PASSI CITY COLLEGE

City of Passi, Iloilo

SHOOL OF TEACHER EDUCATION

Assessment of Learning 1
Course Facilitator: Robelyn D. Cantos

Name:

Dear Future Teachers,

This independent workload will comprise Chapter 1 of our course syllabus. A Condensed
understanding is hereby presented to you after accomplishing the 3 succeeding tasks.
Task 1 will allow you to discover your own methods of assessment that influence your way of
thinking in teaching.
Task 2. Will provide you a handy matrix of understanding the different types of assessment in
the context of education.
Task 3 allows you to reflect on to your own understanding as you formulate/make your own
assessment tool as teacher anchored on your strong appreciation of the wisdom of this course.
It is also encouraged that you must have an independent reading of the different texts as
enumerated in the reference part of the course syllabus.
Please be reminded that all your outputs will be turned in to your course facilitator in the
platform that is agreed/ assigned for submission.
As a future teacher, it is expected that each one must be responsible, dependable and honest
enough in making your professional and personal growth meaningful and fruitful.

**Assessments, understood as tools for tracking what and how well students have
learned, play a critical role in the classroom.**

Assessment in Learning 1 Page 1

Robelyn D. Cantos
Module 1
TOPIC: Nature and Roles of Assessment

Module Overview:

This is the course that focuses on the principles, development and utilization of conventional
assessment tools to improve the teaching-learning process. It emphasizes on the use of assessment of,
as and for, in measuring knowledge, comprehension and other thinking skills in the cognitive,
psychomotor or affective domains. It allows students to go through the standard steps in test
construction and development and the application in grading systems.

Module Outcomes:

At the end of the module the learner should be able to:

1. Compare and contrast measurement, assessment, testing and evaluation.
2. Explain various roles of assessment to learners, teachers, parents and other stakeholders.

Module Content:
A: Concepts and Relevance of Assessment
B: Roles of Assessment

2|Page
Discussion

Assessment is a vital element in the curriculum development process. It is used to determine

students’ learning needs, monitor their progress and examine their performance against identified
student learning outcomes.
According to Linn and Miller (2005) define assessment as any of a variety of procedures used to
obtain information about student performance. Assessment refers to the full range of information
gathered and synthesized by teachers about their students and their classrooms (Arends, 1994)
Assessment is a method for analyzing and evaluating student achievement or program success.
Assessment for Learning Is practiced, students are encouraged to be more active in their learning
and associated assessment. The ultimate purpose of assessment for learning is to create self-regulated
learners who can leave school able and confident to continue learning throughout their lives. Teachers
need to know at the outset of a unit of study where their students are in terms of their learning and
then continually check on how they are progressing through strengthening the feedback they get from
their learners.

Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment

Measurement as used in education refers to the process of quantifying an individual’s achievement,
personality, and attitudes among others by means of appropriate measuring instruments. Educational
Measurement The first step towards elevating a field of study into a science is to take measurements of
the quantities and qualities of interest in the field.

Types of Measurement
Objective measurements- are measurements that do not depend on the person or individual taking
the measurements.
Subjective measurements- often differ from one assessor to the next even if the same quantity or
quality is being measured.

The underlying principle in educational measurement is summarized by the following formula:

Measurement of quantity or quality of interest = true value plus random error.

Evaluation is the process of systematic collection and analysis of both qualitative and quantitative
data for the purpose of making some decision and judgments.

Assessment, Test, and Measurement

Test: An instrument or systematic procedure for measuring a sample of behavior by posing a set of
questions in a uniform manner.
Measurement: The process of obtaining a numerical description of the degree to which an
individual possesses a particular characteristic. Measurement answers the question “How much?”

3|Page
 Test, Non- test, Examination, Test item and Quiz
o A test in the educational setting is a question or a series of question which aims to determine
how well a student learned from a subject or topic taught.
o A non- test is a question or activity which determines the interests, attitude and other student’s
characteristics whose answer or answers is/are not judged wrong or incorrect.
o Examples: Personality inventory,” What is your favorite sports?”, “Why do you prefer green
vegetables?”
o An examination is a long test which may or may be composed of one or more test formats.
o Examples: Mid- term examination, Licensure Examination for Teachers, comprehensive
examination.
o A test item is any question included in a test or examination.
o Examples: Who was the President of the Philippines when World War 2 broke out? Is “Little Red
Riding Hood” a short story? A quiz is a short test usually given at the beginning or at the end of a
discussion period.

Various Roles of Assessment

Assessment plays a number of roles in making instructional decisions.
o Summative Role- An assessment may be done for summative purposes as in the illustration
given above for grade VI mathematics achievement.
o Diagnostic Role- Assessment may be done for diagnostic purposes. In the case, we are
interested in determining the gaps in learning or learning processes, hopefully, to be able to
bridge these gaps.
o Formative Assessment- Another purpose of assessment is formative. In this role,
assessment guides the teachers on his/ her day- to- day teaching activity.
o Placement- The final role of assessment in curricular decisions concerns placement.
Assessment plays a vital role in determining the appropriate placement of a student both in
terms of achievements and aptitude.
o Aptitude- refers to the area or discipline where a student would most likely excel or do
well.

Systems Model for Evaluation

Evaluation provides a tool for determining the extent to which an educational process or program is
effective and all the same time indicates directions foe remediating processes of the curriculum that do
not contribute to successful student performance.( Jason , 2003) CONTEX INPUTS PROCESS OUTPUT
OUTCOME
Evaluation -Is the process of gathering and interpreting evidence regarding the problems and
progress of individuals in achieving desirable educational goals.

Chief Purposes of Evaluation

 To maintain standard
 To select students
 To motivate learning

4|Page
 To guide learning
 To furnish instruction
 To appraise educational instrumentalities

Principles of Educational Evaluation

• Evaluation must be based on previously accepted educational objectives.
• Evaluation should be continuous comprehensive and cumulative process.
• Evaluation should recognize that the total individual personality is involved in learning.
• Evaluation should be democratic and cooperative.
• Evaluation should be positive and action-directed
• Evaluation should give opportunity to the pupil to become increasingly independent in self- appraisal
and self- direction.
• Evaluation should include all significant evidence from every possible source.
• Evaluation should take into consideration the limitations of the particular educational situations.

Measurements -Is the part of the educational evaluation process whereby some tools or instruments
are used to provide a quantitative description of the progress of students towards desirable educational
goals.
Test or Testing -Is a systematic procedure to determine the presence or absence of certain
characteristics of qualities in a learner.

Types of Evaluation
• Placement • Formative • Diagnostic • Summative

Functions of Educational Assessment (Bernardo, 2003)

1. Student selection and certification -To make decisions, about which students get admitted, retained,
promoted, and certified for graduation.
2. Instructional monitoring - To provide information about student learning and teaching performance
to help teachers monitor manage, and make decisions about the instructional system.
3. For - Public accountability and program evaluation - Making decisions about the different aspects of
the educational process - Helping make GOOD decisions, if they provide accurate, authentic, reliable and
valid information about educational: LEARNING GOALS.
Principles of Educational Assessment
• Educational assessment always begins with educational values and standards.
• Assessment is not an end in itself but a vehicle for attaining educational goals and for improving on
these educational goals.

5|Page
• These educational goals (values and standards) should be made explicit to all concerned from the very
beginning.
• Desired learning competencies (skills, knowledge, values, ways of thinking and learning) determine
what we choose to assess.
• Educational values and standards should also characterize how we assess.
• Assessment systems should lead educators to help students attain the educational goals, values, and
standards.
Characteristics of Assessment
• Assessment is not a single event but a continue cycle.
• Assessment must be an open process.
• Assessment must promote valid inferences.
• Assessment that matters should always employ multiple measures of performance.
• Assessment should measures what is worth learning, not just what is easy to measure.
• Assessment should support every student’s opportunity to learn important mathematics.

Elements of the Assessment Process -assessment should center on the learner and the learning process.
Huba and Freed (2000) explained the four elements of learner centered assessment.
1. Formulating statements of intended learning outcomes
2. Developing or Selecting Assessment Measures
3. Creating Experiences Leading to Outcomes
4. Discussing and Using Assessment Results to Improve Learning

Principles of Good Practice in Assessing Learning Outcomes

1. The assessment of student learning starts with the institutions mission and core values.
2. Assessment works best when the program has clear statement of objectives aligned with the
institutional missions and core values.
3. Outcomes- based assessment focuses on the student activities that will be relevant after schooling
concludes.
4. Assessment requires attention not only to outcomes but also and equally to the activities and
experiences that lead to the attainment of learning outcomes.
5. Assessment works best when it is continuous, on-going and not episodic.
6. Assessment should be cumulative because improvement is best achieved through a linked series of
activities done over time.

6|Page
 Kinds of Assessment
Formative assessment is an integral part of teaching and learning. It does not contribute to the
final mark given for the module; instead it contributes to learning through providing feedback. It should
indicate what is good about a piece of work and why this is good; it should also indicate what is not so
good and how the work could be improved. Effective formative feedback will affect what the student
and the teacher does next.
Summative assessment demonstrates the extent of a learner's success in meeting the
assessment criteria used to gauge the intended learning outcomes of a module or program, and which
contributes to the final mark given for the module. It is normally, though not always, used at the end of
a unit of teaching. Summative assessment is used to quantify achievement, to reward achievement, to
provide data for selection (to the next stage in education or to employment).
Diagnostic assessment. Like formative assessment, diagnostic assessment is intended to
improve the learner’s experience and their level of achievement. However, diagnostic assessment looks
backwards rather than forwards. It assesses what the learner already knows and/or the nature of
difficulties that the learner might have, which, if undiagnosed, might limit their engagement in new
learning. It is often used before teaching or when a problem arises.
Dynamic assessment measures what the student achieves when given some teaching in an
unfamiliar topic or field. An example might be assessment of how much Swedish is learnt in a short
block of teaching to students who have no prior knowledge of the language. It can be useful to assess
potential for specific learning in the absence of relevant prior attainment, or to assess general learning
potential for students who have a particularly disadvantaged background. It is often used in advance of
the main body of teaching.
Synoptic assessment encourages students to combine elements of their learning from different
parts of a program and to show their accumulated knowledge and understanding of a topic or subject
area. A synoptic assessment normally enables students to show their ability to integrate and apply their
skills, knowledge and understanding with breadth and depth in the subject. It can help to test a
student's capability of applying the knowledge and understanding gained in one part of a program to
increase their understanding in other parts of the program, or across the program as a whole. Synoptic
assessment can be part of other forms of assessment.
Criterion referenced assessment .Each student’s achievement is judged against specific criteria.
In principle no account is taken of how other students have performed. In practice, normative thinking
can affect judgments of whether or not a specific criterion has been met. Reliability and validity should
be assured through processes such as moderation, trial marking, and the collation of exemplars.
Ipsative assessment. This assessment is against the student’s own previous standards. It can
measure how well a particular task has been undertaken against the student’s average attainment,
against their best work, or against their most recent piece of work. Ipsative assessment tends to
correlate with effort, to promote effort-based attributions of success, and to enhance motivation to
learn.

The Effective Assessment

Enhancing learning by enhancing assessment .Assessment is a central element in the overall
quality of teaching and learning in higher education. Well-designed assessment sets clear expectations,
establishes a reasonable workload (one that does not push students into rote reproductive approaches

7|Page
to study), and provides opportunities for students to self-monitor, rehearse, practice and receive
feedback. Assessment is an integral component of a coherent educational experience.

Three Objectives for Higher Education Assessment

• Assessment that guides and encourages effective approaches to learning;
• Assessment that validly and reliably measures expected learning outcomes, in particular the higher-
order learning that characterizes higher education
• Assessment and grading that defines and protects academic standards.
indicators of effective assessment in higher education

Checklist for Quality in Student Assessment

1. Assessment is treated by staff and students as an integral and prominent component of the entire
teaching and learning process rather than a final adjunct to it.
2. The multiple roles of assessment are recognized. The powerful motivating effect of assessment
requirements on students is understood and assessment tasks are designed to foster valued study
habits.
3. There is a faculty/departmental policy that guide individuals’ assessment practices. Subject
assessment is integrated into an overall plan for course assessment.
4. There is a clear alignment between expected learning outcomes, what is taught and learnt, and the
knowledge and skills assessed — there is a closed and coherent ‘curriculum loop’.
5. Assessment tasks assess the capacity to analyze and synthesis new information and concepts rather
than simply recall information previously presented.
6. A variety of assessment methods is employed so that the limitations of particular methods are
minimized.
7. Assessment tasks are designed to assess relevant generic skills as well as subject- specific knowledge
and skills.
8. There is a steady progression in the complexity and demands of assessment requirements in the later
years of courses.
9. There is provision for student choice in assessment tasks and weighting at certain times.
10. Student and staff workloads are considered in the scheduling and design of assessment tasks.
11. Excessive assessment is avoided. Assessment tasks are designed to sample student learning.
12. Assessment tasks are weighted to balance the developmental (‘formative’) and judgmental
(‘summative’) roles of assessment. Early low-stakes, low-weight assessment is used to provide students
with feedback.
13. Grades are calculated and reported on the basis of clearly articulated learning outcomes and criteria
for levels of achievement.

8|Page
14. Students receive explanatory and diagnostic feedback as well as grades.
15. Assessment tasks are checked to ensure there are no inherent biases that may disadvantage
particular student groups.
16. Plagiarism is minimized through careful task design, explicit education and appropriate monitoring of
academic honesty.

The Assessment Cycle

Good assessment follows an intentional and reflective process of design, implementation,
evaluation, and revision. The Assessment Cycle relies on four simple but dynamic words to represent
this process.

The Four Steps of the Assessment Cycle

Step 1: Clearly define and identify the learning outcomes

Each program should formulate between 3 and 5 learning outcomes that describe what students should
be able to do (abilities), to know (knowledge), and appreciate (values and attitudes) following
completion of the program. The learning outcomes for each program will include Public Affairs learning
outcomes addressing community engagement, cultural competence, and ethical leadership.

Step 2: Select appropriate assessment measures and assess the learning outcomes

Multiple ways of assessing the learning outcomes are usually selected and used. Although direct and
indirect measures of learning can be used, it is usually recommended to focus on direct measures of
learning. Levels of student performance for each outcome is often described and assessed with the use
of rubrics.

9|Page
It is important to determine how the data will be collected and who will be responsible for data
collection. Results are always reported in aggregate format to protect the confidentiality of the students
assessed.

Step 3: Analyze the results of the outcomes assessed

It is important to analyze and report the results of the assessments in a meaningful way. A small
subgroup of the DAC would ideally be responsible for this function. The assessment division of the FCTL
would support the efforts of the DAC and would provide data analysis and interpretation workshops and
training.

Step 4: Adjust or improve programs following the results of the learning outcomes assessed

Assessment results are worthless if they are not used. This step is a critical step of the assessment
process. The assessment process has failed if the results do not lead to adjustments or improvements in
programs. The results of assessments should be disseminated widely to faculty in the department in
order to seek their input on how to improve programs from the assessment results. In some instances,
changes will be minor and easy to implement. In other instances, substantial changes will be necessary
and recommended and may require several years to be fully implemented.

Good Job future

Educator! Now,
let’s try these
tasks!

Task 1: Concept Clarification

Rectify the following misconception. Explain in two or three sentences why
they are incorrect.
1. Assessment and evaluation are one and the same.
2. Assessment is completed once every grading period.
3. Assessment is one-way. Only teachers are involved in assessment.
4. Assessment is ultimately for grading purposes.
5. Student’s work should always be given a grade or mark.
6. Assessment is the responsibility of program coordinators/supervisors.
7. Assessment is imposed on teachers by the school and accrediting agencies.
8. Formative assessment is a kind of test teachers use to find out what their students know.
9. Instruction informs assessment but not the other way around.

10 | P a g e
 10. Assessment is an average of performance across a teaching period.

Task 2: Meaningful Assessment

As a college student, you underwent several assessments in basic education. Recall from your own
personal experience an assessment that you think was truly meaningful to you. Explain why it is so.
Explain the nature and purpose of that particular assessment.

Roles of Assessment in Classroom Instruction

“Teaching and Learning are reciprocal processes that depend on and affect one another
(Swearingen 2002 and Kellough, 1999).” The assessment component of instructional processes deals
with the learning progress of the students and the teacher’s effectiveness in imparting knowledge to the
students.
Assessment enhances learning in the instructional processes if the result provides feedbacks to both
students and teachers. The information obtained from the assessment is used to evaluate the teaching
methodologies and strategies of the teacher. It is also used to make teaching decisions. The result of
assessment is used to diagnose the learning problems of the students.
The Four Roles of Assessment used in Instructional Process
Beginning of Instruction. This kind of assessment is concerned with the entry performance and typically
focuses on the questions: Does the Learner possess the knowledge and skills needed to begin the
planned instruction? To what extent has the learner already developed the understanding and skills t
that are goals of planned objectives? To what extent do the student’s interest, work habits and
personality indicate that one mode of instruction might be better than the other?
Placement Assessment – The purpose of placement assessment is to determine the prerequisite skills,
degree of mastery of the course the best mode of learning.
During the instructional process the main concern of a classroom teacher is to monitor the learning
progress of the students. The teachers should assess whether the students achieved the intended
learning outcomes set for a particular lesson.
Formative Assessment .It is a type of assessment used to monitor the learning progress of the students
during instruction. The purpose of formative assessment are the following:
 Immediate feedback
 Identify learning errors
 Modifying instruction Improve both learning and instruction
Diagnostic Assessment. It is a type of assessment given at the beginning of the instruction. It aims to
identify the strengths and weaknesses of the students regarding the topics to be discussed.
Summative Assessment. A type of assessment usually given at the end of a course unit. The purposes of
summative assessment are to determine the following:

11 | P a g e
  Instructional objectives achieved
 Certify the students mastery
 Provide information for judging
 Effectiveness of instruction
 End of Instruction

Methods of Interpreting the Results

1. Norm-referenced Interpretation. It is used to describe students’ performance according to relative
position in some known group. In this method of interpretation it is assumed that the level of
performance of will not vary much from one class to another class.
2. Criterion-reference Interpretation. It is used to describe student performance according to specified
domain of clearly defined learning task. This method of interpretation is used when the teacher wants to
determine how well the students have learned specific knowledge or skills in a certain course or subject
matter.
Maximum Performance. It is used to determine what individuals can do when performing at their best.
Aptitude tests, achievement tests
Typical Performance. It is used to determine what individuals will do under natural conditions Attitude,
interest, and personality inventories; observational techniques; peer appraisal

OTHER TYPES OF TEST

• Non-standardized Test. Is a type of test developed by the classroom teachers.
• Standardized Test. Is a type of test developed by test specialist. It is administered, scored and
interpreted using a certain standard condition.
• Objective Test. Is a type of test in which two or more evaluators give an examinee the score.
• Subjective Test. Is a type of test in which the scores are influenced by the judgment of the evaluator,
meaning there is no one correct answer.
• Supply Test. Is a type of test that requires the examinees to supply an answer, such as an essay test
item or completion or short answer test item.
• Fixed-response Test. It is a type of test that requires the examines to select an answer from a given
option such as multiple-choice test, matching type of test, or true/false test/
• Individual Test. Is a type of test administered to student to one-on-one basis using oral questioning.
• Group Test . Is a type of test administered to a group of individuals or group of students.
• Mastery Test. Is a type of achievement test that measures the degree of mastery of a limited set of
learning outcomes using criterion-reference to interpret the result.
• Survey Test. Is a type of test that measures students’ general achievement over a broad range of
learning outcomes
• Speed Test. Is designed to measure a number of items of individual can complete over a period of
time.

12 | P a g e
• Power Test. Is designed to measure the level of performance rather than speed of response. It
contains test items that are arranged according to increasing degree of difficulty

MODES OF ASSESSMENT
These are type or modes of assessment used by classroom teacher to assess the learning progress of
the students. These are traditional assessment, alternative assessment, performance-based assessment,
and portfolio assessment.
• Traditional Assessment. It is a type of assessment in which the students choose their answer from a
given of choices. In traditional assessment, students are expected to recognize that there is only one
correct or best answer for the question asked.
• Alternative Assessment. An assessment in which students create an original response to answer a
certain question. Students respond to a question using their own ideas, in their own words.
• Alternative Assessment Components
a. Assessment is based on authentic tasks that demonstrate students’ ability to accomplish
communication goals.
b. The teacher and students focus on communication, not on right and wrong answers.
c. Students help the teacher to set the criteria for successful completion of communication tasks.
d. Students have opportunities to assess themselves and their peers.
• Performance-based Assessment. Is an assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world
tasks demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills. It is a direct measure of
student performance because the tasks are designed to incorporate context, problems and solution
strategies that students would use in real life.
• Portfolio assessment is the systematic, longitudinal collection of student work created in response to
specific, known instructional objects and evaluated in relation to the same criteria.
• Portfolio. Is a purposeful collection of student work that exhibits the student’s efforts, progress and
achievements in one or more areas over a period of time. It measures the growth and development of
students.

GUIDELINES FOR EFFECTIVE STUDENT ASSESSMENT

Improvement of student learning is the main purpose of classroom assessment. This can be done if
assessment is integrated with good instruction and is guided by certain principles. Gronlund (1998)
provided the general guidelines for using student assessment effectively.
• Effective assessment requires a clear concept of all intended learning outcomes.
• Effective assessment requires that a variety of assessment procedures should be used.
• Effective assessment requires that the instructional relevance of the procedure should be considered.
• Effective assessment requires an adequate sample of student performance.
• Effective assessment requires that the procedures must be fair to everyone.
• Effective assessment requires specifications of criteria for judging successful performance.

13 | P a g e
• Effective performance requires feedback to students emphasizing strengths of performance and
weaknesses to be corrected.
• Effective assessment must be supported by comprehensive grading and reporting system.

Task 3: Assessment Scenarios

Determine what purpose of assessment is shown in different situations below. Write a short explanation
why it is so.
a. Assessment as selection or placement.
b. Assessment as instruction and providing feedback.
c. Assessment as determining what learners need to learn next.
d. Assessment as diagnosing learner’s difficulties and misconceptions.
e. Assessment as determining progress along a developmental continuum.
f. Assessment as a program evaluation or accountability.

1. A twelve year old out-of-school youth who stopped during the fourth grade took a test given by
the Department of Education
2. The teacher returned a student’s Math worksheet with the written comments. The teacher’s
remarks consist of a compliment and a correction. An explanation was provided concerning
what the student did correctly and incorrectly, what was accurate and inaccurate in the
student’s work.
3. A Math teacher gives a test towards the end of the unit. He/she will use the test items as
starting point for discussion of conceptual problems revealed by the test.
4. An English teacher regularly assesses students’ skills by using probes which are brief, easily-
administered measures. The teacher then graphs changes in the number of correct words per
minute (reading) and compares each student’s growth to the rate of improvement needed to
meet learning goals.
5. A Technology and Livelihood Education teacher is teaching ICT to his students. Through oral
questioning, he asked several students about the use of the Internet in searching for
information and the computer file system. He also provided a short computer exercise. After
confirming what the students know and can do, the teacher proceeded to the next segment-
how to download files from the internet

References:
https://www.slideshare.net/villacorteza/james-robert-villacorteza-final-report
https://www.google.com/search?sxsrf=ALeKk011CzXox6ZfUKj6XjuTIuGknHqmSQ
%3A1600389937259&ei=MQNkX6-zD9frwQP-
7bigAg&q=activities+related+on+Concepts+and+Relevance+of+Assessment+doc&oq=activities+related+
on+Concepts+and+Relevance+of+Assessment+doc&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQAzoECAAQRzoHCCMQsAIQJ1
CkMFidWmDHYGgAcAJ4AoABpwmIAbw9kgEQMC4xMy4xLjEuMC4yLjIuMpgBAKABAaoBB2d3cy13aXrIAQ
jAAQE&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwjvj9mNvfHrAhXXdXAKHf42DiQQ4dUDCA0&uact=5

14 | P a g e