1

FC 7:ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING

Unit 3: Techniques/Strategies of Assessment

3.1. Performance based process oriented Assessment

3.2. Written Tests-Essay & Objective type (Examples, Merits, demerits, suggestions for

improvement, criteria for evaluation)

3.3. Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm Referenced tests

3.4. Performance Tests: Oral & Practical assessment (Examples, Merits, Limitations,

Suggestions for improvement, Criteria for evaluation)

3.5. Open Book Examination and Online Examination (Merits & Limitations)

Learning outcomes

After the transaction of the unit the students should be able to:

 explain the Performance based process oriented Assessment ;

 explain the different types of test: performance tests and written tests;
 justify the importance of Oral examination;
 explain the significance of conducting the practical examination;
 give suggestion for improving the oral and practical examination;
 analyze the merits and limitations of essay and objective type test;
 distinguish between essay type test and objective type test;
 give suggestion for improving the essay and objective type test;
 explain the merits & demerits of open book and online examination;

 explain the meaning and characteristics of Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm
Referenced tests;

 differentiate between Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm Referenced tests

 discuss the criteria for evaluation of performance tests and written tests.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 2

3.1. Performance based process oriented Assessment

PERFORMANCE BASED PROCESS-ORIENTED ASSESSMENT

GENERAL PREVALENT FORMS OF ASSESSMENT

 Current prevalent forms of assessment in our education system are product oriented.

 A learner is assessed or judged on the basis of their „semester-end‟ or „year-end‟ exam

or a „unit test‟ which is given after the teacher completes teaching the unit.

 Generally, it is a written test of a fixed time duration wherein a learner writes answers
to pre-set fixed questions which are common to all the learners in a class.

 The teacher/examiner then checks the answers with a fixed pre-set answer key and
whoever‟s matches more with this answer key is assigned higher marks and vice a
versa

 There is no consideration for an answer which differs from the answer key.

 But in several academic subjects such as languages, Literature, Social Sciences etc
there cannot be one fixed answer but many answers as they depend on individual
perspective.

 These types of tests are generally recall type & assess memory or at the most lower
level of cognitive skills such as understanding, logical & rational thinking.

Why is our current Assessment System not authentic?

 An authentic assessment must give a true picture or correct estimate of learners‟
achievements with reference to the objectives framed.

 We generally include objectives related to affective domain, psycho-motor domain,

various competencies, and behavioral changes in attitudes and so on but are we
actually assessing them on all these aspects?

 Our summative tests are given with an objective to promote students to a higher grade
(example from 5th 6th class) but is there any provision in the tests which surely
indicates a learners futuristic capability to do well in the next higher grade?

 Our current system of assessment indicates students‟ past capability (?) so far but not
about future or even in a different type of situations.

 We often see toppers failing in real lives because they were toppers only in memory.

 The aspects such as how much efforts & time invested, focus, methods/behaviors,
consistency of learning graph, attitudes, interpersonal skills, etc are also very
important in assessing students‟ overall holistic performance.

 For the assessment of the above mentioned aspects, assessment must become
performance based process oriented.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 3

What is Performance based Process oriented Assessment?

 Performance assessment aims at measuring learners‟ achievement on authentic tasks
such as activities, exercises or problems that require students to show what they can
actually do. Some performance tasks are designed to have students demonstrate their
understanding by applying their knowledge to a particular situation.

 Some examples may include Laboratory work, fieldwork, pair & group work, hands-
on activities related to craft work, collaborative projects, Community work and so on.

 Since they call for students to apply knowledge and skills rather than simply to recall
and recognize, performance-based assessments are more likely to reveal the student
understanding. (McTighe & Ferrara)

Process oriented Assessment

 Process oriented performance based assessment is concerned with the actual task
performance rather than the output or product of an activity.

 It does not emphasize the output or end product of the activity.

 This assessment aims to know what processes a person undergoes when given a task
such as efforts taken, time invested, involvement, focus on the details, correct
procedures followed, improvement in the capabilities, attitude about work,
collaborative & interpersonal skills etc.

Types of Process Oriented Assessment

Process oriented performance can be

Formal: Where students are assigned scores & grades

Informal: Utilized not for scores & marks but to consistently monitor learners‟ progress over
a period of time in academics as well as in activities related to psychomotor &
affective domains.

It can be administered individually as well as in groups

Objectives & Learning Competencies

 The learning objectives in process oriented performance based assessment are always
stated in directly observable behavioral of terms.

 Competencies are defined as groups or cluster of skills and abilities needed for a
particular task. Such as interpersonal, procedural, leadership, manual, managerial, etc.

 The levels, degrees & frequencies of the competencies also must be included.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 4

TASK DESIGNING FOR PROCESS ORIENTED ASSESSMENT

 Learning activities/tasks need to be carefully planned & designed. They should be
such that by observing students‟ performance in the the process. it must give a correct
estimate or judgement of their overall understanding of the subject or the course.

 Some generally accepted guidelines for designing a task include:

 identifying an activity that would highlight the competencies to be evaluated. e.g.

reciting a poem, writing an essay, reading a map, manipulating the microscope.

 identifying an activity that would entail simple as well as complex competencies so

that a teacher can assess students‟ holistically.

 Organize activities/tasks that would be interesting and enjoyable for the students and
make them feel comfortable.
An example of learning competencies for process-oriented :

TASK: Recite a Poem by Walt Whitman, “O Captain! My Captain!”

OBJECTIVES:
The activity aims to enable the students to recite a poem entitled
“O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman, with a focus on the following aspects
1. Recite the poem from memory without referring to notes;
2. Use appropriate hand and body gestures in delivering the piece;
3. Maintain eye contact with the audience while reciting the poem;
4. Create the ambience of the poem through appropriate rising and falling intonation;
5. Pronounce the words clearly and with proper diction

Competencies specified for the poem

Simple competencies:
 Recite the poem with clarity & correct pronounciation
 Recite with an audible well-modulated voice

Complex competencies:
 Recite with appropriate facial expressions and hand gestures;
 Explain the figures of speech, diction used by the poet
 Dramatize/Role play based on the poem
 Explore similar poems in English Literature as well as the literature of the other
languages.

RUBRIC FOR PROCESS ORIENTED ASSESSMENT

 Rubric is a scoring scale used to assess student performance along a task.

 It is a generic scoring tool used to evaluate a student‟s performance in a given

outcome area (McTighe & Ferrara).

 It is a rating system by which teachers can determine at what level of proficiency a

student is able to perform a task or display knowledge of a concept.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 5

DESCRIPTORS
 They spell out what is expected of student‟s at each level of performance.

 They help the teachers more precisely and consistently distinguish student work.

Types of Rubric
Analytic Rubric
 It articulates level of performance for each criterion so the teacher can assess student
performance on each criterion.

 It is a scoring procedure in which products or performance are evaluated for selected

dimensions, with each dimension receiving a separate score. (McTighe & Ferrara)

Holistic Rubric

 It does not list separate levels of performance for each criterion. It assigns a level of
performance by assessing performance across multiple criteria as a whole.

 It is a scoring procedure yielding a single score based upon an overall impression of a

product or performance. (McTighe & Ferrara)

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 6

3.2. Written Tests-Essay & Objective type (Examples, Merits, demerits, suggestions for

improvement, criteria for evaluation)

Essay Test:
Concept of essay test

The word essay has been derived from a French word „essayer‟ which means „to try‟ or „to
attempt‟.

Definition

“Essay test is a test that requires the student to structure a rather long written response up to
several paragraphs.”

-William weirsama

i.e. the essay test refers to any written test that requires the examinee to write a sentence, a
paragraph or longer passages.”

Characteristics of essay test:

1. The length of the required responses varies with reference to marks and time

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 7

For e.g.: Bed papers where there are 10marks, 5marks and 3 marks questions so the
length of the answers varies accordingly.
For 10marks, it needs to be completed within 15-20min for each 3marks; 5min is
maximum so accordingly the length of answers varies with reference to time.
2. It demands a subjective judgment:
Judgment means making judgment or assessing whereas subjective means not fair
enough i.e. it differs from person to person
For e.g. criteria of writing the statement of specification. In that, we are supposed to
give each criterion along with the examples. Some may write only criteria and others
may write criteria along with the examples, accordingly the marks or grades are given
depending on the degree of quality, correctness and completeness of the answers.
3. Most familiar and widely used:
Essay has become a major part of a formal education. Secondary students are taught
structured essays format to improve their writing skills. Magazines or newspapers
essays use many of the same type of essays as like academic essays. Even
employment essays detailing our experience in a certain occupational fields are
required when applying for some jobs, especially government jobs. So it is most
familiar and most widely used.

Essay is of two types:

1. Restricted response questions:

The restricted response question usually limits both the content and the response the
content is usually restricted by the scope of the topic to be discussed limitations on the
form of response are generally indicated in the question another way of restricting
responses in essay tests is to base the questions on specific problems. For this
purpose, introductory material like that used in interpretive exercises can be
presented. Such items differ from objective interpretive exercise only by the fact that
essay questions are used instead of multiple choice or true or false items. Because the
restricted response question is more structured it is most useful for measuring learning
outcomes requiring the interpretation and application of date in a specific area.
For e.g.
1. Write the life sketch of mahatma Gandhi in 100 words?
2. State any five definition of education?

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 8

2. Extended response questions:

No restriction is placed in students as to the points he will discuss and the type of
organization he will use.
Teachers in such a way so as to give students the maximum possible freedom to
determine the nature and scope of question and in a way he would give response of
course being related topic and in stipulated time frame these types of questions.
The student may be select the points he thinks are most important, pertinent and
relevant to his points and arrangement and organize the answers in whichever way he
wishes. So they are also called free response questions.
This enables the teacher to judge the student‟s abilities to organize, integrate, interpret
the material and express themselves in their own words.
It also gives an opportunity to comment or look into students‟ progress, quality of
their thinking, the depth of their understanding problem solving skills and the
difficulties they may be having. These skills interact with each other with the
knowledge and understanding the problem requires.
Thus it is at the levels of synthesis and evaluation of writing skills that this type of
questions makes the greatest contribution.
E.g.: 1. Describe at length the defects of the present day examination system in the
state of Maharashtra. Suggest ways and means of improving the examination system.
2. Describe the character of hamlet. 3. Global warming is the next step to disaster.
Explain
Merits of essay type test:

1.It is relatively easier to prepare and administer a six-question extended response essay
test than to prepare and administer a comparable 60 item multiple choice test items.

2.It is the only means that can assess an examinee‟s ability to organize and present his
ideas in a logical and coherent fashion and in effective prose.

3.It can be successfully employed for practically all school subjects.

4.Some of the objectives – such as ability to organize idea effectively ability to criticize
or justify a statement, ability to criticize or justify a statement, ability to interpret etc.
can be measured by this type of test.

5.Logical thinking and critical reasoning, systematic presentation etc. can be best
developed by this type of test.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 9

6.Its helps induce good study habits such as making outlines and summaries, organizing
the arguments for and against, etc.

7.The student can show their initiative, the originality of their thought and the fertility of
their imagination, as they are permitted freedom of response.

8.The response of the students need not be completely right or wrong. All degrees of
comprehensiveness and accuracy are possible.

9.It largely eliminates guessing.

Demerits of essay type test:

Every coin has 2 sides same ways in essay test if there are merits than demerits are also there
so we will see demerits of essay test writing.

1. Limited sampling of the content: - It means few questions can be included in given
test. Example if in one particular book 18 chapter are given, teacher cannot ask
question from all the chapters. They have to neglect some areas.
2. Subjectivity of scoring: If all students are writing same answer of one question, why
they get different marks? In essay test answer of question are scored differently by
different teacher. Even the same teacher scores the answer differently at different
times.
3. Halo effects: It means teacher knows the particular student very well and has good
impression because of his previous paper and writing skills.
4. Mood of the examiner: The general feeling of all students after writing your S.S.C
board paper what you had discussed with your fried. I hope the teacher who is
checking my paper has not quarreled with some”
5. Ambiguous wording of the question: Sometime essay questions are so worded that
students do not know the exact implications of the questions.
6. Examiner contaminated by various factors: The examiner is contaminated by various
factors like hand writing, spelling, grammar etc. some students who has good verbal
knowledge may write many things on an essay topic.
7. It requires an excessive time on the part of students to write while assessing reading
essays is very time-consuming and laborious.
8. Only a teacher or competent professionals can assess it.
9. The speed of writing can influence the performance of the learner. This results in low
scores even if the learner may know the correct answer of all questions.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 10

10. It may not provide a true picture of the comprehension level of the leaner. Grammars
may get good marks.
Suggestions for improvement – Essay Type Test

1. Construction (While framing questions)

2. Assessment ( While scoring questions)

1. Describe the guidelines for improving construction of essay type questions with
relevant examples.

Guideline for improving the construction of essay type Questions.

1) Give adequate time and thought to the preparation of essay questions so that
they can be re-examined, revised and edited before they are used.

2) The question should be so written that it will elicit the type of behaviors the
teacher wants to measure.

e.g. if one is interested in measuring understanding he should not ask a questions

that will elicit an opinion.

“What do you think of Buddhism in comparison to Jainism?”

Framed this way the question will elicit the students‟ opinion of rather than
their understanding of the two isms.

3) A well-constructed essay question should establish a framework within which

students operate.

i) Delimit the area covered by the question.

ii) Use words which themselves give directions.

Eg. Define, illustrate, outline, select, classify summaries etc. instead of

discuss, comment, explain etc.

iii) Give specific directions to students to elicit the desired response.

iv) Indicate clearly the value (weight) of each part of the question so that the
examinee may decide the time to be devoted to each part of the questions.

4) Do not provide optional questions in an essay test because.

i) It is difficult to construct questions of equal difficulty.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 11

ii) Students do not have the ability to select those questions which they will
answer best.

iii) A good student may be penalized because he is challenged by more

difficult and complex questions.

5) Use a relatively large number of questions requiring short answers rather than
just a few questions involving lone answers.

6) Do not start essay questions with such words as list, who what, whether if we
begin the questions with such words, they are likely to be short answer
questions and not essay questions.

7) Adopt the length of the response and the complexity of the question and
answer to the maturity level of the student.

8) Use the novel type of questions wherever feasible

9) The wording of the question should be clear and unambiguous.

10) Make certain that the achievement that you wish to evaluate cannot be
measured with equal validity and reliability through the use of an objective
type test.

11) Allow a liberal time limit so that the essay test does not become a test of speed
in writing. It should be a power test rather than a speed test.

12) Supply the necessary training to the students in writing essay questions

13) The paper setter should prepare ideal answers to ensure the uniformity of
marking by different examiners.

14) The expected length of the answer of each question should be mentioned in
each question.

15) The questions should be such that they require the examinee to show a
reasonable command over the essential knowledge of the subject matter being
evaluated.

16) Ensure that the maximum content is covered.

17) The questions should not be too general, vague and comprehensive. They
should clearly indicate the scope of the answer.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 12

18) The question should be arranged in order of difficulty, i.e. from the easier to
more difficult.

2. Describe the guidelines for improving the assessment of essay type questions.

Following are the guidelines for improving the assessment of essay type questions.

2) Prepare a marking scheme, suggesting the best possible answer and the
weightage given to the various points of this model answer.

3) While assessing the essay response, one must

i) Use appropriate methods to minimize bias;

ii) Be careful not to let personal bias affect the assessment.

iii) Apply a uniform standard to all the papers.

4) Check your marking scheme against actual responses.

5) One the assessment has begun, the standard should not be changed, nor should
it vary from paper to paper or reader to reader to reader. Be consistent in your
assessment.

6) Grade only one question at a time for all papers. This will help you in
minimizing the halo effect in becoming thoroughly familiar with just one set
of scoring criteria and in concentrating completely on them.

7) Grade the response anonymously. This is to remove bias and halo effect.

8) The mechanics of expression (legibility, spelling punctuation grammar) should

be judged separately from what the students writes i.e. the subject matter
content.

9) Try to score all responses to a particular question without interruption.

10) If possible have two independent readings of the test and use the average as
the final score.

11) Provide comments and correct answers in the answer book. This well explains
the teacher‟s method of assigning a particular score to a particular paper.

12) Set the realistic standards

13) The paper-setter should assess the answer books.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 13

14) To avoid fatigue, only a reasonable number of answer books should be

assessed in one seating by on examiner.

Objective test

According to Ebel and Frisbee:

“An objective test is one that can be provided with a simple predetermined test of correct
answers so that subjective opinion or judgment in the scoring procedure is eliminated.”

Characteristics
 They can be reliably scored because there is no inconsistency in scoring.

 Allow adequate content sampling

 They are generally written at the lowest level of cognitive taxonomy.

Advantages
 Major advantage of extensive sampling

 Objectivity of scoring.

 Economy of time, for the scorer and the student.

 Equality of time opportunity.

 No chance for teacher to show personal bias.

 More reliable.

 It eliminates extraneous factors such as speed of writing, fluency of expression, good

handwriting, neatness etc.

Limitations
 Measure only factual knowledge

 Negative effect on teaching.

 All teachers cannot prepare highly objective tests.

 Encourages students to guess.

 Considerable cost, as it is to be printed more paper is required

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 14

1. Recall types

According to Ebel and Frisbee:

“a simple recall test item aims to test knowledge by asking examinees to supply a word,
phrase or number that answers a questions or completes a sentence”.

Characteristics

 The test can be answered by a word, a phrase, a number or symbol.

 The test has to supply responses rather than select or identify.

Eg.

What instrument is used to draw a circle? -------------

What is the capital of India? --------

Suggestions for improvement

 Select &state the question in such a way that they can be answered with a word or a
short phrase.

Eg; what is the best method of extracting sulphur?

Better ask: name the best method of extracting sulphur.

 Select and phrase question so that only one answer will be correct.

 Name the major cause of high price of consumer goods.

Advantages

 Eliminates the element of guessing

 Questions are on the whole easy to construct.

Limitations

 Testing only knowledge of facts.

 Needs very specific information.

Completion type

According to Ebel and Frisbee:

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 15

”the completion type may be defined as a series of sentences in which certain important

words or phrases have been omitted & blanks submitted for the pupil to fill in”

 May contain a single blank or many blanks.

Eg: the capital of Australia is---------

The circumference of a circle is------

Suggestions:

 Omit only significant words from the sentences.

Avoid; democracy is---- of government in which the whole people or -----numerous portions
of ---- exercising the governing power ---- deputies periodically elected.

Better ask:

Democracy is that form of ---- in which the whole---or some numerous portions of them
exercise the governing --- through deputies periodically elected.

Advantages

 If carefully prepared has wide applicability.

 Blanks can be anywhere.

Disadvantage

 Scoring can be laborious as responses are scattered.

Recognition type

A) Alternate response:

According to Gronlund:

“ the alternative response test item consist of a declarative statement that the pupil is asked to
mark true of false, right or wrong correct or incorrect, yes or no, fact or opinion, agree or
disagree and the like”.

 Eg: lord Buddha was born before Jesus Christ‟s/f

The Aryans build beautiful temples right/wrong.

Advantages

 It is easy to construct
Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education
 16

 Capable of wide sampling and wide content matter can be involved

 Can be scored objectively.

 Can be scored quickly.

 Adaptable to most content areas.

Limitations

 Several facts are not entirely true or entirely false.

 Allow high degree of guessing

 Limited to learning outcomes in the knowledge domain.

 These can be attempted by those who know nothing of the subject matter

Suggestions

 Do not include more than two ideas

Eg.Bal Gangadhar Tilak died on 20th august, 1920, he started the paper “kesri”.

 Avoid negative statements.

Eg.Washigton is not the capital of US.

 Equal no. of true false items should be used.

 Long &complex statements should not be used.

B) Multiple choices

According to Ebel &Frisbee “a multiple choice item has two parts: the stem consisting of
direct question or an incomplete statement& two or more options consisting of answers to
questions or completion of statement”.

Characteristics

 Introductory sentence is called as stem.

 A list of three or more choices.

 All answers should be plausible answers.

 Incorrect responses are often called “distracters” &the correct one as “key”.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 17

E.g. a straight line forms a right angle with another straight line, it is said to be------- to that
line.

A) Parallel b) straight c) perpendicular d) equal.

Advantages

 They are objective in scoring

 Can measure cognitive level much better than true or false item.

 They do not require that only homogenous material should be tested.

Limitations

 Guessing can be done

 It is difficult to find 4 choices for each item out of which three may be plausible
correct answers.

 Require more time to construct.

Suggestions

 All choices should be plausible.

 There should be no overlapping in choices.

 Stems and choices should be positively written as possible.

 Correct choice should not be at the same place.

 No. of choices should be at least 3.

Matching type

According to Nitko”a matching exercise presents the pupils with a list of premises, a list of
responses & a set of directions for matching the element of these two tests”.

Characteristics
It has two columns-left hand called premise and the right hand side called response column.

The examiner has to make the left hand column as base to match the item in right hand
column.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 18

For ex:
A B
Carbohydrate butter
Fat lean meat
Protein Salt
Sugar

Advantages

 Simple to construct and score.

 Well suited to measure association.

 It reduces the effect of guessing.

 They provide space saving, compact and objectively measurable technique.

Limitations

 Restricted to factual information

 Generally provide clues.

 Difficult to find homogeneous material.

Suggestions

 Should select only homogeneous material.

 Instructions should be very clear and definite about matching.

 There should not be more than 10 items in a matching exercise.

 All responses should function as plausible responses.

Guidelines for Constructing Objective Type Test Items

• Test important facts and knowledge for trivial details.
• Construct the items (questions) according to the age and maturity levels of the pupils.
• Avoid ambiguous statements
• Avoid tricky items
• Avoid inter-dependent items.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 19

Difference between Essay Type Test and Objective Type Test

Sr.No Points Essay Type Objective Type

1. Number of questions Few questions More number of questions

2. Answers required Lengthy Short answers
3. Scoring Subjective Objective
4. Time devoted to More Less
answer
5. Selection of questions Random Entire course can be
covered
6. Questions put Expression Thinking
importance on
7. Time required for the Less More
preparation of
question
8. Omission of portions Easy Difficult
or subject matter
9. Scope for guessing Less More
answers
10. Printing cost Low High
11. Answer paper costs More Low because answers can
be written on the question
paper itself
12. Adoption of unfair Less More
means

3.3. Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm Referenced tests

Meaning and Characteristics of Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm Referenced tests
Criterion Referenced Tests

• A criterion-referenced test is one that provides for translating test scores into a
statement about the behaviour to be expected of a person with that score or their
relationship to a specified subject matter.

• Most tests and quizzes that are written by school teachers can be considered criterion-
referenced tests.
Norm Referenced tests

• A norm-referenced test (NRT) is a type of test which yields an estimate of the

position of the tested individual in a predefined population, with respect to the trait
being measured.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 20

• This type of test identifies whether the test taker performed better or worse than other
test takers.

Difference between Criterion and Norms-Referenced Test

1. The kind of information they are intended to provide: - Criterion-referenced tests

are used to determine which of certain specified objectives of instruction a particular
pupil has attained. Norm-referenced tests are used to determine how much overall
knowledge of some subject a particular pupil has achieved.

2. The Basic Report: - The basic report of result from a criterion-referenced test is a
descriptive list of objectives which are or are not attained. The basic report for a norm-
referenced test is a count of the number of test questions that are answered correctly.

3. The basis for interpreting the information provided:- The criterion in criterion-
referenced test the attainment of all instructional objectives. The excellence or
deficiency of a particular student‟s achievement in learning is judged by the
propagation of the prescribed objectives, the student has attained. The „norm‟ in a
norm-referenced test is the achievement of some specific group of students on the test.
An excellence or deficiency of a particular student‟s standing among those in the
specified group.

4. The distribution of items over the domain of achievement sample by the test: The
items in a criterion-referenced test cluster round a limited number of specific objectives.
For example a criterion-referenced test might focus on 20 distinct objectives, using five
items for each objective in order to determine whether or not the student has attained it.
The result would be 100 items criterion-referenced test. The result in a norm-referenced
test would be diffused more widely across the domain of learning. Each of the 100
items would involve a separate aspect of achievement.

5. The use made of the test information: - The purpose of a norm-referenced test score
is simply to indicate a student‟s degree of success in learning. The criterion-referenced
test, on the other hand, is used with instructional procedures intended to ensure that
certain things will be learned.

6. Quality of test items: In the norm referenced test, the quality of test items is high
written by specialists, pre-tested and selected on the basis of effectiveness. In the
criterion-referenced test, quality is unknown unless test.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 21

7. Reliability: In the norm referenced test. Reliability is high. In the criterion-referenced

test, reliability is usually unknown, can be high if carefully constructed.

8. Example: The norm referenced test e.g. Standardized Achievement Test.

The criterion-referenced test e.g. informal class-room tests, individual tests.

3.4. Performance Tests: Oral & Practical assessment (Examples, Merits, Limitations,

Suggestions for improvement, Criteria for evaluation)

Oral test

 The oral test is a face to face question answer activity between the teacher and the
learner.

 The teacher (examiner) judges the quality of the answers and grades the examinee
accordingly.

 More than one examiner may also participate in the panel.

Characteristics of an oral test

 When written test fails to evaluate the objectives related to oral expression, clear
pronunciation, memorizing and reciting the poem, presenting rhymes, speaking skills,
logical power of the students, etc., the oral test comes forward to assist the teachers.

 A student answers the question raised orally by the examiner.

 If the student is unsatisfied, the examiner can (a) rephrase or modify the question, or
(b) ask the other question.
 Framework of the questions and marks are predetermined.
 Marks are given by nothing true or false answers given by the students.
 If supplements written test.
Merits of an oral Test:
 It helps a teacher to know whether a student knows;
 If helps a teacher to make evaluation continuous;
 Some objectives like oral expression, pronunciation, recitation, etc., are evaluated by
this type of test only;

 It permits the examiner to determine how well a pupil can synthesise, integrate and
organize his ideas and express himself;

 It permits free response by students;

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 22

 It is best for young children who have not mastered the skills of reading and writing;

 The relative informality of the oral test is far less frightening to a timid child;

 It permits a detailed probing by the examiner and hence may be very useful in the
diagnostic sense. A very well qualified examiner can actually elicit responses that
may be indicative of a student‟s thinking process;

 The pupil can ask for clarification; he can ask to have the question rephrased;

 The examiner is able to calm a student by either rephrasing a question or by

reassuring him.

 It is valuable for testing physically handicapped students who are unable to take
written tests

 It is valuable in those situations where the objectives is to see how a pupil will
conduct himself before a group of people (e.g. a course in public speaking);

 It saves a lot of the expense involved in written tests.

 Proper evaluation of the knowledge, understanding and skill of the students can be
easily done.

 There is no corruption of leaking question paper or of copying.

 Students do not face problems like bad handwriting or slow speed of writing.

 Personal meeting with the students enhances perfectness in the evaluation.

Limitations of an Oral Test

 It provides for a very limited sampling of the content of a course;

 It has low reliability because of inadequate sampling. The teacher is forced to

evaluate each student on the basis of a very limited sample of responses;

 It is very subjective: (a) it is affected by minor changes in the psychological and

physical states of the teacher or the students; (b) it is influenced by what the examiner
knows about the examinee and so may not be equally fair to all pupils; (c) it permits
favoritism by the teacher.

 It cannot have a permanent objectives record of the student‟s responses for future
reference (unless taperecorders are used); and item analysis is difficult to obtain;

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 23

 The results cannot be accumulated for reference to any other person than the examiner
himself (unless taperecorders are used);

 It is very costly and time-consuming, for only one students can be tested at a time;

 It often encourages lack of planning;

 The questions put to different students may have a different difficulty value;
comparability of questions is difficult to obtain;

 It does not provide a compete picture of the abilities of a students.

 It does not test a student extensively or efficiently.‟

Suggestions for improving an oral Test

 Decide first the objectives and the content area;

 Only those objectives, which cannot be evaluated by the written test should be
evaluated by an oral test;

 Plan for the questions to be used and also for acceptable answers;

 Decide on the method of grading beforehand;

 Questions of almost equal difficulty value should be asked.

Criteria for evaluation – Oral Assessment

• Pronunciation

• Grammatical correctness

• Vocabulary and usage

• Delivery – to speak fluently.

• Manners and gestures

• Effect – to speak effectively.

Practical test

Introduction

•Knowledge of how to do something does not lend itself well to either free-response or
multiple-choice questions.

•It may be demonstrated only by practical type test

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 24

•Art, Music, Language, Science and Math fall into this category.

Tests of the Science may include Laboratory experiments to make sure that the student has
learned not only the body of knowledge comprising the science but also the experimental
methods through which it has been developed

Concept

•Tests wherein students are made to perform a particular task rather than talk about it or write
about it are known as Practical type tests.

•Most commonly used in subjects like Science, Mathematics.

•It is usually combined with Written exam as 80:20 proportion or so .

•Usually performed in the respective lab.

•Tests the different skills of students. E.g.: Fine motor skills, concentration, perseverance,
ability to draw conclusions etc.

It consists of two important aspects:

 the procedure/technique

 the product /result on the basis of this practical tests are classified in to object test- test
conducted in order to find out knowledge of an individual. it helps in measuring
knowledge ,concepts, and understanding ,which are prerequisites to certain skills
performance measures: the process by which a pupil produces some type of desired
results ,is appropriately observed and evaluated. are you organized ? how systematic you
are?

 Product evaluation the quality of skill performance can be evaluated in terms of

characteristics of the completed product.

Purpose of practical examination:

 It is an integral part of science teaching, work experience, and supw,

 languages and social studies it is in the form of projects,

 important for assessing pupils growth in psychomotor domain,

 advantages of practical exams provides comprehensive evidence of pupils

development,

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 25

 practical application of theory brings in realism,

 provide opportunities for developing skills related to vocation of a practical nature,

 caters individual differences provides comprehensive evidence of pupils development,

 practical application of theory brings in realism

 provide opportunities for developing skills related to vocation of a practical nature,

 caters individual differences cannot be organized for all subjects,

 difficult to organize practical examinations for large number,

 it is time consuming,

 it requires skilled and trained teachers,

 evaluation of practical work formulation of practical work,

 proper sampling of skills,

 proportionate weightage to different types of skills,

 adequate coverage of content area,

 appropriate difficulty level of each task,

 uniform instructions,

 Several topics in subjects like Science cannot be tested by essay or objective type test.
Eg. Dissection or Titration,

 Actual understanding of such topics and application can be tested only by practical
tests,

 It provides an opportunity to students to display various skills.

Advantages

 Is a firsthand experience, hence learning is for longer time or permanent.

•Most of the students are comfortable with academic learning this leads to lack of skill in
practical world.

•There is great satisfaction in being able to accomplish something. When you develop a
practical skill, you can see the results right away

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 26

•Task seems easy to listen or read but is much complex in practical and mastering that gives
satisfaction.

•Skills and talents can help you develop in the adult world.

•Find connections to your profession

•Skills help you develop confidence

•Practical learning is not for the less academic. Many universities today deliver learning that
has both a theoretical and practical basis, from medicine to engineering, in order for it to be
relevant to the world of work.

Disadvantages

1. It is time consuming.

2. Needs lots of beforehand preparation and planning.

3. It is more expensive.

Suggestions

 The test should be properly managed to avoid confusion and chaos

 The resources and apparatus should be available to each and every student

 The Practical test should be conducted at individual level and not in group of students

 The instructions should be clearly given to the students before starting the test.

 Small groups (may be 5 to 7 students)

 Efficient and trained teachers

 Proper guidelines

 Neatness and cleanliness

 Constant supervision

 Ability to perform the given task

 Patience

 Feedback (how and why aspect)

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 27

Criteria for evaluation – Practical Test

• Planning phase

• Execution phase

• Reporting phase

3.5. Open Book Examination and Online Examination (Merits & Limitations)

Open book examinations

 An "open book examination" is one in which examinees are allowed to consult their
class notes, textbooks, and other approved material while answering questions.

 It is ideally suited to teaching programmes that especially aim at developing the skills
of critical and creative thinking.
Open book examination
 The main difference between open and closed book examination questions is the way
theory is used.

 An open book question provides the candidates with the theory the question is
examining and then asks them to demonstrate their ability to apply the theory to a
scenario.

 A closed book question will require the candidate to state the theory from memory.
Examples of Open book exam questions
What would be the situation of the country with respect to poverty and unemployment, if
Gandhiji was a leader of India today?

Merits of Open book examination

 Teaching as triggering mental development – teaching students how to learn

 Testing of thinking skills and problem solving skills
 Impact on learning strategies
 Impact on teaching strategies
 Thought provoking questions set
 More time devoted to mentally challenging questions
 More complex questions can be set as access to computer resources
 More accurate and in-depth answers can be expected – as access to resources

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 28

 Freed of the „no copying‟ rule governing traditional examinations and the
limitation on resource materials, questions in OBEs can approximate real-life
scenarios more closely.
 Reduces stress-load on students in preparing for the exam.
 Quality of responses would be higher as the students have had more time to
research and consider their response.

Demerits of Open book examination

 Difficult to ensure that all students are equally equipped regarding the books they
bring into the exam with them, because the stocks of library books may be
limited and also some books may be expensive to students
 More desk space is needed for students during the examination because students
often need lots of desk space for their textbooks, notes and other reference
materials
 Sometimes students may spend too much time on finding out which parts of the
books to look for answers instead of applying the knowledge, practical skills and
reasoning ability
 A lot of students are unfamiliar with open-book examinations. They must be
provided with clear procedures and rules.
 Students can simply memorise pre-prepared answers and reproduce them in the
exam.
 Students will only focus on the material to be examined and put other important
material from their mind.
 Equality of Opportunity - the written exam will have to be adjusted for students
with certain learning disabilities such as dyslexia

Online examination

 Online Examination helps the students for appearing for the exam online. Its mission
is to offer a quick and easy way to appear for the exam and it also provide the result
immediately after the exam.
 Online exam is the most easiest and economic way to assess a student‟s ability by
saving time.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 29

Merits of online examination

 Can be conducted for remote candidates

 Evaluation of answers can be fully automated for MCQ questions
 Essay type questions can be evaluated manually or through automated systems,
depending on nature of questions and requirement
 Online examination can be conducted at any time.
 The students don‟t waste much time to answer the question because they only click on
the best answer then it answered on OMR sheet.
 Does not incur high cost as in traditional exam as there is no paper work, no
invigilators, no arrangement f exam centers.
 Can have a centralized database of questions and Internet will be used as a media for
disseminating and conducting test, thus manintaining a uniform pattern for all
examinees
 Task of maintaining the record of scores and the tests for which a candidate has
appeared can be kept
 Progress reports can be printed at any time by just providing necessary details.
 Teachers can focus on remedial measures based on records instead of corrections
 Parents can keep a track of their children's progress.
 Online exam system can support multimedia such as images , photos and graphs
which can be used while framing various types of questions
 Overcome disabilities : Computers can be customised as per requirements.

Demerits of online examination

 Some test takers are resistant to the computerized testing process because they are
accustomed to taking notes and circling questions and/or answers for later review.
 Some can read more quickly and more easily on paper than on a glaring computer
screen.
 Technical problems- software versions, computers hang
 Connectivity issues
 Hacking
 Power failures
 Cheating
 Less use of paper but not low power

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education

 30

10 MARK QUESTIONS
1. Illustrate the Performance based process oriented Assessment.
2. “Essay tests are considered superior to objective tests when a teacher wishes to
evaluate higher order objectives”. Discuss this statement with reference to merits and
limitations of these tests.
3. “The limitations of objective type tests can be overcome by use of essay type tests”.
Explain.
4. “Essay type test has survived in spite of severe criticism.” Justify with reference to
merits of this test. How can a teacher improve quality of essay type test?
5. Compare essay type test and objective type test.
6. Explain the characteristics of essay and objective type tests with four examples each.
7. Describe the guidelines for improving construction of essay type questions with
relevant examples.
8. Describe the guidelines for improving the assessment of essay type questions.
9. “Oral examination is an essential form of evaluation in spite of its limitations.
“Justify.
10. Explain the significance of oral examination in comprehensive evaluation. Give its
merits and limitations.
11. Elucidate the importance of practical examination in evaluation process. Give its
merits and limitations.
12. Elaborate the merits and demerits of online examination.
13. Elaborate the merits and demerits of open book examination.

14. Differentiate between Criterion Referenced Tests and Norm Referenced tests.

Dr Hema R Bhadawkar FC 7 : Assessment For Learning: Unit3 K J Somaiya College of Education