EDU-UG-C402: EDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND STATISTICS

Unit I: Concept of Assessment in Education Assessment: Concept, Nature, Distinguishing

Features between Tests, Measurement & Assessment. Function and types of Assessment and
Procedure of Assessment: Placement, Formative, Diagnostic and Summative, Norm
Referenced Tests and Criterion Referenced Tests

ASSESSMENT

It is an integral part of the educative process. Assessment is a systematic and continuous

and a comprehensive process which determines the extent to which the previously identified,
defined and specified educational objectives are attained. Assessment is a process which
determines the effectiveness of learning experiences provided in the classroom and how well
the educational goals have been achieved. The term assessment refers to all kinds of methods
and strategies that provide information about a student’s learning.

It is used to improve teaching and learning and to know if students can apply what they
have learned in real life situations. It is used to help students in assessing themselves on the
basis of their abilities and the learning experiences provided to them. It helps students to
evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. It is used by teachers in collecting information about
what and how their students are learning and about the effectiveness of the teaching methods
and strategies they are using to teach the students

It is done by conducting tests and assignments, small-group activities and observing

students while they are engaged in activities. When teachers systematically collect these
kinds of information and use it effectively, they can help their students grow as thinkers and
learners.

Definitions

Allen (2004) “Assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning to refine
programs and improve student learning”.

Huba and Freed (2000) “Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing information
from multiple and diverse sources in order to develop a deep understanding of what students
know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as a result of their educational
experiences”

Palomba and Banta (1999) “Assessment is the systematic collection, review, and use of
information about educational programs undertaken for the purpose of improving student
learning and development”.

Erwin (1991) “Assessment is the systematic basis for making inferences about the learning
and development of students. It is the process of defining, selecting, designing, collecting,
analyzing, interpreting, and using information to increase students’ learning and
development”.

NATURE of Assessment
 1. Assessment is embedded in the learning process. It is tightly interconnected with
curriculum and instruction.
2. As teachers and students work towards the achievement of curriculum outcomes,
assessment plays a constant role in informing instruction, guiding the student’s next
steps, and checking progress and achievement
3. Classroom assessment involves students and teachers in continuous monitoring of
students’ learning.
4. It gives students a measure of their progress as learners.
5. It provides opportunity for close observation of students in the process of learning.
6. It helps in collection of frequent feedback on students’ learning and how they
respond to particular teaching approaches.
7. Assessment has profound impact on the self- esteem of pupils, which is critical
influence on learning.
8. Uses variety of strategies.
9. Assessment includes all those activities undertaken by teachers, and by their students
in assessing themselves, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify
the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged.

FUNCTIONS of Assessment

1. To find out what the students know (knowledge).

2. To find out what the students can do, and how well they can do it (skill; performance).
3. To find out how students go about the task of doing their work (process).
4. To find out how students feel about their work (motivation, effort).
5. It produces data to establish the extent of knowledge, skills, habits and attitudes
acquired by the students/learners.
6. It specifies the strength and weaknesses of instruction and the needs and problems of
the students which must addressed.
7. To foster better parent-teacher relationship. - assessment is a means by which
teachers can keep the parents informed of the progress made by their children
8. To the curriculum planners, the result of assessment can give them facts as bases for
revising and enriching the curriculum.
9. It is helpful in guidance and counselling. Counsellors assess student’s abilities and
accordingly counsel the students
10. It is helpful in Research. To bring remediation in the educational programmes.

DISTUINGUISHING features between TESTS, MEASUREMENT & ASSESSMENT

Tests

A set of questions framed from the prescribed syllabus. A method to determine a

student’s ability to complete certain tasks or demonstrate mastery of a skill or knowledge of
content. Some types would be multiple choice tests, or a weekly spelling test. Test is one
form of an assessment
 Test may be called as a tool, a question, set of questions, an examination which is used to
measure a particular characteristics of an individual or a group of individuals. It is something
which provides information regarding individual’s ability, knowledge, performance and
achievement.
A test is a specific tool or procedure or a technique used to obtained response from the
students in order to gain information which provides the basis to make judgment or
evaluation regarding some characteristics such as fitness, skill, knowledge and values.
It is objective. It should not be expensive. It should be less time consuming. It must produce
results. It should be reliable and valid

Assessment
Assessment is a systematic, comprehensive and continuous process which determines the
extent to which the previously identified, defined and specified educational objectives are
attained. An assessment may include a test, but also includes other methods such as
observations, interviews, behaviour monitoring, etc.
It is a comprehensive process because all three domains of human behaviour, cognitive,
affective and the psychomotor domains are measured. Apart from student’s behaviour
teacher’s behaviour is also evaluated
It is a systematic process because it goes ahead keeping in mind the pre-defined educational
objectives that are to be accomplished.
It is a continuous process because evaluation and teaching goes side by side. The change in
behaviour after teaching is assessed and if the pre – defined educational objectives are not
achieved, again the content is taught in a different manner.

Measurement

Measurement means the quantitative description of data following certain rules and by
assigning certain numbers. Measurement is the process of assigning numbers to objects or
events according to certain rules.
In the process of measurement the investigator assigns numbers to objects or events. It means
that it is not enough to say that a particular student is good or poor in his studies. But
measurement tells that how much marks the student has scored in a particular test i.e. how far
he is good or bad.
Certain rules are followed while assigning numbers to objects or events. Numbers are not
given randomly in measurement. For e.g inch tape is used to measure clothes.
In measurement certain units can be compared and we come to know how much, how many.
Measurement refers to the set of procedures principles for how to use the procedures in
educational tests and assessments. Some of the basic principles of measurement in
educational evaluations would be raw scores, percentile ranks, standard scores, etc.

Types of Assessment

PLACEMENT ASSESSMENT – Placement assessment is done before imparting

instruction. It is done to assess the student’s previous knowledge or to know the student's
skill level about the subject. It is also done to assess the student’s entering behavior. For e.g.
Entrance exams, Aptitude tests, previous knowledge test in classroom through previous
knowledge questions. This type of assessment is done to know the interest, capability,
readiness, motivation level of the students. Its main purpose is to place the right type of
students in the right type of courses so that they can progress in their educational and
vocational development, hence it is known as placement assessment. It helps the teacher to
explain the material more efficiently. These assessments are not graded.

FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT – formative assessment is done while the instruction is

being imparted or when the teaching learning process is going on. It’s main purpose is to
monitor the learner’s learning process, to diagnose the learning difficulties and to provide
remedial measures. This is done through classroom observation, putting questions in the
middle of the teaching learning process, class tests, unit tests, periodical tests, mid semester
exams, half yearly exams etc. This type of assessment provides feedback to the students to
identify their areas of weaknesses and strengths, to improve their learning in the areas where
they are weak. It provides feedback to the teachers regarding the effectiveness of their
teaching methods and teaching materials they are using. Accordingly the teachers can change
or improve their teaching methods. It is a continuous process and developmental in nature
because it helps in the teachers to develop their teaching process and students to develop their
learning process.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT – Summative assessment is the sum total of all

achievements of a student. It is carried out at the end of a teaching learning period or the end
of an instruction to find out whether instructional objectives have been appropriately
achieved or not. Summative assessments are used to assign students a course grade.
Summative assessments are evaluative. Summative assessments are made to summarize what
the students have learned, to determine whether they have understood the subject matter well.
For e.g. final board exams, University exams. Summative assessments are often used to
determine whether a student has passed or failed a class. It is done to assess how far the
teaching is effective, how far the learning is effective, and how far the instructional objectives
have been achieved.

DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT – diagnostic evaluation is a continuous act which has no

exact time constraints. It diagnoses and identifies learning difficulties of a student and the
degree of the problems. When formative assessment identifies problems of students and
teachers in all areas of teaching and learning and gives remedial measures accordingly,
diagnostic assessment identifies acute problems that the teacher cannot solve and where the
help of an expert is needed for e.g. a psychologist, a counsellor.

NORM REFERENCED TEST

In a Norm Referenced Test each student’s score on such a test is interpreted in

relation to the scores of all other students who took the test for e.g. board exam marks, end
semester marks, final exam marks. From this test we can know the relative standing position
of individuals in a particular group say a class- class X.

This test discriminates the performance of students in a particular group.Many

standardized tests are NRTs that are administered in different schools, colleges and boards
exams. It is done to award grades, promote students to higher classes, select or identify
students for admissions in different institutions, selection of individuals for jobs. In norm-
referenced testing, the goal is usually to rank the entire set of examinees in order to make
comparisons of their performances relative to one another. Summative assessment to promote
students and placement assessment to admit students in particular course of study,
recruitment of people in various services is used in NRT
 On a NRT an examinee’s opportunity for success is relative to the performance of the
other individuals who take the test.

NRT scores are interpreted with reference to the performance of other individuals on
the test,
In NRTs the examinee’s performance is typically compared to that of other
examinees.
On an NRT an examinee’s opportunity for success is relative to the performance of
the other individuals who take the test.

CRITERION REFERENCED TEST

In criterion referenced testing, the goal is usually to make a decision about whether or not an
examinee can demonstrate mastery in an area of content.

The purpose of criterion-reference tests is to classify people according to whether or not they
are able to perform some task or a set of tasks satisfactorily.

CRT is usually produced to measure well-defined and fairly specific objectives. The purpose
of CRT is to measure the amount of learning that a student has accomplished on each
objective CRT

A criterion or cut-off score is set in advance and those who do not meet the criterion are
required to repeat the course. For e.g. the driving test taken among all learner drivers to issue
a driving licence for which all the learner drivers has to successfully do reverse parking. Now
here it does not matter if a learner driver does reverse parking perfectly or not so perfectly.
As long as the learner driver successfully does reverse parking he/she passes the driving test
and gets a driving license. And if he/she is not successful he/she does not pass the test and is
not given a driving license.

In criterion referenced testing, the goal is usually to make a decision about whether or not an
examinee can demonstrate mastery in an area of content and competencies. Mostly the area
of content and competencies being assessed is job-related

CR test scores are interpreted as indicators of a level of ability or degree of mastery of the
content domain.

In CRTs the examinee’s performance is compared to an external standard of competence or

mastery. An examinee is classified as a master or non-master by either passing or failing the
exams.