Module 4.

21st Century Assessment 43

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 44

In the previous module, we had studied Item Analysis and Validation. We

found out that a test to be administered must be analysed and validated. This

test would be necessary to assess the acquisition of essential skills. In this

constantly changing and extremely challenging period, the acquisition of 21 st

century skills is important. In this module we will try to study 21 st century

assessment.

SELF-CHECK!!!

After finishing this module, you are expected to achieve the following
intended learning outcomes
1. Use appropriate assessment tools and techniques as applied in
instructional decision.
2. Relate learning outcomes and assessment.

LEARNING RESOURCES
For further readings, you may refer to the following books;

Student Workbook and Portfolio in Assessment of Student Learning 1 by;

Stimson T. Camano
Assessment of Learning 2 by: Cajigal R. M., et.al

Or you may visit.

https://www.slideshare.net/staidjasper/item-analysis-and-validation-30180455?qid=79223d39-193d-

432d-a598-16471733fd87&v=&b=&from_search=2
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 45

EXPLORE!!!!
We will now continue on studying assessment in student’s

learning. In this section, we will study 21st Century Assessment.

The present landscape in teaching demands comprehensive assessment

methods.

ASSESSMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY

Unsurprisingly the 21st century is here, requiring a lot of modifications,

improvement and re-engineering of systems in different fields for this generation

to survive. In the field of education most of the changes have focused on

teaching and learning. Concocting and furnishing the teachers to tailor to the

needs of the 21st century learners are part of the modifications being done in the

systems of education. Curricula are updated to address the needs of the

community in relation to the demands of the 21st century. This facet of teaching

and learning has been given its share of focus, the various components or

factors scrutinized and modernized to ensure that student’s learning will be at par

with the demands of the 21st century. Although a lot of changes has been made

on the different aspects of education there are some members of the educational

community calling for a corresponding development or change in educational

assessment. Viewing educational assessment as agent of educational change is

of great importance. This belief, coupled with the traditional focus on teaching

and learning will produce a strong and emerging imperative to alter our long-held

conceptions of these three parts: teaching, learning and assessment.

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 46

Twenty-first century skills must build on the core literacy and numeracy

that all students must master. Students need to think critically and creatively,

communicate and collaborate effectively, and work globally to be productive,

accountable citizens and leaders. These skills to be honed must be assessed,

not just simply to get numerical results but more so, to take the results of

assessment as guide to take further actions.

Educators need to focus on: what to teach; how to teach it; and how to

assess. The assessment and teaching of 21 st century skills project has a core

belief that alignment of goals with learning and assessment is essential to policy

and practice. They emphasized the importance of balanced assessment systems

that incorporate the 21st century goals.

In this section, we will include the Characteristics of the 21 st Century

Assessment discussed by Cajigal, R.M. et. al (2014) on their book Assessment

of Learning 2.

Characteristics of the 21st Century Assessment

There are eight (8) characteristics of 21st century assessment as

discussed by Cajigal, R.M. et. al (2014). It includes responsive, flexible,

integrated, informative, multiple methods, communicated, technically sound and

systematic.

1. Responsive

Visible performance-based work generates data that inform curriculum

and instruction. Teachers can adjust instructions, school leaders can consider

additional educational opportunities for students and policy makers can modify
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 47

programs and resources to cater to the present needs of the school community.

Processes for responding to assessments are thoughtfully developed,

incorporating best practices in feedback and formative assessment. Feedback is

to be targeted to the goal and outcome. Rather than just a single test grade,

students are informed of progress toward the attainment of goal. Self-reflection,

peer feedback, and opportunities for revision will be a natural outcome. (Cajigal,

R.M. et. al (2014))

2. Flexible

As described by Cajigal, R.M. et. al (2014), lesson design, curriculum and

assessment require flexibility, suppleness, and adaptability. Assessments and

responses may not be fitted to expected answers. Assessment need to be

adaptable to student’s settings. Rather than the identical approach that works in

traditional assessment, 21st century approaches are more versatile. These

approaches best fit for the demands of the learning environment at present since

as student’s decisions, actions and applications vary, the assessments and the

system need to be flexible too.

3. Integrated

Assessments are to be incorporated into day-to-day practice rather than

as add-ons at the end of instructions or during a single specified week of the

school calendar. Assessments are enriched by metacognition. Assessment is

about stimulating thinking, building on prior learning, constructing meaning, and

thinking about one’s thinking. It offers opportunities for students to consider their
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 48

choices, identify alternative strategies, transfer earlier learning, and represent

knowledge through different means.

4. Informative

The desired 21st century goals and objectives are clearly stated and

explicitly taught. Students display their range of emerging knowledge and skills.

Exemplars routinely guide students toward achievement of targets. Learning

objectives, instructional strategies, assessment methods and reporting process

are clearly aligned. Complex learning takes time. Students have opportunities to

build on prior learning in logical sequence. As students develop and build skills,

the work progressively gets rigorous.

Demonstration of 21st century skills is evident and support learning.

Students show the steps they go through and display their thought processes for

peer and teacher review.

5. Multiple Methods

An assessment continuum that includes a spectrum of strategies is the

norm. Students demonstrate knowledge and skills through relevant tasks,

projects and performances. Authentic and performance-based assessment is

emphasized. There is recognition of and appreciation for the processes and

products of learning.

6. Communicated

Communication of assessment data is clear and transparent for all

stakeholders. Results are routinely posted to a data based along with standards-

based commentary, both of which must be available and comprehensible at all

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 49

levels. Students received routine feedback on their progress, and parents are

kept informed through access to visible progress reports and assessment data.

The educational community recognizes achievement of students beyond the

standardized test scores. Large-scale measures, including all the results of

traditional and authentic assessments, include and report on 21 st century skills.

7. Technically Sound

Adjustments and accommodations are made in the assessment process

to meet the student needs and fairness. Students demonstrate what they know

and how they can apply that knowledge in ways that are relevant and appropriate

for them. To be valid, the assessment must be precise and technically sound so

that users are consistent in their administration and interpretation of data. They

produce accurate information for decision-making in all relevant circumstances.

8. Systematic

Twenty-first century assessment is part of a comprehensive and well

aligned assessment system that is balanced and inclusive of all students,

constituents, and stakeholders and designed to support improvement at all

levels.

These eight characteristics of 21 st century assessment are essential guide for the

preparation of assessment activities by educators. It is necessary to refer to

these characteristics to ensure that the learners are being assessed towards the

skills and demands of the 21st century.

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 50

Instructional Decision in Assessment

The major objective of educational assessment is to have a holistic

appraisal of a learner, his/her environment and accomplishments. It is clear that

educational assessment encompasses the total educational setting and not

limited to the teacher-student engagement. It is not merely based on single

aspect such as taking a test, and checking it. In totality, the processes of

measurement and evaluation are subsumed in the educational assessment

process.

Decision-making at Different Phases of Teaching-Learning Process

Assessment is constantly taking place in educational settings. Decisions

are made about content/subject matter and specific targets, nature of students

and faculty, morale and satisfaction of both the teachers and the students, as

well as the extent of which student performances meet the standard and/or

deliver the outcomes expected from them by the teacher.

Assessments can be used as basis for decision-making at different

phases of the teaching-learning process. The table below shows the different

phases of the teaching-learning process, how and what decisions are made by

teachers.

Phase Decision(s) to be made Source(s) of

information

Before starting  Content to cover during  Informal

teaching following day, week, observation of

month, grading period, students during

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 51

and so on. the class.

 Abilities of students  Conversation with

considering the cultural student’s previous

background, interests teachers.

and skills of students in  Scholastic aptitude

planning the teaching test.

activities.  Student’s past

 Materials appropriate to grades and

use with the students. standardized test

 Learning activities that results.

will engage both the  Knowledge of

teacher and students as student’s personal

the lesson is being family

taught. circumstances.

 Learning targets that the

teacher wants to achieve

as a result of teaching.

 Organization and

arrangement of students

in class in consideration

of the lessons and

activities.

During teaching  Students learning on  Observation of

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 52

what and how the lesson students during

is presented. learning activities.

 Improvement needed to  Student’s

make the lesson work response to

better. questions the

 What feedback to give teacher asked

each student about how them.

well the student is  Observation of

learning. student’s

 Readiness of the interaction.

students to move to the  Diagnosis of types

next activity as planned of errors the

in the learning sequence. students made or

erroneous thinking

the students are

using.

 Look for

alternative ways to

teach the

materials.

 Identify if there are

students who are

not participating
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 53

and acting

appropriately.

After a teaching  How well students  Classroom tests,

segment achieve the short and projects,

long term instructional observations.

targets.  Interviews with

 Strengths and students.

weaknesses to be given  Standardized test

as feedback to parents or results.

guardians of students.  Observations of

 Grade to be given to each student’s

each student for the classroom

lesson or unit, grading participation.

period or end of the  Review each

course. student’s

 Effectiveness of teaching standardized

the lesson to the achievement and

students. scholastic aptitude

 Effectiveness of the test results.

curriculum and materials  Review

used for the lesson. information about

a student’s

personal family
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 54

circumstances.

 Informal

observation of how

well the student

has attained has

attained the

intended learning

targets.

 Summaries of the

class’ performance

on the important

instructional

targets.

 Summaries of the

class performance

on selected

questions on

standardized tests.

 Summaries of how

well the students

liked the activities

and lesson

materials.
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 55

 Summaries of the

class achievement

on classroom tests

that matched the

curriculum.

The list of decisions and possible sources of information that could be used as

input in decision making is not exhaustive. More can be included, based on

teaching-learning observations and experiences during Field Study and

Observation courses.

Assessment in Classroom Instruction

As described by Cajigal, R.M. et. al (2014), the relevance of assessment

in instructional decision could be summarized according to category and

purpose, as presented below.

Category Purpose

1. Placement Assessment Measures entry behavior

2. Formative Assessment Monitors learning progress

3. Diagnostic Assessment Identifies causes of learning problems

4. Summative Assessment Measures end-of-course achievement

Informed decision-making in education is very important because of the benefits

it can bring about. Topmost of these benefits is the enhancement of students

learning and development. In addition, there is the boost of morale and feeling of
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 56

greatness in knowing one’s competence in the area of academic skill and self-

worth in knowing ones’ capability to function effectively in society. Lastly, the

affective side of development is equally important, such as personal dimensions,

including being able to adjust to people and coping with various situations that

will lead to a better life adjustment.

Types of Educational Decision

On a greater scale, the use of assessment in decision-making is not just within

the bounds of the classroom. It extends to the whole education community.

Results of assessment may trigger updates in the existing curriculum and other

policies governing the school system. Or it may be the other way around, so as

to plan for changes or development in school assessments and in what particular

aspect of the school system these changes are necessary. Cajigal, R.M. et. al

(2014), classified the different educational decisions into eight categories.

Decision Description Example

Instructional This decision is normally After a test was given by

made by individual the teacher, the result is

classroom teacher, as not so satisfactory thus

necessary to meet the the teacher may decide

targets or objectives set to re-teach the lesson

during classroom using a different strategy

engagement. Decisions so as to improve the

are reached according to learning and meet the

the results of tests objective/target set for

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 57

administered to the class. that particular session.

Grading It is usually based on A quarterly grade is

teacher-made tests. based on the following:

Grades are assigned to result of the teacher-

the students using made tests, class

assessment as one of the participation, projects and

factors. attendance.

Diagnostic It is made to determine a A teacher gave an essay

student’s strengths and test. The teacher notice

weaknesses and the that the students were

reason or reasons. able to write more than

five grammatically correct

sentences but the

coherence of ideas

contained in the

paragraph is poor. So the

result shows that the

students still need more

help in understanding the

principles of writing a

good paragraph.

Selection It involves accepting or College or University

rejecting the examinee Examination, Choosing

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 58

based on the results of School Representative

assessments, for for a National Quiz Bee.

admission or qualification

to a program or school

activity. The decisions

are not made by

classroom teachers but

by specialists such as

guidance counsellors,

administrators or the

selection committee.

Placement It is made after a student A diagnostic test in

has been admitted to English and in Math was

school. It involves the given to freshmen to

process of identifying determine who among

students who needs them may encounter

remediation or may be difficulty in these areas.

recommended for Those who will get a

enrichment program of below-average scores

the school. will be included in the

remediation program to

help the students cope

with the lessons in

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 59

English and Math.

Guidance and It utilizes tests data to The NCAE helps to

Counselling assists students in identify which career path

making their personal the student may pursue

choices for future career that matches his/her

and helps them know interests and skills,

their strengths and whether academic,

weaknesses by means of vocational or technical

standardized tests. programs.

On the other hand,

teachers may use the

results of socio-metric

tests to identify who

among the students are

popular or unpopular.

Those who are unpopular

may be given help for

them to gain friends and

become more sociable.

Program or Curriculum It is made not on the level The decision to

of the teachers but on implement the K to 12

higher level such as Curriculum in order to

division, regional or avoid mismatch among

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 60

national level. Based on graduates and the

the result of assessment industry and to be at par

and evaluation, with the Curriculum

educational decision may implemented in the

be reached: to continue, Philippines’ neighbouring

discontinue, revise or countries.

replace a curriculum or

program being

implemented.

Administrative Policy It involves determining To conduct a remediation

the implications to class, additional budget

resources including is necessary for the

financial consideration in logistics (classroom,

order to improve the instructional materials,

student learning as a etc.) and also the

result of an assessment. additional pay for the

It may entail acquisition teachers that will handle

of instructional materials, the remedial classes.

books, etc. to raise the

level of students’

performance in

academic, or non-

academic or both.
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 61

These abovementioned decisions are the primary reasons why

assessment in the educational setting is implemented continuously. Prior to

implementing the assessment, its objective and target must be clearly defined so

as not to cause wastage in terms of resources and ensures that the results will

be utilized and evaluated that will consequently yield to recommendations that

are beneficial to the school community in general.

Outcomes-Based Assessment

Knowing what is expected from the learners by their teachers at the end of

a particular lesson helps them to meet the target successfully. In relation to this,

teachers who have set the clear targets for their lessons, will be guided

accordingly as they deliver their lesson through instructional learning activities to

meet the desired outcomes. Thus, all assessment and evaluation activities must

be founded on the identified student learning outcomes (ILO). These ILO’s

should be identified and clarified with students so that it will be an effective

teaching-learning process as the teachers to commence the learning activities

through delivery of the lessons.

 Student Learning Outcomes

Student learning outcome is the totality of accumulated knowledge, skills,

and attitudes that students develop during a course of study. And this serves as

the basis for assessing the extent of learning in an Outcome-Based Education

(OBE). Outcome-Based Assessment must be continuously done during the entire

teaching learning both by the teachers and students to ensure that the activities

are aligned with the expected outcomes set for the students by the teacher.
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 62

Providing feedback including the results of assessment is important to identify

the next steps (to be done by the teacher and the student) toward the realization

of the intended learning outcome.

 Sources of Student Expected Learning Outcome

Outcomes or targets for every lesson are expected to be defined and

clarified by the teacher at the start of the course/learning activities. This is

necessary so as to both the students and teacher will be guided as to what steps

should be taken during the course of the teaching-learning activities. There are

several factors that need to be considered in defining the outcomes, to ensure

that these are aligned with the set directions of the program and evaluation

setting in general. Following are the factors that need to be considered in crafting

the student expected learning outcomes:

1. Mission of the school.

2. Mandated policies on competencies and standards issued by government

education agencies.

3. Competencies expected by different professions, business and industry.

4. Development plan and goals as well as the current thrusts of both the

national and local governments.

5. Current global trends and developments so that graduates can compete

globally.

6. General 21st century skills focusing on the following:

 Oral and Written Communication

 Quantitative reasoning ability together with scientific methodology

Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 63

 Analysing, synthesizing and developing creative solutions

 Use of technology

 Information literacy

 Characteristics of Good Learning Outcome

Good learning outcomes give emphasis to the application and integration

of the knowledge and skills acquired in a particular unit of instruction (e.g.

activity, course program, etc), and emerge from a process of reflection on the

essential contents of the activity, course, program, etc.

1. Very specific, and use of verbs (that makes expectation clear). By being

very specific, it informs the students of the standards by which they will be

assessed, and ensures that students and instructor goals in the course

are aligned.

2. Focused on the learner: rather than explaining what the instructor will do

in the course, good learning outcomes describe knowledge or skills that

the student will employ, and help the learner understand why that

knowledge and those skills are useful and valuable to their personal,

professional, and academic future.

3. Are realistic: all passing students should be able to demonstrate the

knowledge or skills described by the learning outcome at the conclusion of

the course. In this way, learning outcomes established standards for the

course.

4. Focus on the application and integration of acquired knowledge and skills:

good learning outcomes reflect and indicate the ways in which the
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 64

described knowledge and skills may be used by the learner now and in the

future.

5. Good learning outcomes prepare students for assessment and help them

feel engaged in and empowered by the assessment and evaluation

process.

6. Offer a timeline for completion of the desired learning

DISCUSSION BOARD
We will now try to interact with each other in a two way

process at a least possible way! I will post a question/s and try to answer it on

your own.

1. How do we describe 21st century assessment?

2. How do we implement instructional decision in assessment?

3. How can we describe Outcomes-Based Assessment?

POST COMPETENCY CHECKLISTS

Let us try to determine if you learned something from our topic. Answer the
following Self-Assessment Question.

SELF – ASSESSMENT QUESTION 4

1. Create a concept map showing 21st Century Assessment and all related
concepts.
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 65

2. Do a research in order to help and guide you in doing this activity, most
especially in the cases indicated in the template.

Case Assessment activities to be

done/action and/or decision

Implementation of Education For Assessment Activities:

All (in the Philippines)

Action/Decision:

Readiness of Students for the Assessment Activities:

National Achievement Test

Action/Decision:

Implementation of K to 12 Assessment Activities:

Curriculum

Action/Decision:
Module 4. 21st Century Assessment 66