During the process of gathering information for effective planning and instruction,

the words measurement, assessment and evaluation are often used

interchangeably. These words, however, have significantly different meanings.

When defined within an educational setting, measurement, assessment, and

evaluation are all used to measure how much of the assigned materials students
are mastering, how well student are learning the materials, and how well student
are meeting the stated goals and objectives. These are important parts of the
instructional process, a sequence of procedures conducted before, during, and
after teaching.

The word measurement, as it applies to education, is not substantially different

from when it is used in any other field. It simply means determining the attributes
or dimensions of an object, skill or knowledge. We use common objects in the
physical world to measure, such as tape measures, scales and meters. These
measurement tools are held to standards and can be used to obtain reliable
results. When used properly, they accurately gather data for educators and
administrators.

Some standard measurements in education are raw scores, percentile ranks and
standard scores.
Assessment is the process of documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs,
usually in measurable terms. The goal of assessment is to make improvements, as
opposed to simply being judged. In an educational context, assessment is the
process of describing, collecting, recording, scoring, and interpreting information
about learning.
One of the primary measurement tools in education is the assessment. Teachers
gather information by giving tests, conducting interviews and monitoring
behavior. The assessment should be carefully prepared and administered to
ensure its reliability and validity. In other words, an assessment must provide
consistent results and it must measure what it claims to measure.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and
improving student learning. It involves making expectations explicit and
public; setting
appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically
gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance
matches those
expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to document,
explain, and
improve performance.
Ajayi (2016) states that;

Assessment is an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student

learning. It involves making expectations explicit and public; setting appropriate
criteria and high standards for learning quality; systematically gathering,
analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches
those expectations and standards, and using the resulting information to
document, explain, and improve performance.

Evaluation

Procedures used to determine whether the subject (i.e. student) meets a preset
criteria, such as qualifying for special education services. This uses assessment
(remember
that an assessment may be a test) to make a determination of qualification in
accordance
with a predetermined criteria.

Creating valid and reliable assessments is critical to accurately measuring

educational data. Evaluating the information gathered, however, is equally
important to the effective use of the information for instruction.

In education, evaluation is the process of using the measurements gathered in the

assessments. Teachers use this information to judge the relationship between
what was intended by the instruction and what was learned. They evaluate the
information gathered to determine what students know and understand, how far
they have progressed and how fast, and how their scores and progress compare to
those of other students.

When we evaluate, we are saying that the process will yield information regarding
the worthiness, appropriateness, goodness, validity, legality, etc., of something for
which a reliable measurement or assessment has been made. For example, I often
ask my students if they wanted to determine the temperature of the classroom
they would need to get a thermometer and take several readings at different
spots, and perhaps average the readings. That is simple measuring. The average
temperature tells us nothing about whether or not it is appropriate for learning. In
order to do that, students would have to be polled in some reliable and valid way.

Important Characteristics of Classroom Assessment

Good classroom assessment eventually leads to improved teaching. And improved

teaching means better academic performance of the students. To ensure that
good assessment methods are utilized, the teachers must determine if these
characteristics are met.

Learner-Centered

The primary attention of teachers is focused on observing and improving learning.

Teacher-Directed

Individual teachers decide what to assess, how to assess, and how to respond to
the information gained through the assessment. Teachers do not need to share
results with anyone outside of the class.

Mutually Beneficial

Students are active participants and are motivated by the increased interest of
faculty in their success as learners. Teachers improve their teaching skills and gain
new insights.

Formative

Its purpose is to improve the quality of student learning ,not to provide evidence
for evaluating or grading students; it provides information on what, how much ,
and how well students are learning.

Context-Specific:

This assessment technique targets the particular needs and priorities of the
instructor and student as well as the discipline in which they are applied.

Ongoing

The creation and maintenance of a classroom “feedback loop”. Iterative in that

they provide instructors and students feedback about learning which can be
evaluated and used for improvement actions.

Best Practice-Based:
Classroom assessment builds upon current standards to make the assessment of
learning and teaching more systematic, flexible, and frequent.