OAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Calzada, Oas, Albay

Assessment in
Learning 1
(Module 2)

First Semester
Academic Year 2023-2024

RAYMUNDO B. SALISI, LPT, MAEd

College Instructor
 LESSON 1 (Week 1)

Principles of Good Practice in Assessing Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

⚫ Clarify and understand the principles in assessing learning outcomes

⚫ Explain the phases of outcomes assessment
⚫ Determine alignment of learning outcomes and assessment tasks

Introduction

Outcome assessment is the process of gathering information on

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

Discussion

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 for 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

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 activities and experiences that lead to the attainment of
learning outcomes. These are supporting student’s 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 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. This is
outcome-based teaching and learning.

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

is against this established standard that you will interpret your
assessment result.

9. Make use of varied tools for assessment 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.

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 nor
specific. A more specific better feedback is “You observed rules on
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.

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)

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

forms of learning. Psychomotor learning or procedural knowledge 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. Basic examples of paper-and-pencil
tests are the following:
 Selected-Response Constructed Response

⚫ Alternative Response ⚫ Completion

⚫ Matching Type ⚫ Short answer

⚫ Multiple Choice ⚫ Essay

⚫ Problem solving

Examples of selected response type of tests are alternative response

(true or False, Yeas or No); matching type; and multiple choice type.

Examples of constructed type are the completion type (Fill-in-the-

blanks); short answer; the essay test and problem solving.

Example 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

graph, collage, experiments, oral

journal presentation,
dramatization

Assessment Strategies and Multiple Intelligences

Learners have multiple intelligences and varied learning styles.

Students must be given an opportunity to demonstrate learning that is
aligned to other multiple intelligences and to their learning styles. It is good
for teachers to consider the multiple intelligences of learners to enable
learners to demonstrate learning in a manner which makes them feel
comfortable and successful. Teachers truly consider learners’ multiple
intelligences when they make use of a variety of assessment tools and tasks.

Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences

Many of us are familiar with three broad categories in which people learn:
visual learning, auditory learning, and kinesthetic learning. Beyond these three
categories, many theories of and approaches toward human learning potential
have been established. Among them is the theory of multiple intelligences
developed by Howard Gardner, Ph.D., John H. and Elisabeth A. Hobbs, Research
Professor of Cognition and Education at the Harvard Graduate School of
Education at Harvard University. Gardner’s early work in psychology and later in
human cognition and human potential led to his development of the initial six
intelligences. Today there are nine intelligences, and the possibility of others
may eventually expand the list.

Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences Summarized

Verbal-linguistic intelligence (well-developed verbal skills and sensitivity to the

sounds, meanings and rhythms of words)

Logical-mathematical intelligence (ability to think conceptually and abstractly,

and capacity to discern logical and numerical patterns)

Spatial-visual intelligence (capacity to think in images and pictures, to

visualize accurately and abstractly)

Bodily-kinesthetic intelligence (ability to control one’s body movements and to

handle objects skillfully)

Musical intelligences (ability to produce and appreciate rhythm, pitch and

timber)

Interpersonal intelligence (capacity to detect and respond appropriately to the

moods, motivations and desires of others)

Intrapersonal intelligence (capacity to be self-aware and in tune with inner

feelings, values, beliefs and thinking processes)

Naturalist intelligence (ability to recognize and categorize plants, animals and

other objects in nature)

Existential intelligence (sensitivity and capacity to tackle deep questions about

human existence such as, “What is the meaning of life? Why do we die? How did
we get here?”

Gardner (2013) asserts that regardless of which subject you teach—“the

arts, the sciences, history, or math”—you should present learning materials in
multiple ways. Gardner goes on to point out that anything you are deeply
familiar with “you can describe and convey … in several ways. We teachers
discover that sometimes our own mastery of a topic is tenuous, when a student
asks us to convey the knowledge in another way and we are stumped.” Thus,
conveying information in multiple ways not only helps students learn the
material, it also helps educators increase and reinforce our mastery of the
content.

… regardless of which subject you teach—“the arts, the sciences,

history, or math”—you should present learning materials in
multiple ways.

Gardner’s multiple intelligences theory can be used for curriculum development,

planning instruction, selection of course activities, and related assessment
strategies. Gardner points out that everyone has strengths and weaknesses in
various intelligences, which is why educators should decide how best to present
course material given the subject-matter and individual class of students. Indeed,
instruction designed to help students learn material in multiple ways can trigger
their confidence to develop areas in which they are not as strong. In the end,
students’ learning is enhanced when instruction includes a range of meaningful
and appropriate methods, activities, and assessments.

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 wit

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.

2. Teachers must employ both formative and summative assessment both

individually or 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 Grade 1 to 12. Grade does not come from only one
source rather from multiple sources.

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

from remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating and creating -
governs formulation of assessment tasks.

Application

1. Principles of Good Practice in Assessing Learning Outcomes is about

what?

2. Why teachers must be fully aware of the principles in assessing learning

outcomes?

3. When to give a paper-and-pencil test? Why?

4. When to use authentic or alternative assessment? Why?

5. In your own perspective, what is/are the implication/s of multiple

intelligences to assessment?
 LESSON 2 (Week 2)

Characteristics of Assessment Methods

Learning Outcomes

⚫ Understand and discuss the different characteristics of assessment

methods

Introduction

Assessment literacy involves understanding how assessments

are made, what type of assessments answer what questions, and how
the data from assessments can be used to help teachers, students,
parents, and other stakeholders make decisions about teaching and
learning.

Discussion

Characteristics of Assessment Methods

The characteristics of assessment methods are: validity, reliability,

practicability, justness, and morality in assessment.

Validity

Validity - means the degree to which a test measures what it intends

to measure or the truthfulness of the response. The validity of a test
concerns what the test measures and how well it does so. For example, to
assess the validity of teacher-made-test, it is necessary to consider what
kind of teacher-made test is supposed to measure and how well it serves the
purpose.

Generally speaking, no test can be said to have a “high” or “low”

validity in the abstract. Its validity is determined with reference to the
particular use for which the test is being considered. The validity of the test
must always be considered in relation to the purpose is is to serve. Validity
is always specific in relation to some definite situations. Similarly, a valid
test is always valid. This means a valid test has veracity or truthfulness of
the answer. For instance, Social Science test is administered twice to
second year college education students. The answer of Student C on Item 8
“What is the capital of Zamboanga del Norte?” is Dipolog City. In the second
administration of the test, his answer is still the same on Item 8. His
answer is both valid and reliable. Valid because his answer is correct and
reliable due to the consistency of his answer.

Types of Validity

There are four types of validity. These are (1) content validity; (2)
concurrent validity, predictive validity, and construct validity.
1. Content Validity

This means the content or topic is truly the representative of the

course. It involves the systematic administration of the test content to
determine if it overs the representative sample of the behavior domain to be
measured. It is very important that the behavior domain to be tested must
be systematically proportions. The domain under consideration must be
fully described in advance rather than defined after the test has been
prepared.

Content validity is described by the relevance of a test to different

types of criteria, namely, thorough judgment and systematic examination of
relevant course syllabi and textbooks, pooled judgment of subject matter
expert, statement of the behavioral objectives, and analysis of teacher-made
test questions. Thus, content validity depends on the relevance to the
individual’s responses to the behavior area in consideration rather than on
the apparent relevance of item content.

Content validity is commonly used in assessing achievement test. A

well-constructed achievement test must cover the objective of the instruction,
not just the subject matter. The three domains of behavior, namely:
cognitive, affective, and psychomotor are of great help in the construction of
achievement test.

2. Concurrent Validity

It is the degree to which the test agrees or correlate with a criterion

set up as an acceptable measure. The criterion is always available at the
same time of testing. It is applicable to test employed for diagnosis of
existing status rather than prediction of outcome.

3. Predictive Validity

The validity determines by showing how well predictions made from

the test are proven by proof collected at some succeeding time. The criterion
measure against this type of validity is important because the outcome of the
subject or student is predicted.

4. Construct Validity

This is the extent to which the test measures a theoretical trait. This
involves test as those of understanding, appreciation, and interpretation of
data. Examples are intelligence and mechanical aptitude tests.

Reliability

Reliability as the second characteristic of assessment methods

means the extent to which a test is consistent and dependable. In other
words, the test agrees with itself. It is concerned with the consistency of
responses from moment to moment. Even if a student takes the same test
twice, the test yields the same results.
Practicability

Practicability is the third characteristic of the assessment method.

It means that the test used by teachers and researchers without undue
expenditure of time, money, and effort. In other words, practicality means
usability.

Justness

Justness is the fourth characteristic of assessment method. It is the

degree to which the teacher is fair in assessing the grades of the learners.
The learners must be informed on the criteria they are being assessed. The
teacher must be just in assessing the achievements of the learners based on
the set of criteria. If learners’ achievements are assessed fairly and justly by
teachers, they are inspired and their interest to study hard is aroused.

Morality in Assessment

Morality in assessment is the fifth characteristic of assessment

method. It is the degree of secrecy of grades of the learners. Morality of
ethics in assessment of tests results or grades must be confidential to avoid
learners from embarrassment.

Characteristics of Effective Assessment

Objective

The effective assessment is objective, and focused on student

performance. It should not reflect the personal opinions, likes, dislikes,
or biases of the instructor. Instructors must not permit judgment of
student performance to be influenced by their personal views of the
student, favorable or unfavorable. Sympathy or over-identification
with a student, to such a degree that it influences objectivity, is
known as “halo error.” A conflict of personalities can also distort an
opinion. If an assessment is to be objective, it must be honest; it must
be based on the performance as it was, not as it could have been.

Flexible

The instructor must evaluate the entire performance of a student in

the context in which it is accomplished. Sometimes a good student
turns in a poor performance, and a poor student turns in a good one.
A friendly student may suddenly become hostile, or a hostile student
may suddenly become friendly and cooperative. The instructor must
fit the tone, technique, and content of the assessment to the occasion,
as well as to the student. An assessment should be designed and
executed so that the instructor can allow for variables. The ongoing
challenge for the instructor is deciding what to say, what to omit,
what to stress, and what to minimize at the proper moment.

Acceptable

The student must accept the instructor in order to accept his or her
assessment willingly. Students must have confidence in the
instructor’s qualifications, teaching ability, sincerity, competence, and
authority. Usually, instructors have the opportunity to establish
themselves with students before the formal assessment arises. If not,
however, the instructor’s manner, attitude, and familiarity with the
subject at hand must serve this purpose. Assessments must be
presented fairly, with authority, conviction, sincerity, and from a
position of recognizable competence. Instructors must never rely on
their position to make an assessment more acceptable to students.

Comprehensive

A comprehensive assessment is not necessarily a long one, nor must it

treat every aspect of the performance in detail. The instructor must
decide whether the greater benefit comes from a discussion of a few
major points or a number of minor points. The instructor might
assess what most needs improvement, or only what the student can
reasonably be expected to improve. An effective assessment covers
strengths as well as weaknesses. The instructor’s task is to determine
how to balance the two.

Constructive

An assessment is pointless unless the student benefits from it. Praise

for its own sake is of no value, but praise can be very effective in
reinforcing and capitalizing on things that are done well, in order to
inspire the student to improve in areas of lesser accomplishment.
When identifying a mistake or weakness, the instructor must give
positive guidance for correction. Negative comments that do not point
toward improvement or a higher level of performance should be
omitted from an assessment altogether.

Organized

An assessment must be organized. Almost any pattern is acceptable,

as long as it is logical and makes sense to the student. An effective
organizational pattern might be the sequence of the performance itself.
Sometimes an assessment can profitably begin at the point at which a
demonstration failed, and work backward through the steps that led
to the failure. A success can be analyzed in similar fashion.
Alternatively, a glaring deficiency can serve as the core of an
assessment. Breaking the whole into parts, or building the parts into
a whole, is another possible organizational approach.

Thoughtful

An effective assessment reflects the instructor’s thoughtfulness

toward the student’s need for self-esteem, recognition, and approval.
The instructor must not minimize the inherent dignity and importance
of the individual. Ridicule, anger, or fun at the expense of the student
never has a place in assessment. While being straightforward and
honest, the instructor should always respect the student’s personal
feelings. For example, the instructor should try to deliver criticism in
private.

Specific

The instructor’s comments and recommendations should be specific.

Students cannot act on recommendations unless they know
specifically what the recommendations are. A statement such as,
“Your second weld wasn’t as good as your first,” has little constructive
value. Instead, the instructor should say why it was not as good, and
offer suggestions on how to improve the weld. If the instructor has a
clear, well-founded, and supportable idea in mind, it should be
expressed with firmness and authority, and in terms that cannot be
misunderstood. At the conclusion of an assessment, students should
have no doubt about what they did well and what they did poorly and,
most importantly, specifically how they can improve.

Application

Explain in your own words the following:

A. Characteristics of Assessment Methods

1. Validity
2. Reliability
3. Practicability
4. Justness
5. Morality

B. Characteristics of Effective Assessment

1. Objective
2. Flexible
3. Acceptable
4. Comprehensive
5. Constructive
6. Organized
7. Thoughtful
8. Specific
 LESSON 3 (Week 3 & Week 4)

Planning a Test and Construction of Table of Specifications (TOS)

Learning Outcomes

⚫ Understand and explain the concept of Table Of Specifications (TOS).

⚫ Prepare/Construct example of Table of Specifications (TOS)

Introduction

In this lesson, you learn the concept, use and purpose of Table Of
Specifications (TOS). Likewise, at the end of the lesson you are going to
prepare or construct an example table of specifications.

Discussion

Steps in Planning a Test

The important steps in planning for a test are:

1. Identifying test objectives to be prepared

2. Deciding on the type of objective test to be prepared
3. Preparing a Table of Specifications (TOS)
4. Constructing the draft test items
5. Try-out and Validation

Identifying test objectives. An objective test, if it is to be comprehensive,

must cover the various levels of Bloom’s/Anderson’s taxonomy. Each
objective consists of a statement of what to do be achieved preferably by the
students.

Example: We want to construct a test on the topic” “Subject-Verb

Agreement in English” fr a Grade 5 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 verb to be used given the subject of
the sentence.

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

observing rules on subject-verb agreement.

Analysis/Applying. 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-verb agreement.

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

to be followed regarding subject-verb agreement.

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 objectives/outcome. For instance,
for the first four (4) levels, we may want to construct a multiple-choice type
of test while for application and judgement, we may opt to give an essay test
or 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.

The table of specifications (TOS) is a tool used to ensure that a test

or assessment measures the content and thinking skills that the test intends
to measure. Thus, when used appropriately, it can provide response content
and construct (i.e., response process) validity evidence. A TOS may be used
for large-scale test construction, classroom-level assessments by teachers,
and psychometric scale development. It is a foundational tool in designing
tests or measures for research and educational purposes.

The primary purpose of a TOS is to ensure alignment between the

items or elements of an assessment and the content, skills, or constructs
that the assessment intends to assess.

the Table of Specifications (TOS). A Table of Specifications or (TOS) is

a test map that guides the teacher in constructing a test. The TOS ensures
that there is a balance between items that test lower level thinking skills and
those which are higher order thinking skills (or alternatively, the balance
between easy and difficult items) in the test. The simplest TOS consists of
four (4) columns: level of objective to be tested, statement of objective, item
numbers where such an objective is being tested and number of items and
percentage out of the total for that particular objective. A prototype table is
shown below:

Table of Specifications Prototype

Item No. %
Level Objective/Outcome Placement Of
Items
1. Remembering Identify subject and verb 1,3,5,7,9 5 14.29
2. Understanding Determine appropriate 2,4,6,8,10 5 14.29
form of verb to be used
3. Applying Write sentences 11,13,15,17,19 5 14.29
observing rules on
subject-verb agreement
4. Analyzing Determine subject and 12,15,18,21,23 5 14.29
predicate
5. Evaluating Evaluate whether or not 13,16,19,22,24 5 14.29
 a sentence observes
rules on subject-verb
agreement
6. Creating Formulate rules on Part II 10 28.57
subject-verb agreement pts

In the Table of Specifications we see that there are five items that
deals with knowledge and these items 1,3,5,7,9. Similarly, from the same
table we see that five items represent analysis, namely: 11,15,18,21,23.
The first five levels of Bloom’s taxonomy are equally represented in the test
while synthesis (tested through essay) is weighted equivalent to ten points or
double the weight given to any of the first four levels. The TOS guides the
teacher in formulating the test. As we can see, the TOS also ensures that
each of the objectives in the hierarchy of educational objectives is well
represented in the test. As such the resulting test that will be constructed
by the teacher will be more or less comprehensive. Without the TOS, the
tendency for the test maker is to focus too much on facts and concepts at
the Recall/Remembering level. Constructing test items based on the TOS
ensures alignment of learning outcomes and assessment tasks.

Constructing the test items. The actual construction of the test items
follows the TOS. As a general rule, it is advised that the actual number of
items to be constructed in the draft should be double the desired number of
items. For instance, if there are five (5) recall level items to be included in
the final test form, then at least ten (10) recall level items should be included
in the draft. The subsequent test try-out and item analysis will most likely
eliminate many of the constructed items in the draft, either they are too
difficult, too easy or non-discriminatory, hence it will be necessary to
construct more items than will actually be included in the final test form.
Most often, however, the try-out is not done due to lack of time.

Item analysis and try-out. The test draft is tried out to a group of learners.
The purpose of this try-out is to determine the: (a) item characteristics
through item analysis, and (b) characteristics of the test itself - validity,
reliability and practicability

Application

Construct a Table of Specifications for the 1st Quarter Examination (50 items)
following the TOS Prototype given. You may choose Grades 4 to 6 subjects:
English, Science, Math, Filipino and Araling Panlipunan.

Curriculum Guide of each subject will be sent in the GC for reference

purposes.
Reference

Navarro, Rosita L. et al., (2019), Assessment in Learning 1, LoriMar

Publishing, Quezon City, Philippines

Prepared by:

RAYMUNDO B. SALISI, LPT, MAED

College Instructor