SOUTHERN LEYTE STATE UNIVERSITY – TOMAS OPPUS

San Isidro, Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte

Self-Paced Learning Plan

Course : Teaching Science in the Elementary Grades (Physics, Earth and

Space Science)
Title of the Topic : Lesson 1: Traditional Assessment in Science
Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students are expected to:

1. Characterize traditional assessment strategies in science;

2. Examine advantages and disadvantages of traditional forms of assessment in science;
and
3. Provide alternative forms of assessment for given competencies and traditional
assessment.

Content of the Lesson:

Introduction

Traditional assessment is the classic way of testing and evaluating the students’ learning
with the use of standardized pen and paper. It makes use of multiple-choice, true or false, or
matching type test items.
Assessment is often separate from the instruction, and the curriculum drives the
traditional assessment (Abdao, 2015). The main purpose of traditional assessment is to evaluate
if the students have truly learned the content or to determine if the students are successful in
acquiring the necessary knowledge from the class lecture/discussions or activities. The students
are ranked or given grade according to standards or other learners.
This form of assessment gives the teacher a snapshot of the students’ knowledge of the
content as the students demonstrate what they know through paper-and-pen tests. The
students often display lower level of thinking skills because they are asked to recall and
comprehend body knowledge that has been taught to them. It is easy to prepare, administer, and
score. It is practical, product-oriented, reliable, valid and summative (Abdao, 2015). The
students are evaluated easily and quickly. Other example of this method of assessment are
standardized test, aptitude tests, intelligence test and achievement test.
With this method of assessment, the students are not evaluated as to what they can do
with the knowledge that they have acquired. It is rigid and fixed because it provides limited
ways of assessing the students’ knowledge and comprehension. The students are asked to
memorize and recall information. They do not necessarily practice their higher-order thinking
skills. It may also stimulate feelings of anxiety that are not helpful for the students. Most of the
time, the students work alone during activities, thereby promoting competitiveness. They are
pressured to finish the exam/test in a fixed time.
Below are alternative forms of assessment that you can use in the classroom. You just
need to make sure it is aligned with the target competencies, developmentally appropriate, and
feasible.
 Game playing – games are challenging and more engaging than formal tests. Skills and
knowledge are concretely revealed when the students engage in meaningful games.
Online platforms and applications can be used in designing games.
 Story writing – reading or writing stories is an engaging wy to present information and
to assess the students’ knowledge.
  Letter writing – this provides opportunity for the students to demonstrate their ability to
communicate science ideas and advance their advocacies. Persuasive writing is central
to the relationship between science, mathematics, and science and technology
 Advertisements – statistics and experiment results are used in advertisements and
campaigns. Since the students are immersed nowadays in the digital world, they will
find this activity interesting and relevant as they can practice their computer and data
literacies.
 Reflections – when the students reflect in an open-ended way about what they know,
their perspective is broadened. Written reflections can be recorded as journal entries
and persuasive writing and may be published in school publication.
 Model making – models are simplified representations of the world that enable the
students to imagine about it in new ways, make predictions, and test ideas.
 Experiments – conducting experiments allow the students to demonstrate their
understanding of concepts and their ability performing science process skills, values,
and attitudes.
 Investigations – scientific investigations provide the students the opportunity to pose
and answer questions and utilize a variety of tools and strategies to come to the best
possible answer. These pieces of output encompass the entire scientific method.
 Conventions, Conferences, and Debates – at scientific conventions, the students share
ideas and research outputs with the larger community. They learn about each other’s
work, evaluate, and debate.

Self-Learning Activities:

Activity 1
Traditional forms of assessment in science include multiple choice, matching type, gap-
filling, and true-false tests. Discuss with a partner the advantages of each type of test. Complete
the table below with your answers.

Type of Assessment Advantages Disadvantages

Multiple Choice
Gap Filling
True-False
Matching Type

Activity 2
Answer the following questions:

1. How can teachers strike a balance in the use of traditional and alternative forms of
assessment?
 Answer Sheet

Name: ________________________________________ Course Year/Level:_______________ Date: _______________

Self-Learning Activities:
Activity 1

Traditional forms of assessment in science include multiple choice, matching type, gap-
filling, and true-false tests. Discuss with a partner the advantages of each type of test. Complete
the table below with your answers.

Type of Assessment Advantages Disadvantages

Multiple Choice
Gap Filling
True-False
Matching Type

Good luck and God Bless!

(Note: All answers must be on this answer sheet. Any additional sheet will be attach together with
this answer sheet. Thank you!)