Module 1: Testing, Assessment and Educational Decisions

Topic Introduction:

Assessment is an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the

goals of education are being met. Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement,
advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in some cases, funding. Assessment inspires
us to ask these hard questions: "Are we teaching what we think we are teaching?" "Are students
learning what they are supposed to be learning?" "Is there a way to teach the subject better,
thereby promoting better learning?"

Today's students need to know not only the basic reading and arithmetic skills, but also
skills that will allow them to face a world that is continually changing. They must be able to think
critically, to analyze, and to make inferences. Changes in the skills and knowledge our students
need require new learning goals; these new learning goals change the relationship between
assessment and instruction. Teachers need to take an active role in making decisions about the
purpose of assessment and the content that is being assessed.

▪ Learning Outcomes:

1. Review concepts of assessment

2. Differentiate testing from assessment
3. Explain the 8 types of educational decisions
4. Recall about Bloom’s Taxonomy of instructional objectives
5. Differentiate between traditional and authentic assessment
6. Cite examples of formative and summative evaluation

● Lesson Proper

I. Assessment in the context of teaching and learning

A. Types of assessment conducted in the teaching and learning process

1. Diagnostic assessment- conducted before instruction to find out the
learner’s prior knowledge
2. Formative assessment- conducted during and after instruction to assess
learner’s competency in what is taught (also called assessment for
learning)
3. Summative assessment-conducted at the end of a defined instructional
period to assess how much the learner has learned (also called
assessment of learning)
4. Criterion-referenced assessment- compare a learner’s performance
against a criterion of success. For example, a test set at 75% rating as
criterion for passing.
5. Nor-referenced assessment- compares a leaner’s performance with the
performance of other learners
6. Contextualized assessment- – focus on student’s functioning knowledge
and its application; makes use of performance-based tasks
7. Decontextualized assessment – includes written exams suitable for
assessing declarative knowledge. Declarative knowledge refers to the
facts or information stored in the memory that is considered static in
nature

II. Testing and Assessment

 Testing is defined as the administration and use of a test and its results in order to make
educational decisions. (Kubiszyn and Borich, 2000.). These decisions include:

a. Promote or retain student

b. Proceed to the next objective or reteach a lesson
c. Revise or continue an existing curriculum

On the other hand, assessment is the process of gathering, analyzing and interpreting
data (Angelo, 1995). It involves testing and the use of other measurement techniques such as
observations, interviews, portfolios and performance assessments. The data gathered are
evaluated and integrated with relevant background and contextual information Therefore
assessment uses a variety of instruments to collect necessary data to enhance its validity. This
process of checking information is called triangulation.

Testing and assessment are similar because they are used to reach educational
decisions. They are different in the sense that the former utilizes only one kind of test, usually a
paper and pencil test (the ones we studied in Assessment 1), while the latter employs two or
more instruments to describe a student’s performance in the classroom.

III. Developing an Assessment plan

In Working out an assessment of a particular product or process, we have to consider an

assessment plan and an assessment device or instrument.

An assessment plan is a document that outlines the student learning goals to be assessed
during the term, a brief description of the assessment methods including the sources of data
and intervals at which the data will be reviewed.

The assessment instrument or device is the documented activities developed to support

the assessment method and used to collect the evidence of student competence.

An assessment instrument could include:

● oral and written questions

● observation/demonstration checklists

● projects, case studies, scenarios

● recognition or workplace portfolios

● workplace portfolios

An assessment instrument will include:

● the tasks to be administered to the student

● an outline of the evidence to be gathered from the candidate

● the evidence criteria used to judge the quality of performance (i.e. the assessment
decision-making rules).

A. Criteria for Developing Assessment plan

● Are the important learning outcomes assessed?

● Are the assessment procedures appropriate and congruent with the nature of the
learning outcomes?

● Are there enough samples of behavior to allow fair and judicious judgment?
 ● Do assessment tools satisfy adequate technical standards of validity, reliability and
accuracy?

● Is the assessment plan appropriate for the earner’s developmental level?

● Are the assessment procedures objective and free from bias?

● How are the results of assessment interpreted and utilized?

B. Planning an assessment device or instrument

In planning an assessment device (paper-pencil test, observation guide, checklist or scoring

rubrics) the following factors should be considered:

1. Type of measuring procedure to use

Examples:

If you:
a. will use systematic observation – can use observation guide, checklist,
scoring rubrics or rating scale
b. will employ paper-pencil test – may use multiple choice, and other forms
of paper –pencil tests.

2. Range of difficulty of items

In paper and pencil tests the range of difficulty should be from .40 to .60
(moderately difficult items as they can discriminate good performers from
poor performers better than very easy or very difficult items.

3. Objectives to be sampled
The instructional objectives must be spelled out clearly in a table of
specifications and must contain cognitive, affective and psychomotor
objectives

4. Scoring procedures
The scoring procedures must be clear to both teacher and students, must be
objective, fair and free from bias and scores must be expressed
quantitatively.

5. Length of instrument
The measuring instrument must contain sufficient number of items to
adequately assess the behavior being considered.

6. Time limits

Generally, it is allowed for students to answer one item for one minute so if there
are 30 items they should finish the test in 30 minutes.

7. Arrangement of items

Begin the test with easy items and end it with difficult ones. This gives an
impression to students that they could succeed.

8. Method of recording and reporting results.

 Results should be reported to students and parents and other stakeholders if
needed. This may be done orally or in writing.

C. Measurement competencies required of teachers

Good teachers should be able to do the following:

1. Select appropriate methods

2. Develop appropriate assessment tools
3. Administer, score and interpret assessment
4. Apply assessment data in instruction
5. Establish student grading procedures
6. Communicate assessment results
7. Employ assessment results in legal and ethical manner

D. Kinds of Educational decisions

a. Instructional – made by classroom teachers and are reached depending on the results of
tests administered to a class which are called formative tests. These are usually ten-item tests
administered at the end of the class after which the teacher will make decisions like: remediate,
enrich, reteach or proceed to the next objective

b. Grading - usually based on teacher-made tests and are made usually quarterly (summative
tests like periodical tests); may also be based on other factors such as attendance, projects and
recitation.

c. Diagnostic – made to determine a student’s strengths and weaknesses

d. Placement decisions – involve identifying students who will undergo a particular remedial or
enrichment program

e. Guidance and counseling – involve a test data to guide students which career path to pursue
whether academic, vocational or technical. The NCAE is an example.

f. Program or curriculum - made at the division, regional or national level which may make
decisions like: continue, discontinue, revise or replace a curriculum

g. Administrative policy decisions – involve determining the amount of money to be allocated

for the purchase of educational equipment and materials, identifying intervention measures to
improve student performance level and other decisions which only the administration can
decide on.

These are the reasons why we need to test or assess our students. Before any test is given
its purpose should be determined first.
IV. Review of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Instructional Objectives

An educational or learning objective consists of behavior that specifies a learning

outcome. A learning outcome is a clear statement of what a learner is expected to be able to
do, know about and/or value at the completion of a unit of study, and how well they should be
expected to achieve those outcomes. It states both the substance of learning and how its
attainment is to be demonstrated.

Bloom's taxonomy is a set of three hierarchical models used to classify educational

learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity. The three lists cover the learning
objectives in cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains. The cognitive domain list has
been the primary focus of most traditional education and is frequently used to structure
curriculum learning objectives, assessments and activities.

The models were named after Benjamin Bloom, who chaired the committee of educators
that devised the taxonomy. He also edited the first volume of the standard text, Taxonomy of
Educational Objectives: The Classification of Educational Goals.

These three learning domains are classified into levels from the simplest to the highest
level of achievement. In planning our instruction, and our assessment for that matter, we should
include teaching and assessing knowledge, emotions and skills from the lowest to the highest
levels of each domain. For instance, in the cognitive domain, we do not just teach the child on
the lower levels which are remembering and understanding but we should also aim to raise
their cognitive levels to the higher levels of evaluating and Creating.

In Assessment of Learning 1, we focused mainly on the Cognitive Domain and

assessment instruments used to measure the cognitive domain. In Assessment 2 we will deal
with the affective and psychomotor domains.

V. Traditional versus authentic assessment

Traditional assessments refer to conventional methods of testing, usually standardized

and use pen and paper with multiple-choice, true or false or matching type test items.
 Authentic assessments refer to assessments wherein students are asked to perform real-
world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of what they have learned.

Traditional Assessment Authentic Assessment

● Purpose: to measure students’

● Purpose: to evaluate if the students proficiency by asking them to

perform real life-tasks; to provide
have learned the content; to determine
students many avenues to learn
whether or not the students are
and demonstrate best what they
successful in acquiring knowledge; to
have learned; to guide instruction;
ascribe a grade for them; to rank and
to provide feedback and help
compare them against standards or
students manage their own
other learners
learning; to also evaluate students’
competency

● Provides teachers a more

● Provides teachers a snapshot of what complete picture of what the
the students know students know and what they can
do with what they know

● Measures students’ ability to apply

● Measures students’ knowledge of the knowledge of the content in real

life situations; ability to use/apply
content
what they have learned in
meaningful ways

● Requires students to demonstrate

knowledge by selecting a
response/giving correct answers; usually
tests students’ proficiency through ● Requires students to demonstrate
paper and pencil tests proficiency by performing relevant
tasks showing application of what
● Students are asked to choose an has been learned
answer from a set of questions (True or
False; multiple choice) to test
knowledge of what has been taught.

● Provides direct evidence of

● Provides indirect evidence of learning learning/competency; direct

demonstration of knowledge and
skills by performing relevant tasks

● Requires students to practice cognitive ● Provides opportunities for students

ability to recall/recognize/reconstruct to construct meaning/new
body of knowledge that has been knowledge out of what has been
taught taught

● Tests and strengthens the students’ ● Tests and strengthens the students’
ability to recall/recognize and ability to reason and analyze,
comprehend content, but does not synthesize, and apply knowledge
reveal the students’ true progress of acquired; Students’ higher level of
what they can do with the knowledge cognitive skills (from knowledge
they acquired. Only the students’ lower and comprehension to analysis,
level of thinking skills, (knowledge and synthesis, application, and
evaluation) are tapped in multiple
 comprehension), are tapped. ways.

● Hides the test ● Teaches the test

● Involves and engages the students

● Teachers serve as evaluators and
in the teaching, learning and
students as the evaluatees: teacher-
assessment process: student
structured
structured

● Assessment is integrated with

● Assessment is separated from teaching instruction. Assessment activities
and learning. Test usually comes after happen all throughout instruction
instruction to evaluate if the students to help students improve their
have successfully learned the content. learning and help teachers
improve their teaching.

● Provides multiple avenues for

● Provides limited ways for students to
students to demonstrate best what
demonstrate what they have learned
they have learned

● Flexible and provides multiple

● Rigid and fixed acceptable ways of constructing

products or performance as
evidence of learning

● Needs well defined criteria/rubrics

● Standardized; valid and reliable and standards to achieve reliability
and validity

● Assessment drives curriculum and

● Curriculum drives assessment.
instruction.

Examples:

● demonstrations
Examples:
● hands-on experiments
● True or False; multiple choice tests ● computer simulations
● standardized tests ● portfolios
● achievement tests ● projects
● intelligence tests ● multi-media presentations
● aptitude tests ● role plays

● recitals

● stage plays

● exhibits

Formal-summative-traditional assessments measure and strengthen the students’

cognitive abilities to recall/memorize, comprehend and reconstruct knowledge, addressing the
lower level cognitive skills (from knowledge to comprehension), while the informal-formative-
alternative assessments measure and strengthen the students’ higher level of cognitive skills,
from knowledge and comprehension to analysis, synthesis, application and evaluation of what
they have learned.
 ‘VI. Establishing High-Quality Assessment

High quality assessment must be

1. in accordance with contemporary view of active learning and motivation

2. Valid- measures what it is supposed to measure
3. Reliable – produces consistent scores
4. Fair – assessed as stated in the learning outcome which is expected to have
been taught;
5. See to it that no negative sub-groups are included (ex. High paying males with
prestigious jobs, low-paying females with less prestigious jobs, requiring students to
work collaboratively and synchronously online which only affluent students can
do)

‘VII. Current trends in assessment

1. Using at least some performance-based assessment

2. Examining higher lever cognitive skills and emphasizing integrated rather than
isolated skills (problem-solving, critical thinking, decision-making
3. Using multiple assessment methods (Multiple choice, essay, interview, project,
portfolio, etc.)
4. Having high performance standards incl. world-class standards for interpreting
assessment results
5. Involving students in all aspects of assessments
6. Making standards and criteria public rather than private and secretive.
7. Using computers as part of assessment. (google drive)

● Summary:

Assessment is a key part of today’s educational system. Assessment serves as an

individual evaluation system, and as a way to compare performance across a spectrum and
across populations. In general, assessments vary considerably in their reliability and level of
detail, and no single assessment can tell educators all they need to know. However, when
educators have multiple sources of valid and reliable student information, then the data they
produce, and the means to utilize the information that the data can provide, enables educators
to make changes to instruction aimed at improving student outcomes.

● References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_taxonomy
https://abdao.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/traditional-vs-authentic-assessment/
https://www.theedadvocate.org/real-purpose-assessments-education/
Name: Date submitted:
Course: Yr. level:

Module 1: Testing, Assessment and Educational Decisions

Activity 1: Classify the following into formative or summative tests by writing each under the proper
Column:

⮚ Ask students to create a visualization or doodle map of what they learnt

⮚ Cumulative work over an extended period such as a final project or creative

portfolio.
⮚ End-of-term or midterm exams.

⮚ End-of-unit or chapter tests.

⮚ Lesson exit tickets to summarize what pupils have learnt

⮚ Silent classroom polls

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

Activity 2: Classify the following into traditional or authentic assessment by writing each
under the proper Column.

● Conducting research and writing a report.

● Drawing and writing about a story or chapter.

● essays

● Experiments - trial and error learning.

● Journal entries (reflective writing)

● multiple-choice tests,

● Peer assessment and evaluation

● Portfolios

● Presentations

● Projects

● short answer tests

● Student debates (individual or group)

● Student self-assessment

● true/false tests,

TRADITIONAL ASSESSMENT AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT

Activity 3: Draw Venn Diagrams to compare/contrast the following terms from one another.
1. Measurement & evaluation
2. Testing & assessment
3. Declarative knowledge & functional knowledge
4. Criterion-referenced assessment & norm-referenced assessment
5. Cognitive, affective & Psycho-motor domains

Prepared by:

GRACE F. FRADEJAS, MAED

Faculty