Module 5: Guiding Principles for the Assessment of Student Learning (Part 3)

Time Frame: 1.5 hours

OVERVIEW
The previous module provided you with a deeper understanding of the
principles of validity and reliability. This module (part 3) discusses other principles of
assessment namely: principles of fairness, practicality and efficiency, continuity,
authenticity, communication, positive consequences and ethics.
Learning Outcome/s
At the end of this module, you are expected to:
1. describe how testing can be made more practical and efficient; and
2. identify ethical standards to be observed in testing.

INITIAL ACTIVITY

According to Russell and Airasian (2012), assessment is more than just a technical
activity, it is a human activity. Teacher’s assessment have important long-term and
short-term consequences for students. Thus, teachers have an ethical responsibility
to make decisions using the most valid and reliable information possible. Do you
have experiences in your studies where your teachers deemed unethical in giving
assessment? Share your experience in 150 words.

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CONTENT FOCUS
Principle 6: FAIRNESS
Their assessment provides all students with an equal opportunity to demonstrate
achievement. The key to fairness are as follows:
 Students have knowledge of learning targets and assessment.
 Students are given equal opportunity to learn.
 Students possess the pre-requisite knowledge and skills.

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  Students are free from teacher stereotypes.
 Students are free from biased assessment tasks and procedures.
Principle 7: PRACTICALITY AND EFFICIENCY
When assessing learning, the information obtained should be worth the resources
and time required to obtained it. The factors to consider are as follows:
 Teacher familiarity with the method. The teacher should know the strength
and weaknesses of the method and how to use it.
 Time required. Time includes construction and use of the instrument and the
interpretation of results. Other things being equal, it is desirable to use the
shortest assessment time possible that provides valid and reliable results.
 Complexity of administration. Directions and procedures for administrations
are clear and that little time and effort is needed.
 Ease of scoring. Use scoring procedures appropriate to a method and
purpose. The easier the procedure, the more reliable the assessment is.
 Ease of interpretation. Interpretation is easier if there is a plan on how to
use the results prior to assessment.
 Cost. Other things being equal, the less expense used to gather information,
the better.
Principle 8: CONTINUITY
 Assessment takes place in all phases of instruction. It could be done before, during
and after instruction.
Activities occurring Prior to instruction
 Understanding students’ cultural backgrounds, interests, skills and
abilities as they apply across a range of learning domain and/ or
subject areas.
 Understanding students’ motivations and their interests in specific
class content.
 Clarifying and articulating the performance outcomes expected of
pupils.
 Planning instruction for individual groups of students.
Activities occurring During instruction
 Monitoring pupils progress toward instructional goals.
 Identifying gains and difficulties pupils are experiencing in learning
and performing.
 Adjusting instruction.
 Giving contingent, specific, and credible praise and feedback.
 Motivating students to learn.
 Judging the extent of pupil attainment of instructional outcomes.
Activities occurring After the appropriate instructional segment (e.g. lessons, class,
semester, grade).
 Describing the extent to which each student has attained both short-
and long-term instructional goals.
 Communicating strengths and weakness based on assessment
results to students, and parents or guardians.

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  Recording and reporting assessment results for school-level analysis,
evaluation, and decision making.
 Analyzing assessment information gathered before and during
instruction to understand each students’ progress to date and to
inform future instructional planning.
 Evaluating the effectiveness of instruction.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and materials in use
Principle 9: AUTHENTICITY
Features of Authentic Assessment (Burke, 1999)
 Meaningful performance task.
 Clear standards and public criteria.
 Quality products and performance.
 Positive interaction between the assessee and assessor.
 Emphasis on meta-cognition and self-evaluation.
 Learning that transfers.
Criteria of Authentic Achievement (Burke, 1999)
1. Disciplined inquiry – requires in-depth understanding of the problem and a more
beyond knowledge produced by others to a formulation of new ideas.
2. Integration of knowledge – considers things as a whole rather than fragments of
knowledge.
3. Value beyond evaluation – what students do have some value beyond the
classroom.
Principle 10: COMMUNICATION
 Assessment targets and standards should be communicated.
 Assessment results should be communicated to important users.
 Assessment results should be communicated to students through
direct interaction or regular ongoing feedback on their progress.
Principle 11: POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
 Assessment should have a positive consequence to students, that is,
it should motivate them to learn.
 Assessment should have a positive consequence to teachers, that is,
it should help them improve effectiveness of their instruction.
Positive consequences were explained by McMillan (2007). It pertains to how
assessment directly impact students and teachers. Positive consequences on students
include effects of assessment on how they study, how they are motivated, and how they
relate to their teachers. Teachers who often give tests in identification, and enumeration
encourage memorization while teachers who provide problem solving activities and
performance assessments compel students to hone their skills. when students are informed
of the standards and how they are to be assessed and graded, they assume a shared
responsibility for their learning. When assessment is authentic and done with fairness, it can
positively impact their motivation. Teacher-student relationship is also strengthened when
teachers provide feedback to students concerning their performance.
Teachers are likewise affected by the nature of the assessment they give. If
assessment calls for recall of facts, teachers tend to resort to lecture method. However, if

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reasoning and skills are to be assessed, then teachers devise plenty of classroom learning
experiences and situations that would call for knowledge applications and higher order
thinking. Oral questioning and performance tasks become typical methods of acquiring
evidences of student learning. The methods of assessment used by teachers mirror the
kind of educator they are. Traditional teachers lecture all day and teach to the test.
(traditional teacher’s purpose of assessment is to report grades) However, twenty-first
century teachers design alternative assessments that target multiple intelligences by
utilizing authentic assessment tools such as portfolios, projects, journals, among
others. (21st century teacher’s purpose of assessment is to reinforce learning and measure
success).
Principle 12: ETHICS
 Teachers should free the students from harmful consequences of
misuse or overuse of various assessment procedures such as
embarrassing students and violating students’ right to confidentiality.
 Teachers should be guided by laws and policies that affect their
classroom assessment.
 Administrators and teachers should understand that it is inappropriate
to use standardized student achievement to measure teaching
effectiveness.
There are times when assessment is not called for. Asking pupils to answer sensitive
questions like their sexuality or problems in the family are unwarranted especially without the
consent of the parents. Grades and reports of teachers generated from using invalid and
unreliable test instruments are unjust. Resulting interpretations are inaccurate and
misleading.
Other ethical issues in testing (and research) that may arise include possible harm to the
participants, confidentiality of results, deception in regard to the purpose and use of the
assessment; and temptation to assist students in answering tests or responding to surveys.

ANALYSIS
Directions: Read the following assessment scenarios and provide your
recommendations.
1. Ms. Loreto handles six grade 5 classes in English. She would like to test their
skills in spelling. She has two options:
a. Oral spelling test – the teacher pronounces each word out loud and the
students write down each word.
b. Spelling bee-type test – Each student is asked individually one-at-a-time to
spell specific words out loud.
In terms of practicality and efficiency, which would you suggest? Why?
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ABSTRACTION
To test your understanding, discuss how teacher’s application of the principles of
assessment discuss in this module would contribute to high quality assessment.
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How can you make assessment more practical and efficient?
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APPLICATION
Get a copy of Article VIII, Code of Ethics for Teachers (Resolution No. 435, series
1997) contain ethical standards in relation with students. These standards are
benchmarks to ensure that teachers observe fairness, justice and equity in all
phases of the teaching-learning cycle.
Directions: For each of the following explain why teacher’s action is deemed
unethical. Cite a section of the Code of Ethics that was violated to support your
answer.
1. A student approached the teacher during the summative test in mathematics
to ask about a test item. The teacher reworded the test item and clarified the
test question.
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2. Some students received an “incomplete” in the performance task due to
absences or other reasons. The teacher told them to acquire books in lieu of
the performance assessment.
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3. A grade school teacher deducted five points from a student’s test score for his
misdemeanor in class.
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ASSESSMENT

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Directions: Identify the principles of assessment referred in the following statements.
_______________ 1. The result of assessment encourage students to study hard.
_______________ 2. Teachers keep the results of tests confidential.
_______________ 3. Students have the right to have access to the results of their
tests.
_______________ 4. Assessment must be done in all phases of instruction.
_______________ 5. Teachers inform all students of the coverage of the test.

REFERENCES
De Guzman and Adamos (2015) Assessment of Learning 1. Adriana Publishing
Company, Inc. Philippines.

Kubiszyn and Borich (2003) Educational Testing and Measurement Classroom

Application and Practice. 7th Edition. John Wiley and Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd.

Rico (2011) Assessment of Student Learning A Practical Approach. Assessment of

Students’ Learning A Practical Approach. Anvil Publishing, Inc. Philippines.

Prepared by:

Dr. SHIRLEY D. DANGAN

Associate Professor V

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