to solve a problem, address an
issue or make something new. Created product is
interesting, new and or helpful making an original
contribution for its intended purpose (e.g., solving a
problem or addressing an issue).
Ordinary/Routine Ideas represent important concepts from the same or
similar contexts or disciplines. Created product draws on
intended purpose (e.g., solving a problem or addressing
an issue).
Imitative Ideas do not represent important concepts. Created
product draws on only one source and/or sources are not
trustworthy or appropriate. Ideas are copied or restated
from the source(s) consulted. Created product does not
serve its intended purpose (e.g.solving a problem or
addressing an issue).

 ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING OUTCOMES IN THE K TO 12 PROGRAM

Here are assessment practices lifted from DepEd Order 8, s. 2015 for the
guidance of all teachers:

1. Teachers should employ assessment methods that are consistent with

standards. This means that assessment as a process must be based on
standards and competencies that are stated in the K to 12 Curriculum
Guide. Assessment must be based NOT on content but on standards and
competencies. Therefore, there must be alignment between assessment
tools or tasks and standards and competencies.

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2. Teachers must employ both formative and summative assessment both

individually and collaboratively. Assessment is done primarily to ensure
learning, thus teachers are expected to assess learning in every stage of
lesson development - beginning, middle and at the end.

3. Grades are a function of written work, performance tasks and quarterly

test. This means that grades come from multiple sources with emphasis on
performance tasks from Grades 1 to 12. Grade does not come from only one
source rather from multiple sources.

4. The cognitive process dimensions given by Krathwohl and Anderson (2001)

- from remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and
creating - governs formulation of assessment tasks. For more details on the
DepEd grading system, refer to

LEARNING ACTIVITY

Make your own holistic and analytic rubric.

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Lesson 4

Planning a Test and

Construction of Table of
Specifications (TOS)

The important steps in planning for a test are:

A. Identifying test objectives/lesson outcomes.

B. Deciding on the type of objective test to be prepared

C. Preparing a Table of Specifications (TOS)

D. Constructing the draft test items

E. Try-out and validation

A. Identifying Test Objectives.

An objective test, if it is to be comprehensive, must cover the various
levels of Bloom's taxonomy. Each objective consists of a statement of what
is to be achieved preferably by the students.
Example. We want to construct a test on the topic: "Subject Verb
Agreement in English" for a Grade V class. The following are typical
objectives:

Knowledge/Remembering. The students must be able to identify the

subject and the verb in a given sentence.

Comprehension/Understanding. The students must be able to determine

the appropriate form of a verb to be used given the subject of a sentence.

Application/Applying. The students must be able to write sentences

observing rules on subject-verb agreement.

Analysis/Analyzing. The students must be able to break down a given

sentence into its subject and predicate.

Evaluation/Evaluating. The students must be able to evaluate whether or

not a sentence observes rules on subject-ver agreement.

Synthesis/Creating. The students must be able to formulate rules to be

followed regarding subject-verb agreement.

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2. Deciding on the type of objective test.

The test objectives guide the kind of objective tests that will be
designed and constructed by the teacher. This means aligning the test with
the lesson objective/outcome. For instance, for the first four (4) levels, you
may want to construct a multiple-choice type of test while for synthesis
and judgment, you may opt to give an essay test or a modified essay test. At
all times, the test to be formulated must be aligned with the learning
outcome. This is the principle of constructive alignment.

3. Preparing a table of specifications (TOS).

A Table of Specifications or TOS is a test map that guides the teacher
in constructing a test.
Khan (2018) defined it as a chart that provides graphic
representations of the content of a course or curriculum elements and the
educational objectives.It is a two –way chart which describes the topics to
be covered in a test and the number of items or points which will be
associated with each topic .

What are the benefits of table of specifications?

1. It ensures that there is balance between items that test lower level
thinking skills and those which test higher order thinking skills (or
alternatively, a balance between easy and difficult items) in the test.

2. It clarifies learning outcomes.

3. It ensures content coverage.

4. It matches methods of instruction.

5. It helps in asessment plan and blue print.

6. It evaluates of the program.

How do you create a table of specifications?

Step 1- Determine the coverage of your exam.

The first rule in making exams and therefore in making a table of
specification is to make sure the coverage of your exam is something that
you have satisfactorily taught in class. Select the topics that you wish to
test in the exam. It is possible that you will not be able to cover all these
topics as it might create a test that is too long and will not be realistic for
your students in the given time. So select only the most important topics.

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Step 2- Determine your testing objectives for each topic area

In this step, you will need to be familiar with Bloom’s taxonomy of
thinking skills. Bloom has identified the hierarchy of learning objectives,
from the lower thinking skills to the higher thinking skills .

So for each content area that you wish to test, you will have to
determine how you will test each area. Will you test simply their recall of
knowledge? Or will you be testing their comprehension of the matter? Or
perhaps you will be challenging them to analyze and compare and contrast
something. Again, this would depend on your instructional objectives in the
classroom. Did you teach them lower thinking skills or did you challenge
them by making them think critically?

Your objectives per topic area should use very specific verbs on how
you intend to test the students using the bloom’s taxonomy. For example,
for the 2nd level which is Comprehension, verbs to use for the objectives
would be explain or retell if it is in the context of understanding a story.

It is important that your terms of specification reflect your

instructional procedures during the semester/grading period. If your
coverage on a topic mostly dwelt on knowledge and comprehension of
material, then you cannot test them by going up the hierarchy of bloom’s
taxonomy. Thus it is crucial that you give a balanced set of objectives
throughout the semester depending on the nature of your students.

Step 3- Determine the duration for each content area

The next step in making the table of specifications is to write down
how long you spent teaching a particular topic. This is important because it
will determine how many points you should devote for each topic. Logically,
the longer time you spent on teaching a material, then the more questions
should be devoted for that area.

Step 4- Determine the test types for each objective

Now that you have created your table of specifications for your test
by aligning your objectives to Bloom’s taxonomy, it’s time to determine the
test types that will accomplish your testing objectives. For example,
knowledge questions can be accomplished easily through multiple choice
questions or matching type exams.

If you want to test evaluation or synthesis of a topic, you will want to

create exam type questions or perhaps you will ask the students to create
diagrams and explain their diagrams in their analysis.

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The important thing is that the test type should reflect your testing
objective.

Step 5- Polish your terms of specification

After your initial draft of the table of specifications, it’s time to
polish it. Make sure that you have covered in your terms of specification the
important topics that you wish to test. The number of items for your test
should be sufficient for the time allotted for the test.

*Computation for the percentage of items and number of items.

Percentage of Items = Number of contact hours ÷ Total number of

contact hours x 100

Example # 1: Refer to table of specifications # 1

Topic : Anyong Tubig

5 ÷ 25 = 20 %

Example # 2 : Topic : Pakikiagapay sa Kapaligiran

3 ÷ 25 = 12 %

Number of Items = Number of contact hours ÷ Total number of

contact hours x desired total number of items

Note: In table of specifications # 1, the teacher’s desired

total number of items is 60

Example # 1: Topic : Anyong Lupa

7 ÷ 25 x 60 = 16.8 or 17 items

Example # 2 : Topic : Anyong Tubig

5 ÷ 25 x 60 = 12 items

Note: If the answer is with a decimal point, round it off to get

the exact item. Always remember the the desired number of items is 60 and
not with a decimal point.

EDUC 103 – ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING 1

 TABLE OF SPECIFICATIONS
ARALING PANLIPUNAN III
1ST Grading, S.Y. 2014-2015

Learning Content/Tasks No. of Percentag No. Cognitive Domain Item Points

Contact e of Items of Knowledge Comprehension Application Higher Placement
Hours Item Domain than
s Application
3 12 % 7 I.1-7 I.1-7 7
Kinaroroonan ng Pilipinas
Kapuluan ng Pilipinas 7 28 % 17 I. 8-24 I. 8-24 17
Anyong Lupa 7 28 % 17 I. 25-36 V.A (5 pts.) I. 25-36, 17
V.A
Anyong Tubig 5 20 % 12 I. 37- 43 V.B (5 pts.) I. 37- 43, 12
V.B.
Pakikiagapay sa Kapaligiran 3 12 % 7 I.44-50 I.44-50 7

Total 25 100 % 60 60

Module I