Module

1
Nature and Roles of Assessment
Intended Learning Outcome
At the end of the module, the students will be able to explain the
nature and roles of a good assessment, and its relevance to learners,
teachers, parents, and stakeholders.

Assessment is said to be at the core of the learning process. This implies that
assessment is primarily for gauging and enhancing student learning. It is therefore paramount
for students, teachers, and stakeholders to understand what assessment all it is about, why is
needed and how it is connected to measurement, testing and evaluation. These shall be taken
up in the first module. Module 1 has two lessons: Concepts and Relevance of Assessment and
Roles of Assessment.

Lesson 1: Concepts and Relevance of Assessment

Introduction

With the directive of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to implement

outcome-based education (OBE) across all programs (CMO 46, s. 2012), it is imperative that
educators are aware of the emphasis of OBE in terms of assessment. CHED defines OBE as
“an approach that focuses and organizes the educational system around what is essential for
all learners to know, value and be able to do to achieve the desired level of competence”
(CHED, 2014, p.9). As future educators like you, it is a must that you know well everything
about assessment and how it should be done with the emphasis of OBE. This way, it will not
be impossible for you to be an effective educator having your students to undergo an
effective teaching-learning process.

Activity

A 15-item pre-test will be given in order for the students to have a clear picture of
what the first module is all about.

Analysis

1. What is assessment?
2. Why do we need to assess our students?
3. How does assessment inform instructional decisions?

Measurement, Testing, Assessment and Evaluation

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 A. MEASUREMENT

Measurement comes from the old French word mesure, which means “limit or quantity”.
Basically, it is a quantitative description of an object’s characteristic or attribute. In
education, teachers use tools or instruments like tests, oral presentations, written reports,
portfolios, and rubrics to obtain pertinent information. A quantitative measure like a score of
30 out of 50 in a written examination does not hold meaning unless interpreted. Measurement
stops once a numerical value is ascribed. Making a value judgment belongs to evaluation.

B. TESTING

Testing is a formal, systematic procedure for gathering information (Russell & Airasian,
2012). A test is a tool comprised of a set of questions for all students (Miller, Linn &
Gronlund, 2009). Tests are the most dominant form of assessment. The issue concerning its
effectiveness to measure and effectively evaluate learning is resolved if questions target and
reflect learning outcomes and covers the different learning domains.

Types of Tests

1. According to Mode of Response

 Oral test – answers are spoken and can be used to measure communication
skills.
 Written tests – are activities wherein students either select or provide a
response (ex. True/false, multiple choice, matching type, short-answer, essays,
completion, and identification).
 Performance tests – are activities that require students to demonstrate their
skills or ability to perform specific actions.

2. According to Ease of Quantification of Response

Objective test – can be corrected and quantified quite easily. This test has a
single or specific convergent response (ex. True/false, multiple choice,
matching type and completion).
 Subjective test – elicits varied responses. A test question of this type may have
more than one answer (ex. Restricted and extended-response essays).
3. According to Mode of Administration

 Individual test
 Group test

4. According to Test Constructor

 Standardized tests – are prepared by specialists who are versed in the

principles of assessment. They are administered to a large group of students or
examiners under similar conditions. Results of standardized tests serve as an
indicator of instructional effectiveness and a reflection of the school’s
performance.
 Non-standardized tests – are prepared by teachers who may not be adept at the
principles of test construction. Non-standardized tests are usually administered

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  to one or few classes to measure subject or course achievement. Scores are not
subjected to any statistical procedure to determine reliability and test items are
not thoroughly examined for validity.

5. According to Mode of Interpreting Results

 Criterion-referenced – describe each student’s performance against an agreed

upon or pre-established criterion or level of performance.
 Norm-referenced – measures a student’s performance in relation to the
performance of a group on the same test. Comparisons are made and the
student’s relative position is determined.

6. According to Nature of Answer

 Personality test – has no right or wrong answer, but it measures one’s

personality and behavioral style. In schools, personality tests determine
personality strengths and weaknesses.
 Achievement tests – measure students’ learning because of instruction and
training experiences.
 Aptitude tests – determine a student’s potential to learn and do new tasks. It
aids in choosing the best line of work for an individual based on his/her skills
and interests.
 Intelligence tests – measure learner’s innate intelligence or mental ability.
Intelligence test taps into the three independent aspects of intelligence:
analytic, practical, and creative.
 Sociometric test – measures interpersonal relationships in a social group. The
test allows learners to express their preferences in terms of likes and dislikes
for other members of the group.
 Trade or vocational test – assesses an individual’s knowledge, skills, and
competence in a particular occupation. Upon successful completion of the test,
the individual is given certification for qualification.

Functions of Testing

1. Instructional Functions

 Facilitates the clarification of meaningful learning objectives.

 Provides a means of feedback to the instructor and the student.
 Can motivate and facilitate learning.

2. Administrative Functions

 Provides a mechanism of quality control.

 Facilitates better classification and placement decisions.
 Can increase the quality of selection decisions.
 Can be a useful means of accreditation, mastery or certification.

3. Research and Evaluation

 Useful for program evaluation and research.

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 4. Guidance Functions

 Can be of value in diagnosing an individual’s special aptitudes and abilities.

C. ASSESSMENT

Assessment comes from the Latin word assidēre which means “to sit beside a judge”. This
implies that assessment is tied up with evaluation. Miller, Linn & Gronlund (2009) defined
assessment as any method utilized to gather information about student performance.

Nature of Assessment

Assessment is a process that can be placed in two broad categories: measures of maximum
performance and measures of typical performance.

1. Maximum Performance – is achieved when learners are motivated to perform well.

In this category, students are encouraged to aim for a high score (ex. Spelling tests,
arithmetic tests, periodical tests, and NAT).

2. Typical Performance – a measure of typical performance shows what students will

do or choose to do. It is more focused on the learner’s level of motivation rather than
his optimal ability.

Purposes of Assessment

There are three interrelated purposes of assessment:

1. Assessment for Learning (AfL) – pertains to diagnostic and formative assessment

tasks which are used to determine learning needs, monitor academic progress of
students during a unit or block of instruction and guide instruction (ex. Pre-tests,
written assignments, quizzes, concept maps, focused questions).

2. Assessment as Learning (AaL) – employs tasks or activities that provide students

with an opportunity to monitor and further their own learning, to think about their
personal learning habits and how they can adjust their learning strategies to achieve
their goals.

3. Assessment of Learning (AoL) – is summative and done at the end of a unit, task,
process, or period. Its purpose is to provide evidence of a student’s level of
achievement in relation to curricular outcomes. It is used for grading, evaluation, and
reporting purposes.

D. EVALUATION

Evaluation comes in after the data had been collected from an assessment task. According
to Russell and Airasian (2012), evaluation is the process of judging the quality of a
performance or course of action. As what its etymology indicates (French word évaluer),
evaluation entails finding the value of an educational task. This means that assessment data

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gathered by the teacher must be interpreted to make sound decisions about students and the
teaching-learning process.

Relevance of Assessment

1. Students – through varied learner-centered and constructive assessment tasks,

students become actively engaged in the learning process. They take responsibility for
their own learning.

2. Teachers – assessment results can reveal which teaching methods and approaches are
most effective. They provide direction as to how teachers can help students more and
what teachers should do next.

3. Parents – they are a valued source of assessment information on the educational

history and learning habits of their children. Assessment data can help identify needs
of children for appropriate intervention.

4. Administrators and Program Staff – they use assessment to identify strengths and
weaknesses of the program.

5. Policymakers – assessment provides information about students’ achievements which

in turn reflect the quality of education being provided by the school. With this
information, government agencies can set or modify standards, reward or sanction
schools and direct educational resources.

Application (Concept Clarification)

A lot has been said and written about assessments in books and journals but there are
still people or even teachers who have misconceptions about the effective use of assessment
in the classroom. Modern educational assessment is now shifting away from examinations.
Twenty-first century assessments are focused on both the learning process and the assessment
outcome. Assessment tasks are becoming more authentic, collaborative and focused toward
higher-order thinking skills.
Rectify the following misconceptions. Explain in two to three sentences why they are
incorrect.

1. Assessment and evaluation are one and the same.

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2. Assessment is completed once every grading period.
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3. Assessment is one-way. Only teachers are involved in assessment.

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 _____________________________________________________________________
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4. Assessment is ultimately for grading purposes.

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5. Student’s work should always be given a grade or mark.

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6. Assessment is the responsibility of program coordinators/supervisors.

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7. Assessment is imposed on teachers by the school and accrediting agencies.

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8. Formative assessment is a kind of test teachers use to find out what their students
know.
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9. Instruction informs assessment but not the other way around.

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10. Assessment is an average of performances across a teaching period.

_____________________________________________________________________
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_________

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 Module
1
Nature and Roles of Assessment
Intended Learning Outcome
At the end of the module, the students will be able to explain the
nature and roles of a good assessment, and its relevance to learners,
teachers, parents, and stakeholders.

Assessment is said to be at the core of the learning process. This implies that
assessment is primarily for gauging and enhancing student learning. It is therefore paramount
for students, teachers and stakeholders to understand what assessment all it is about, why is
needed and how it is connected to measurement, testing and evaluation. These shall be taken
up in the first module. Module 1 has two lessons: Concepts and Relevance of Assessment and
Roles of Assessment.

Lesson 2: Roles of Assessment

Introduction

There are four roles of assessment used in the instructional process. Miller, Linn &
Gronlund (2009) identified these as functional roles of assessment in classroom instruction.
Analogously, Nitko (1994) enumerated these as instructional decisions supported by tests.
These four roles of assessment are taken in lesson 2 of the first module.

Activity

Activity: Meme Maker

You goal is to think of analogies or metaphors for the roles of assessment: placement,
formative, diagnostic and summative. Use them and create your own memes. Give a brief
explanation for each meme (3-5 sentences).

The word “meme” was coined by Richard Dawkins to explain how cultural information
spreads. Now, it pertains to an idea that spreads from person to person within a culture,
commonly taking the form of an image or photo with an accompanying word or phrase.

Below are images with integrated metaphors about the roles of assessment.

Placement assessment means …

Locating a student in the …

When the cook tastes the soup, that’s formative. “Instructional Number Line”
When the guests taste the soup, that’s 7
summative.
 Analysis

1. As students, how does assessment affect your studies?

2. From what you have observed in your class, how does assessment help teachers in the
conduct of an effective teaching-learning process?

Roles of Assessment

1. Placement Assessment

Placement assessment is basically used to determine a learner’s entry

performance. Done at the beginning of instruction, teachers assess through a readiness
pre-test whether students possess pre-requisite skills needed prior to instruction.

2. Formative Assessment

Formative assessment mediates the teaching and learning processes. It occurs

during instruction. Results of formative assessments are recorded for the purpose of
monitoring students’ learning progress. However, these are not used as bases for
students’ marks.

Positive Effects of Formative Assessment

1. Reactivates or consolidates pre-requisite skills or knowledge prior to introducing

new materials.
2. Focuses attention on important aspects of the subject.
3. Encourages active learning strategies.
4. Gives students opportunities to practice skills and to consolidate learning.
5. Provides knowledge of outcomes and corrective feedback.
6. Helps students monitor their own progress and develop self-evaluation skills.
7. Guides the choice of further learning activities to increase performance; and
8. Helps students to feel a sense of accomplishment.

Attributes of an Effective Formative Assessment

1. Learning progressions should clearly communicate the sub goals of the ultimate
learning goal.
2. Learning goals and criteria for success should be clearly identified and
communicated to students.
3. Students should be provided with evidence-based feedback that is linked to the
intended instructional outcomes and criteria for success.
4. Self- and peer-assessment for providing students an opportunity to think
metacognitively about their learning.

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 5. A classroom culture in which teachers and students are partners in learning should
be established.

3. Diagnostic Assessment

Diagnostic assessment is intended to identify learning difficulties during

instruction. It is used to detect causes of persistent learning difficulties despite the
pedagogical remedies applied by the teacher.

4. Summative Assessment

Summative assessment is done at the end of instruction to determine the extent to

which the students have attained the learning outcomes. It is used for assigning and
reporting grades or certifying mastery of concepts and skills. An example of a
summative assessment is the written examination at the end of the school year to
determine who passes and who fails.

There is another form of assessment called interim assessment. Interim assessments

have the same purpose as formative assessments, but these are given periodically throughout
the school year. They prepare students for future assessments. For example, to predict which
students are on course to succeed in a national achievement test or high school/college
admission test, the school gives interim tests to students every eight weeks.

Assessment Scenarios

What is the purpose of assessment shown in the following assessment settings? Select
from the options below. Write your 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 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 to go back to formal schooling. The test
determines the grade or year level appropriate for the learner.

2. Every year, a national normed assessment is given to grade 3 pupils in English, Math
and Science.

3. The teacher returned a student’s Math worksheet with 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.

4. 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.

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5. An English teacher regularly assesses student’s skills by using probes which are brief,
easily administered measures. The teacher the 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.

6. 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.

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