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Assessment in Teaching and Learning

education

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Monde Liyambo
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4 views

Assessment in Teaching and Learning

education

Uploaded by

Monde Liyambo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNIVESITY OF ZAMBIA

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
MAKENI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL SCIENCES

SCIENCE TEACHING METHODS NOTES

ASSESSMENT IN TEACHING AND LEARNING

Assessment

The word "assessment" has a variety of meanings in education (e.g., “institutional assessment”, “curricular and
programme assessment”, “course and pupil-centered assessment"). Therefore, for the purposes of this
presentation “assessment” is considered as the systematic collection and analysis of information to improve pupil
lifelong learning. "Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information from multiple and diverse
sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what pupils know, understand, and can do with their
knowledge as a result of their educational experiences; the process culminates when assessment results are used
to improve subsequent learning." (Huba, M. E. and Freed, J. E. (2000). Pupil-Centered

Assessment on College Campuses -- Shifting the Focus from Teaching to Learning. Boston,

Allyn and Bacon.

Assessment falls into three categories that serve different purposes.

Summative assessment:

This summarises what pupils have learned at the end of a period of time. These include tests, final exams,
culminating projects, and portfolios. These scores appear on report cards and transcripts, but are not really useful
as learning tools. They come at the end of the teaching/learning experience.

Diagnostic assessment:

This precedes instruction. Teachers can check pupils’ prior knowledge and skill levels, identify pupil
misconceptions, profile pupils’ interests, and reveal learning style preferences. Diagnostic assessments provide

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information to assist teachers in planning and guide differentiated instruction. These assessments are not graded,
they guide the teaching process.

Formative assessment:

This is an ongoing type of assessment. It gives feedback to pupils and teachers to guide teaching to improve
learning. Included are oral questioning, observations, draft work and portfolio previews. Assessment and grading
can measure and report learning, it can also promote learning and teaching.

Here are some assessment strategies toward that end.

 Present the performance assessment tasks to the pupils at the beginning of a unit of study. They will
know what to anticipate and will be able to focus on what the teacher expects them to learn and what they
will have to do with the knowledge.
 Show models of work that illustrate the levels of quality expected. A four point rubric communicates to
the pupil the elements of quality and the standard used for evaluation. This gives the pupil a goal for their
work.
 Offer a few good choices that match the goal of the content standard – assessment gains meaning for the
pupil when there are options for demonstrating knowledge, understanding and skills.
 Provide feedback that is timely and specific regarding the pupil’s strengths and weaknesses. Note areas
of improvement and what the pupils need to work on in the future. Consider allowing the pupil to revise
and refine their work based on the feedback, within a reasonable time period.
 Encourage self-evaluation and the pupils will become capable of knowing how they are doing and what
they need to improve.

These assessment strategies address factors that motivate pupils to learn. Pupils put effort into their work when
they know the learning goal and how they will be evaluated; when they think the goals and assessments are
meaningful and relevant; when they believe they can successfully learn and meet the evaluation expectations.

The Classroom Assessment Environment

The classroom assessment environment is an important part of the classroom atmosphere. The way teachers
communicate their expectations to pupils and the way they provide feedback as to how well these expectations
were met helps pupils form concepts of what is important to learn and how good they are at learning. There are

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eight dimensions of the classroom assessment environment: purposes for which a teacher assesses; methods
used to assess achievement; criteria used in selecting assessment method; quality of assessments; nature of the
feedback a teacher gives pupils on their work; teacher preparation for and attitudes toward assessment; the
teacher’s perceptions of pupils; and the assessment policy environment. Seven of these are mainly under the
teacher’s direct control; only the last is not. Haydel et al. (1999) called teachers’ beliefs about testing and
assessment practices ‘the evaluative culture of classrooms’, and found that these beliefs were related to teacher
efficacy. Teacher efficacy, in turn, is related to student efficacy and achievement. Teachers who think they can
make difference, in fact, do—apparently using their assessment practices in the process.

In colleges and universities of education teachers are usually taught a model of instruction that emphasises
planning clear instructional goals or objectives. Lesson planning involves deciding what instructional strategies
will help pupils meet those goals, and assessment is finding out how well the pupils accomplished their learning
goals.

Classroom assessment provides the information and evidence on how well pupils have done this. Given this
model of instruction, many assessments in our classrooms function in a summative fashion regarding the unit of
instruction for the particular goals or objectives. They also can be formative in the sense that they give teachers
and pupils information for use in future instructional decisions or studying.

Examinations and Tests

There are some related terms associated to assessment that need to be understood otherwise misunderstandings
are carried on. Following related terms are explained as under:

Examination

It is a process of collecting evidences about pupils’ achievement. Therefore an examination includes developing
a number of tests conducting them and then marking answer scripts or awarding grades for reporting the
achievement of the pupils

Tests

Test is a tool consisting of a number of questions for finding out the knowledge, understanding, aptitude and
interest, etc., of the pupils. The test is based on a pre-determined set of objectives.

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