CHAPTER VI: ASSESSMENT OF

LEARNING

LESSON 1: Determining the Nature of Assessment

This lesson will guide you in understanding the purposes, principles, and
approaches assessing students learning. Specifically, the objectives of this
lesson are the following:

 distinguish the purposes of assessment;

 explain and evaluate the guiding principles of assessment; and

 compare the basic approaches in educational assessment

Education Theory

Assessment refers to the measurement of how effectively the students

learned, usually against stated learning outcomes (Reece and Walker 2003).
In addition, DepEd Order 55, series of 2016, defined assessment as the
process of measuring learner's progress in the attainment of learning
standards and 21st century skills. The results of the various forms of
assessment shall be used to quantify judgments on the learner's academic
performance.
There are several purposes why teachers assess their students' performance
based on Oxford Brookes University. It might be for motivating, creating
learning opportunities providing grades and feedback, or ensuring quality
assurance. The assessment data will be utilized to reach educational
decisions.

Educational Testing Service (2003) outlined three basic but essential

questions in developing and using assessment:

1. What am I trying to find out about my students learning? What learning

goals or outcomes do I want to measure? or outcomes do I want to
measure?

2. What kind of evidence do I need to show that my students have

achieved the goals that I am trying to measure?

3. What kind of assist will give me that evidence?

Furthermore, assessment according to Gutierrez (2007) is guided with six

principles that are worth considering

1. Address learning targets or curriculum goals.

2. Provide efficient feedback on instructions.

3. Use a variety of assessment procedures.

4. Ensure that sent is valid, reliable, and fair.

5. Keep record of assessment.

6. Interpret and communicate results of sent meaningfully.

There are two basic approaches in interpreting assessment results, the

norm and criteria referenced assessment.
The first approach is the norm-reference assessment which measures the
student performance compared with the rest of the students who were
given a specific task or test. It gives the student's relative status among
other students. For example, Sean Xavier is the top I of the class. This
example shows Sean Xavier's standing compared to other students in the
class.

On the other hand, the second approach is the criterion-referenced

assessment which measures the student's condition based on a certain
criteria or related task. It depicts what a student can and cannot do. For
example, Sean Xavier can recite the poem correctly, clearly, and properly.
This example shows that Sean Xavier can perform the given task without
comparing his performance to the performance of other students.

LESSON 2: Preparing for Assessment

This lesson will guide you in understanding the preliminary preparations

in assessing student's learning. Specifically, the objectives of this lessons
are the following.

• Discuss the importance of table of specification

• Create a table of specifications for one grading period, and

• Critique a table of specification

Education Theory

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to
fail." Preparation is a vital element for any success. Nowadays, many
people become successful with whatever endeavor they are in because they
are prepared.
Assessment is not just simply judging, grading, and reporting of student
performance. Assessing student learning and achievement is more than
that. To make every assessment a huge success, there are several
preparations that should be done ahead of time.

Before the teacher writes the test items, he/she should anticipate the
numbers of test items that will be included to measure and evaluate
student performance. In doing this, a table of specifications must be
prepared.

A table of specifications, sometimes called test blueprint, is a table or chart

that helps the teachers align objectives, instruction, and assessment (Notar
et al., 2004). This tool is commonly used in constructing summative tests.
This can also be done in one-way or two-way depending on the purpose. It
includes the learning outcomes to be tested, number of recitation days,
number of items for each learning outcome to be tested, percentage of
items and item placement.

Objectives Number of Number of Percentage Item

recitation items of items placement
Days

1. Define noun 2 3 6% 1-3

2. Differentiate 3 5 10% 4-8

proper and
common nouns

3. Write 4 7 14% 9-15

sentences
using proper
common nouns
 4. Determine 3 5 10% 9-15
collective
nouns

5. Compare 4 7 14% 16-20

abstract from
concrete nouns

6. Define 2 3 6% 28-30
pronouns

7. Enumerate the 7 12 24% 31-42

different kinds
pronouns

8. Use the 5 8 43-50

different kinds
16%
of pronouns in
a sentence

TOTAL 30 50 100%

LESSON 3: Writing Good Test Items

This lesson will guide you in understanding how to properly and correctly
construct good test items. Specifically, the objectives of this lesson are the
following:

• determine select type from supply type;

•evaluate the select and supply type in a test; and

•construct good select and supply test items.

Education Theory

Sometimes, the way the teacher constructs the test items hinders the
students from getting the right answer. Aside from mastering the content
and pedagogy, teachers should be knowledgeable on how to properly
construct good test items.

Gutierrez (2007) pointed out ten (10) general rules that the teachers should
consider in writing any type of test item.

1. The test item should match the desired learning outcome or competency.
It should measure the behavior and content of an instructional objective.

2. There should be only one correct or best answer that experts generally
agree. Avoid answers that need a lot of argumentation or debate.

3. The language used in all the items should be simple, clear, and definite.

4. The test items should present a clear and definite task. No ambiguous
term should be used.

5. The test items should follow acceptable rules of grammar. Correct usage,
proper use of capitalization and punctuation marks should be observed.
Subject-verb agreement must be correct.

6. All items of the same type should be grouped together. All true-false
items should be grouped together.

7. The test items should be arranged from the easiest to the most difficult. If
easy items are placed at the beginning of a test the students are motivated
to answer the next succeeding items.
8. More items than actual needed must be prepared. Extra items can
replace discarded items during review and editing process.

9. A scoring key or key to correction should be prepared. It avoids pattern

clue to the correct answers. Also, in this way, ambiguous items can be
detected.

10. Test items should be prepared in advance. They should be subjected to

review and editing for clarity and conciseness.

Test items can be categorized into two basic types of test items: the select
type and the supply type.

In the select type items, several possible answers are presented. The
students are required to choose the correct or best answer. This test type is
easier to answer compared to the supply type. Some examples of select
type items are multiple-choice, matching type, and true-or-false.

Moreover, the supply types items can be answered by providing the right
word, phrase, or even sentences. The students are asked to supply their
own answers to specific questions. Some examples of supply type items are
short answers and essay.

LESSON 4: Creating and Using Rubrics

This lesson will guide you in understanding the purpose of using and
constructing rubrics for a certain activity. Specifically, the objectives of this
lesson are the following:

•explain the purpose of using rubrics;

•evaluate a sample scoring rubric; and

•create and use a rubric for a particular class activity.

Education Theory

One of the major trends in educational assessment is the shift from the
paper-and-pencil test to authentic skills assessment. Authentic assessment
refers to the application of real-world tasks performed by the students
inside the classroom. This new shift in assessment is integrated inside the
classroom through different performance tasks given and supervised by
the teachers.

The performance tasks as emphasized in DepEd Order 8, series of 2015,

allow learners to show what they know and are able to do in diverse ways.
They may create or innovate products or do performance-based tasks.
Performance-based tasks may include skills demonstration, group
presentations, oral work, multimedia presentations, and research projects.

Components Language/AP/ESP Science/Math Mapeh/Epp/Tle

Written works 30% 40% 20%

Performance 50% 40% 60%

task

Quarterly 20% 20% 20%

assessment

Rubrics, as defined by The Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching,

are grading tools that provide a systematic method of scoring students
based on detailed performance standards. Rubrics are most commonly
used to grade presentations, papers, portfolios, speeches, and projects
where the grading may otherwise be subjective. The primary purpose of
the rubric is to standardize the assessment and provide more consistent
grading. The rubric also serves as an effective communication tool between
the faculty member and the students by outlining expectations in advance.
Students will clearly know and understand the standards that are expected
for each grading level.

Gutierrez (2008) outlined the steps in developing a scoring rubric:

1. Identify the qualities that will be looked into a student's output.

2. Define the criteria from top to bottom level of performance.

3. Assign a numerical value to each level of performance.

LESSON 5: Preparing a Learning Portfolio
This lesson will guide you in understanding the importance of assessing
students' learning through preparing a learning portfolio. Specifically, the
objectives of this lesson are the following:

•explain the use of a learning portfolio;

•determine the purposes of developing learning portfolios; and

•prepare a field study portfolio.

Education Theory

Aside from the shift from the paper-and-pencil test to authentic skills
assessment, another trend in educational assessment is the use of portfolio
in assessing students' learning.

Portfolio' as defined by Hart (1994), is a container that holds evidence of an

individual's skills, ideas, interests, and accomplishments. Furthermore,
Gutierrez (2008) defined portfolio as a collection of student work that has
been selected and organized to show student-learning progress
(developmental portfolio) or to show sample of student's best work
(showcase portfolio). It is not a scrapbook but a purposeful collection of
anything worth considering.

The ultimate aim in using a portfolio is to develop independent, self-

directed learners. Long-term portfolios provide a more accurate picture of
students' specific achievements and progress and the areas that need
attention (Partin 2005).

Winter (1990) as cited in Mitchell (1992) outlined thirty-five purposes of

using a portfolio in assessing students learning and progress although we
will only highlight on preparing a learning portfolio as a teaching and
assessment tool.
As a teaching tool:

1. to provide students ownership, motivation, a sense of accomplishment,

and participation;

2. to involve students in a process of self-evaluation;

3. to help students and teachers set goals;

4. to build in time for reflection about students' accomplishments;

5. to individualize writing instruction;

6. to provide more reasons/opportunities to write;

7. to set up an apprenticeship situation:

8. to connect reading, writing, and thinking;

9. to aid in parent conferences;

10. to give importance to daily writings; and

11. to extend the amount of time devoted to practice in writing.

As an assessment tool:

1. to serve as an alternative to standardized testing;

2. to serve as a college application/high school placement vehicle;

3. to replace competency exams;

4. to serve as a grade or end-of-year culminating activity;

5. to provide program evaluation; and

6. to serve as a vehicle for changing the schools' conversation with the
public.