AST 201

HOMEWORK
DATE SUBMITTED: February 2, 2015
GROUP MEMBERS: Maheika Auguste
Kester Small
1. What is norm-referenced interpretation?
Norm-referenced interpretation is designed to compare and rank students performance in an
assessment, against his or her cohorts. The norm referenced interpretation highlights how a
student has performed, whether poorly or well in comparison to other students. For example,
She placed first out of a class of twenty four students.
2. What does criterion-referenced interpretation mean?
Criterion-referenced interpretation is assessing a students individual ability to perform a task
using specific skills and knowledge. However, their abilities are not compared to that of other
students. Instead, it is compared against clearly-stated, set criteria for learning outcomes and
levels of performance in a specific area. That way, it can be determined exactly what a
student can and cannot do. For example, He was able to identify the different social groups
and outline their purposes in society.
3. Compare and contrast norm-reference testing to criterion-referenced testing.
Norm referenced testing and criterion referenced testing are two methods that are useful for
describing students assessment results, and can be used to interpret the same results.
However, Norm referenced testing is typically used to survey the achievement and learning
outcomes of students. Additionally, it is used to measure the individual differences of
students in terms of achievement. Thus, students are ranked based on their performance
levels compared to that of others. Furthermore, the test items that are selected, so encourages
discrimination among students since the easy items are usually omitted.
Criterion-referenced testing, on the other hand, is commonly used for mastery testing,
meaning it is used to evaluate the learning processes of students. It includes all items needed
to sufficiently describe students performance. Therefore test items are not made easier or
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more difficult to achieve a bell curve by spreading scores. Instead, this method provides a
clear description of tasks that students can perform. Therefore, a students performance level
is determined by absolute or fixed test standards, and a students approximation of the set
standard determines his or her mastery of the concept/s or area/s being tested. It also
discourages discrimination.