MODULE #1

BASIC CONCEPTS IN ASSESSMENT

Upon completion of this module, the students are expected to :
1. Differentiate Test, Measurement, Evaluation and Assessment
2. Explain the process and scope of evaluation.
3. Discuss the importance of evaluating learning outcomes.
4. Appreciate the role of measurement and evaluation as a tool in the teaching and learning process.
Test, Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment Defined
You as a teacher, need to know the meaning of terms: test, measurement, evaluation and
assessment so that you can understand significant concepts to be taught later.

Assessment
The first word which must be defined is assessment, itself. Assessment is the act of
collecting information about individuals or groups of individuals in order to better
understand them.
The twin purposes of assessment are to provide feedback to students and to serve as a
diagnostic tool for instruction. In essence, assessment answers the questions:
Did the students achieve the intended standards?
If the student did not achieve the intended standards, will the feedback he/she received
help improve the students performance?
Was the instruction effective?
If the instruction was NOT effective, how can I, the teacher, improve my instruction to
meet the needs of all students?
The results of the assessment are shared with both the students and the teacher. In this
manner, should the assessment indicate a need for improvement, students can explore new study
strategies and teachers can search out and implement new instructional techniques.

Testing and Measurement

Measurement as used by teachers is a process of collecting information about the
performance of a student or a class. It is a descriptive process. It answers such questions as Can
Mario measure liquid volume accurately? Which students can operate a microscope? Who
can define which words? How many of 50 objective questions on elementary cell theory did
Susan answer correctly? Can Pedro communicate his thoughts clearly in an oral report?

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

Measurement often includes the assignment of a number to express in quantitative terms

the degree to which a pupil possesses a given characteristic. For instance, we measure Karls
ability to communicate, and then we record that he earned 60 of 100 points on a scoring sheet;
we observe John and note that he can place an organism on a slide, locate it, and bring it into
clear focus using high- and low-power; we test Susan to learn that she can match 70 of the words
with their definitions; etc. In each case, we have measured a students performance and reported
it in numerical or descriptive terms. Such quantification tends to increase objectivity of the
description so that it will have the same meaning from time to time and from person to person.
Measurement is not an end in itself. It does not imply judgments concerning the worth or
value of the behavior being measured.
One of the most common tools of measurement used by teachers is the paper and pencil
test. It measures many kinds of performance well. It is obviously not the only tool, however. A
graduated cylinder is the tool to measure Marios ability, a checklist or rating scale would help
measure ability to communicate orally. Scales, cameras, tally sheets, anecdotal records and many
more tools are used to collect information about (measure) student performance.
Measurement can be defined as the process of quantifying attributes or characteristics of
learners through the use of appropriate measuring instruments (examination, test, quiz, rating
scales, rubrics).

Testing, on the other hand is a technique of acquiring information needed for evaluation
purposes through an assigned set of tasks to be performed (called a test). A test may be defined
as a set of items or questioned designed to be given to one or more students (to be answered or to
be done or to be shown such as for skills and attitudes) under specified conditions.

Evaluation
It is a process of summing up the results of measurements or tests, giving them some
meaning based on value judgments. From the educational standpoint, it may be defined as a
systematic process determining the extent to which instructional objectives are achieved by the
learners. (Gronlund, 1981)
Evaluation is much more comprehensive and inclusive than measurement since it is limited only
to the quantitative description of an attribute or characteristic and does not include qualitative description
and value judgment.

When a teacher makes value judgments about pupils performance, then she is doing
more than measuring. He is using measurement data to evaluate. All teachers evaluate pupils.
Evaluation takes place when a teacher determines which students have satisfactorily completed a
science course and which ones have not, when the teacher finds that John can operate the
microscope better than anyone in the class, when we decide which students are eligible for
participation in interschool competition and which students are not. Evaluation occurs when
teachers and parents compare a childs potential with his or her performance: it takes place when
teachers praise and encourage students. In our schools, evaluation is inescapable.

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

You may have noticed that in each example of evaluation above, there was a comparison
made. The performance of students in the science course was measured. That performance was
then compared to the minimum requirements for passing the class: those who met or exceeded
the requirements passed. Students qualifications or behavior was compared with the
requirements, and some students were found eligible to participate in interschool competition;
the childs performance was measured and then compared with his potential. Evaluation, then, is
a process of comparing students performance or characteristics against a standard...
A students performance may be compared with the performance of other students
(normative evaluation) as in the case of John abovehe can operate a microscope better than
anyone else in the class; or a students performance may be compared with a predetermined
standard (criterion evaluation) as in the case of determining which students are eligible for
interschool competition. Deciding that Anns spelling score of 70% earns her an A (any score of
65 to 80 is an A in this teachers class) is another example of criterion evaluation because the
teacher compared Anns score with the pre-set standard she had set for As, Bs, Cs, etc.
Although evaluations in education do not necessarily involve measurements, the usual
purpose of measuring is to provide data that may be used in the evaluative process.
To Help You Remember
Measurement:
*A process of collecting information.
*Describes pupil performance or characteristics.
*Usually expressed in quantitative terms.
*Provides information for decision making.
Evaluation:
*A process of comparing.
*Students are compared with other students or
*with a predetermined standard.
*Judgmentalvaluingdecision making
*Used to rank students or compare them to a standard

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

General Principles of Evaluation

1. Both evaluation and measurement decisions should be made in terms of the
purpose for which you will use them. This principle helps a teacher focus on the
purpose and use for the evaluation being planned. No evaluation or measure should
be planned until the teacher has identified the question she is trying to answer and
how the data from the measure are going to be used.
The decision making sequence should be as follows? The teacher has an instructional
problem to solve. He selects the appropriate form of evaluation. Then he develops a
measurement instrument or procedure. Using the measure, the teacher collects the desired
information. Using the information, the teacher solves the instructional problem.
If pupil learning is to be measured then specifying instructional objectives and material to
be learned is the first order of business. When intended learning outcomes have been identified,
then the kind of evaluation which is most appropriate can be planned and used. In evaluating
student ability to perform in the laboratory or in front of the class, for instance, one would select
a checklist or a rating scale rather than an objective paper and pencil test. The question, Is this
measure or kind of evaluation the best method for determining what I need to know about my
student, or my class to serve my specific purpose? must be asked and answered. The debate
over which is the best kind of test item or the best kind of test can only be resolved as you the
teacher carefully consider the purpose which the test will serve.
2. Evaluation of student learning is an integral part of the instructional process.
Instruction, well done, is more complex than standing before learners and lecturing on the topic
at hand. It begins with careful planning of what is to be learned and how students can best be
helped to learn the material. From the first, teachers may think of ways that students will show
what they have learned. As students study and learn, teachers observe and test and in several
other ways collect information (evaluate students) on trouble spots and misunderstandings and
skills finally mastered. After instruction, evaluation becomes more formal. Whenever evaluation
happens along the way it becomes the basis for revision of materials and activities and lectures.
We call this curriculum imbedded evaluation. Eventually the instructional cycle begins
again: plan, teach, evaluate, revise.
3. Comprehensive evaluation requires a variety of measurement techniques. Assuming
that many kinds of objectives are being accomplished in every science class in which students
enroll; recall, problem solving, performance, etc. then no single kind of measure is adequate. A
wide variety of techniques, instruments and procedures is required to measure the variety of
learnings to be measured. To get a complete picture of a students achievement then a teacher
must combine the results from many varied techniques.
4. Proper use of evaluation techniques requires an awareness of their limitations as well
as their strengths. Evaluation instruments vary from fairly well-developed standardized
tests to hurriedly made teacher constructed tests and procedures. Even the best have

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

serious limitations. For example, all standardized tests and teacher-made final
examinations are constructed so as to sample from the many ideas and skills taught to
students. It is almost impossible to use these kinds of tests to diagnose student learning
difficulties.
5. Evaluation is a means to an end and may an end in itself. Again we take you back to
consider the purpose for which you are evaluating students. The use of evaluation implies
that some useful purpose will be served and that you, the teacher are aware of that
purpose. There is no justification for collecting data on pupil performance unless a use for
the data is clearly in mind. In another part of this lesson you will learn about primary
purposes for measuring student learning. One of these purposes should usually be the
reason for your evaluation. If evaluation is seen as a process of collecting information so
as to make correct educational decisions then it will become an integral part of instruction
enhancing student learning.
Why Evaluate Students?
Teachers have many reasons for evaluating students. Some of the reasons are not
defensible and will not be discussed. Most of the main reasons are considered in this section.
They are classified as either primary or secondary reasons. You should know the difference
Primary Reasons
Primary reasons for evaluating pupils are those reasons which are an essential part of a
teachers main responsibilityhelping students improve in knowledge and skills, feelings and
attitudes; helping student learn.
1. Improving instructional materials: Teachers need information regarding how
effective teaching procedures, activities, the textbook, and other materials are in
teaching what needs to be learned. Evaluation can provide this. If the teacher has the
information and updates it frequently then he can modify and plan instruction which
will be best for the students.
2. Improving student learning: Both teachers and students need to know how students
are doing. First, of course, they should know what the goal is toward which the students are
studyingwhat they eventually need to know or to be able to do. If through evaluation teachers
and students get feedback as to what students already know, have learned, or dont know yet,
then teachers can direct students study appropriately to learn the remaining material.
3. Determining content mastery: Teachers evaluate students to determine if and when
they have mastered the subject matter.
4. Establishing criteria or standards of performance for the course: Through
evaluation a teacher can better decide how much of the material to be taught can
be learned in the time available by the kind of students who usually enroll in the

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

class. With this information the teacher can establish realistic criteria or standards
for the class.
5. Teaching: Evaluation activities, if appropriately planned and used, can be
powerful learning activities. Self-tests, for example, can communicate to students
what the teacher thinks is important and can give students valuable practice in
doing whatever they are learning to do.
Secondary Reasons:
Secondary reasons for evaluating pupils are those reasons which are not central to the
teachers responsibility to help students learn but which are often met through evaluation. The
needs of others involved in educationparents of the students, administrators, taxpayers, etc.
are met through evaluation, but for this course, these are secondary.
1. Grading students: Parents, administrators, universities, and sometimes employees need
evidence of pupil progress. Whether progress is reported as a ranking in the class or as a
score which represents how much of the subject has been acquired by the student,
evaluation provides the data for the report.
2. Placing students in special groups or ranking students for special purposes:
Sometimes teachers choose to group students according to their ability. Students are selected for
special experiences or honors, or contests. Evaluation is used to help teachers make the
decisions.
3. Conducting research on teaching methods or curriculum: Researchers often
measure students ability or growth or needs in order to make decisions regarding which method
is effective or which subjects should be taught.
4. Assessing and making decisions about school programs: Evaluation is also used to
monitor school programs and to compare programs or projects.
To sum it up, measurement and evaluation help to: measure students achievement,
evaluates instruction, identifies areas of difficulties, motivates the students to perform
well, and it serves as a gauge whether the student will pass or fail at the same time
predicts future success or failure. The chief purpose of evaluation is the improvement of
the individual learner. Other purposes : (1) to maintain standard, (2) to select students,
(3) to motivate learning, (4) to guide learning, (5) to furnish instruction, and (6) to
appraise educational instrumentalities.
The function includes: (1) prediction, (2) diagnosis and (3) research.
Areas of educational evaluation: (1) achievement, (2) aptitude, (3) interest and (4)
personality

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

Scope of Evaluation
1.
2.
3.
4.

Assessment of the school programs and curricular offerings

Assessment of instructional materials and facilities
Assessment of the teachers
Assessment of the learners and of their learning outcomes

Making robust assessments

Good assessment for learning makes:
an accurate assessment knowing what the standards are, judging pupils
work correctly, and making accurate assessments linked to National
standards and competency levels;
l a fair assessment knowing the methods used are valid;
l a reliable assessment ensuring that judgements are consistent and
based on a range of evidence;
l a useful assessment identifying barriers to pupil progress and using that
information to plan and discuss the next steps in learning.
l a focused assessment identifying areas of a childs learning where there
are blocks to progression, which might, for example, benefit from the
attention of one-to-one tuition;
l for continuity of assessment, enabling better transfer between years and
schools.
l

Evaluation in a Democratic School

Sudbury model of democratic education schools do not perform and do not offer
evaluations, assessments, transcripts, or recommendations, asserting that they do not rate people,

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

and that school is not a judge; comparing students to each other, or to some standard that has
been set is for them a violation of the students right to privacy and to self-determination .
Students decide for themselves how to measure their progress as self-starting learners as a
process of self-evaluation: real life-long learning and the proper educational evaluation for
the 21st Century, they adduce.
According to Sudbury schools, this policy does not cause harm to their students as they
move on to life outside the school. However, they admit it makes the process more difficult, but
that such hardship is part of the students learning to make their own way, set their own standards
and meet their own goals.
The no-grading and no-rating policy helps to create an atmosphere free of
competition among students or battles for adult approval, and encourages a positive cooperative environment amongst the student body.

ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

1. What is the significance of measurement and evaluation for educational planning and
purposes?
2. Is it possible to perform an educational evaluation without having to do an educational
measurement? Explain
3. How do effective measurement and evaluation practices help improve the level of
achievement of pupils/students?
4. Are the reasons mentioned for assessment and evaluation also true for college students?
What other reasons can you suggest to justify the importance of assessment of learning
among college students?
5. Comment on this statement: A school should be evaluated in terms of what it is trying to
accomplish (its philosophy and objectives embodied in its mission and vision).
6. Is the college entrance test a part of measurement and evaluation? Comment on the
advantages and disadvantages (if any) of this on the part of the (a)school and (b)
student.
7. Mr. Noynoy Villar has been teaching Engineering subjects for about ten years. It is
noticed that his only way of assessing his students learning is by giving major
examinations and quizzes. He never records attendance and recitation of students and
never gives project, assignment or laboratory activities. Comment on his manner of
grading students.

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

MODULE # 2
Roles of Assessment in Making Instructional Decision
Upon completion of this module, the students are expected to :
1. Discuss the roles of assessment in Education
2. Differentiate the different purposes of assessment
3. Cite examples of the different purposes of assessment
4. Formulate/Construct questions you need to ask for the different purposes
Educational assessment is the process of documenting, usually in measurable terms,
knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs. Assessment can focus on the individual learner, the
learning community (class, workshop, or other organized group of learners), the institution, or
the educational system as a whole. According to the Academic Exchange Quarterly: "Studies of a
theoretical or empirical nature (including case studies, portfolio studies, exploratory, or
experimental work) addressing the assessment of learner aptitude and preparation, motivation
and learning styles, learning outcomes in achievement and satisfaction in different educational
contexts are all welcome, as are studies addressing issues of measurable standards and
benchmarks.
It is important to notice that the final purposes and assessment practices in education
depends on the theoretical framework of the practitioners and researchers, their assumptions and
beliefs about the nature of human mind, the origin of knowledge and the process of learning.

Types
The term assessment is generally used to refer to all activities teachers use to help
students learn and to gauge student progress. Though the notion of assessment is generally more
complicated than the following categories suggest, assessment is often divided for the sake of
convenience using the following distinctions:
1.
2.

formative and summative

objective and subjective

3.

referencing (criterion-referenced, norm-referenced)

4.

informal and formal.

Formative and summative

Assessment is often divided into formative and summative categories for the purpose of
considering different objectives for assessment practices.

Summative assessment - Summative assessment is generally carried out at the end of a

course or project. In an educational setting, summative assessments are typically used to
assign students a course grade.

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

Formative assessment - Formative assessment is generally carried out throughout a

course or project. Formative assessment, also referred to as "educative assessment," is
used to aid learning. In an educational setting, formative assessment might be a teacher
(or peer) or the learner, providing feedback on a student's work, and would not
necessarily be used for grading purposes.

Educational researcher Robert Stake explains the difference between formative and
summative assessment with the following analogy:

When the cook tastes the soup, that's formative. When the guests taste the soup,
that's summative.

Summative and formative assessments are often referred to in a learning context as

assessment of learning and assessment for learning respectively. Assessment of learning is
generally summative in nature and intended to measure learning outcomes and reports those
outcomes to students, parents, and administrators. Assessment of learning generally occurs at the
conclusion of a class, course, semester, or academic year. Assessment for learning is generally
formative in nature and is used by teachers to consider approaches to teaching and next steps for
individual learners and the class.
A common form of formative assessment is diagnostic assessment. Diagnostic
assessment measures a student's current knowledge and skills for the purpose of identifying a
suitable program of learning. Self-assessment is a form of diagnostic assessment which involves
students assessing themselves. Forward-looking assessment asks those being assessed to
consider themselves in hypothetical future situations.
Performance-based assessment is similar to summative assessment, as it focuses on
achievement. It is often aligned with the standards-based education reform and outcomes-based
education movement. Though ideally they are significantly different from a traditional multiple
choice test, they are most commonly associated with standards-based assessment which uses
free-form responses to standard questions scored by human scorers on a standards-based scale,
meeting, falling below, or exceeding a performance standard rather than being ranked on a curve.
A well-defined task is identified and students are asked to create, produce, or do something, often
in settings that involve real-world application of knowledge and skills. Proficiency is
demonstrated by providing an extended response. Performance formats are further differentiated
into products and performances. The performance may result in a product, such as a painting,
portfolio, paper, or exhibition, or it may consist of a performance, such as a speech, athletic skill,
musical recital, or reading.

Objective and subjective

Assessment (either summative or formative) is often categorized as either objective or
subjective. Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer.
Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one correct answer
(or more than one way of expressing the correct answer). There are various types of objective

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

and subjective questions. Objective question types include true/false answers, multiple choice,
multiple-response and matching questions. Subjective questions include extended-response
questions and essays. Objective assessment is well suited to the increasingly popular
computerized or online assessment format.
Some have argued that the distinction between objective and subjective assessments is
neither useful nor accurate because, in reality, there is no such thing as "objective" assessment. In
fact, all assessments are created with inherent biases built into decisions about relevant subject
matter and content, as well as cultural (class, ethnic, and gender) biases.

Normative- and Criterion-referenced Evaluation

Test results can be compared against an established criterion, or against the performance
of other students, or against previous performance:
Criterion-referenced assessment, typically using a criterion-referenced test, as the name
implies, occurs when candidates are measured against defined (and objective) criteria. Criterionreferenced assessment is often, but not always, used to establish a persons competence (whether
s/he can do something). The best known example of criterion-referenced assessment is the
driving test, when learner drivers are measured against a range of explicit criteria (such as Not
endangering other road users).
Norm-referenced assessment (colloquially known as "grading on the curve"), typically
using a norm-referenced test, is not measured against defined criteria. This type of assessment is
relative to the student body undertaking the assessment. It is effectively a way of comparing
students. The IQ test is the best known example of norm-referenced assessment. Many entrance
tests (to prestigious schools or universities) are norm-referenced, permitting a fixed proportion of
students to pass (passing in this context means being accepted into the school or university
rather than an explicit level of ability). This means that standards may vary from year to year,
depending on the quality of the cohort; criterion-referenced assessment does not vary from year
to year (unless the criteria change).

Concept 1:
Norm-referenced evaluation is evaluation based on a comparison of a student's performance
with one or more other student's performance on the same test.
Example 1: John received 70% on a physics test. The average score of John's class on the same
test was 90%. Thus, John's level of performance was lower than the class average with which it
was compared; as a result, he received a "D."
Example 2: In each of Mr. Green's classes, students are graded on a curve: 10% of the students
taking a test receive "A's," 15% receive "B's," 50% receive "C's," 15% receive "D's," and 10%
receive "F's." The students are compared with each other in terms of percentages. In a class of
20, the student with the highest score always receives an A, the next four always receive B's the

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

students with the middle ten scores receive C's, the four below them receive D's, and the bottom
one receives an F.

Concept 2:
Criterion-referenced evaluation is evaluation based on a comparison of a student's
performance with some preset performance standard which is determined independently of the
test, or test scores.
Example: John received 70% on a physics test. In Mr. Atwood's class a score of 70% is always
equal to a grade of "C." John's score was compared with a standard which is based on criteria
which Mr. Atwood established apart from other students' scores on the same test.
Example: In Mr. Green's class, those students who achieve 70% of the course objectives receive
"A's," those who achieve 60% receive "B's," those who achieve 50% receive "D's," and those
students who achieve 30% or below receive "F's." Here the students' scores are determined by
the number of objectives the student completes.

Study the following examples:

Example 1: Jim took a test before his fellow students had a chance to take the same test. He
could not receive a grade until all the scores were collected and a class average calculated. This
is an example of norm-referenced evaluation because the basis of evaluation for Jim's
performance is the average of his fellow students' test scores.
Example 2: Susan earned 22 of 35 points on a test to measure liquid and solid volume. On the
same day, her classmates' scores ranged from 21 to 7. Because Susan's score was the best in her
class, she received an "A" grade. This is an example of norm-referenced evaluation because
the basis for evaluating Susan's score was the comparison with the other members of her class.
Example 3: Susan earned 22 of 35 point on a test to measure liquid and solid volume. On the
same day, her classmates scores ranged from 21 to 7. According to standards set by the teacher
at the beginning of the year, any score above 20 earns an "A." Thus Susan received an "A." This
is an example of criterion-referenced evaluation because Susan's score was compared to a
standard which was independent of her class's average. Susan was not compared to other
students' performance.
Example 4: Mr. Mechan published the following levels of achievement before a test was given
to his eighth grade class:
top 3% of students in class would receive A
next 20% of students in class would receive B
next 50% of students in class would receive C

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

next 20% of students in class would receive D

last 5% of students in class would receive F
This is an example of a norm referenced test because the standard of comparison was student
with student.
Example 5: Mr. Mechan published the following levels of achievement before a test was given
to his eighth grade science class:
100% - 90% of test items correct A
89% - 80% of test items correct B
79% - 70% of test items correct C
69% - 60% of test items correct D
59% - 50% of test items correct F
This is an example of criterion-referenced evaluation because the basis of comparison a preset
standard: the percentage correct on the test. The comparison was not with other students.
Example 6: Seventh grade students cannot receive an "A" if they miss more than one laboratory
report in a term. This is an example of criterion-referenced evaluation because the standard
for an "A" is missing no more than one lab report. The comparison is not with any other students.
There are classroom situations in which normative evaluation should be used. Most
standardized tests are norm-referenced so that one can compare the performance of a pupil or a
class or school with the performances of other similar students. Such comparisons are often
necessary in making program decisions regarding curriculum. Normative comparison through
standardized tests may also be required in doing school related research.
Our present school system, especially secondary schools, sponsor some competitive
programs which require students to be placed in rank order. Coaches of every subject are almost
always expected to rank order their team members and select the best students to compete. The
agricultural science teacher in selecting students for an animal judging team uses normreferenced evaluation. Most awards--scholarships, honors, even the valedictorian--are selected
with normative procedures. Whatever one thinks of these present procedures, as long as they
exist, normative evaluation is necessary to rank-order students' ability.
Normative evaluation could be used appropriately by a teacher who is new to the subject
matter in order to assign grades. Using a curve of some kind in grading ensures that some
students will receive high marks regardless of ineffective instruction. The alternative, a criteriongrading system with unrealistically high standards, may ensure that no students receive high
marks, when in fact students are learning most of what they are taught. Some teachers have
developed a grading system which combines norm and criterion evaluation in an effort to get the
best of both systems.
Usually when teachers are quite sure that their instruction is effective and that the
students are typical, then criterion-referenced evaluation should be used. It has at least two

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO

advantages. First, it allows cooperation among the students rather than encouraging competition.
Secondly, it tells all who are interested--teacher, students, and parents--how much of the material
to be learned has in fact been learned. Without this information, teachers cannot adapt
instruction, and students cannot focus effort where it is needed.

Informal and formal

Assessment can be either formal or informal. Formal assessment usually implicates a
written document, such as a test, quiz, or paper. A formal assessment is given a numerical score
or grade based on student performance, whereas an informal assessment does not contribute to
a student's final grade. An informal assessment usually occurs in a more casual manner and may
include observation, inventories, checklists, rating scales, rubrics, performance and portfolio
assessments, participation, peer and self evaluation, and discussion.

Internal and external

Internal assessment is set and marked by the school (i.e. teachers). Students get the
mark and feedback regarding the assessment. External assessment is set by the governing body,
and is marked by non-biased personnel. With external assessment, students only receive a mark.
Therefore, they have no idea how they actually performed (i.e. what bits they answered
correctly.)

ASSESSMENT OF WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

1. Ms. Chenez Mapagbigay is known to pass all of her students in a given subject. The
lowest grade that she gives to class is 85. Another teacher, Ms. Vanezza Madamot who
teaches the same subject consistently flunks no less than 80% of her class. The highest
grade that she gives to a student is 85. How will you describe the two teachers? What are
the implications of this? To what do you attribute these differences in the grading systems
of these two teachers?
2. A test was administered to a student. The student got 80%. The same test was given to
him the following day and he got 95%. The teacher then re-arranged the questions in the
test and again gave it to the same student. He got 65%. What is the implication of this? To
what will you attribute the difference in the test scores?
3. Think of and list at least three teaching situations in which you would need to rank order
the students from highest to lowest on some skill or ability in a class you teach.
4. How does a criterion-referenced test differ from a norm-referenced test? Cite example for
each based on your experience as a teacher.

DR. EAM
[email protected]

DR. ERIC AGULLANA MATRIANO