TYPES

OF
ASSESSMENT
METHODS
 Assessment methods can be
classified as traditional and
authentic. Traditional assessment
method refers to the usual paper-
and-pencil test while authentic
assessment refers to non-paper-and-
pencil test. Authentic assessment is
also called alternative
 The paper-and-pencil test
(traditional assessment)
assesses learning in the
cognitive domain (Bloom) or
declarative knowledge (Kendall
& Marzano, 2012).
 The paper-and-pencil test,
however, is inadequate to
measure all forms of learning.
Psychomotor learning (Kendall
and Marzano, 2012) and
learning proven by a product
and by a performance cannot
be measured by a paper-and-
pencil test.
 McMillan (2007) identified four
major categories: selected-
response, constructed-response,
teacher observation and student
self-assessment. These are similar
to carpenter tools and you need to
choose which is apt for a given task.
It is not wise to stick to one method
of assessment.
1. Selected-response Format

Selected-response includes true-false,

matching type and multiple choice
formats. Students select from a given set
of options to answer a question or a
problem. Because there is only one
correct or best answer, selected-response
items are objective and efficient.
 The items are easy to grade.
The teacher can assess and
score a great deal of content
quickly. The licensure
examination for teachers is a
selected-response assessment.
Scantron sheets and optical
mark readers make it easy to
score a large number of items
efficiently.
 Multiple choice questions consist of a stem
(question or statement form) with four or
five answer choices (distracters). Matching
type items consist of a set or column of
descriptions and words, phrases, or images.
Students review each stem and match each
with a word, phrase, or image from the list of
responses. Alternate response (true/false)
questions are a binary choice type. The
reliability of true/false items is not generally
high because of the possibility of guessing.
2. Constructed-Response Format
Constructed-response
Constructed-response
includescompletion
includes completion
essays,oral
essays, oralquestioning
questioning
andperformance
and performance
assessments.ItItisismore
assessments. more
usefulinintargeting
useful targetinghigher
higher
levelsofofcognition.
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 AAconstructed-response
constructed-responseformat format
(subjective)demands
(subjective) demandsthat thatstudents
students
createororproduce
create producetheirtheirown
ownanswers
answers
in response to a question,
in response to a question, problem problem
orortask.
task.InInthis
thistype,
type,items
itemsmaymayfall
fall
underany
under anyofofthe
thefollowing
following
categories:Brief-constructed
categories: Brief-constructed
responseitems;
response items;performance
performancetasks;tasks;
essayitems;
essay items;orororal
oralquestioning.
questioning.
 Brief-constructedresponse
Brief-constructed responseitems
items
requireonly
require onlyshort shortresponses
responsesfrom
from
students.Examples
students. Examplesinclude
include
sentencecompletion
sentence completionwherewhere
studentsfillfillinina ablank
students blankatatthe
theend
endofof
a astatement;
statement;short shortanswer
answertotoopen-
open-
endedquestions;
ended questions;labeling
labelinga a
diagram;ororanswering
diagram; answeringa a
Mathematics problem
Mathematics problem by showing by showing
theirsolutions.
their solutions.
 Performance assessments require
students to perform a task rather than
select from a given set of options.
Performance tasks are called authentic
or alternative assessments because
students are required to demonstrate
what they can do through activities,
problems and exercises.
 A scoring rubric containing the
performance criteria is needed when
grading performance tasks. It may be
an analytic scoring rubric where
different dimensions and
characteristics of performance are
identified and marked separately, or a
holistic rubric where the overall
process or product is rated.
Performance tasks may be product-based
or skills-oriented. This means that
students have to create or produce
evidence of their learning or do
something and exhibit their skills.
Examples of products are written reports,
projects, poems, portfolio, audio-visual
materials, spreadsheets/worksheets, web
pages, reflection papers, journals, tables,
graphs and illustrations/models.
Performance or skills-based
activities include speech,
teaching demonstration,
dramatic reading, debate,
recital, role play, athletics,
among others.
 Essay assessments involves
answering a question or
proposition in written form. It
allows students to express
themselves and demonstrate
their reasoning. An essay item
that requires a few sentences is
called restricted-response.
Questions are more focused. Extended
responses allow for more flexibility on
the part of the student. Responses are
longer and more complex. Essay
questions have to be clear so that
students can organize their thoughts
quickly and directly answer the
questions. A rubric is used to score
essays.
 Oral questioning is a common assessment
method during instruction to check on
student understanding. By mastering the art
of questioning, the teacher can keep students
and at the same time strengthen their
confidence The teacher can probe deeper
and find out for himself/herself if the student
knows what he/she is talking about.
Responses to oral questions are assessed
using a scoring system or rating scale.
3. Teacher Observations

Teacherobservations
Teacher observationsare area aform
formofofon-
on-
goingassessment,
going assessment,usually
usuallydone
doneinin
combinationwith
combination withoral
oralquestioning.
questioning.
Teachersregularly
Teachers regularlyobserve
observestudents
studentstoto
check on their understanding.
check on their understanding. By By
watchinghow
watching howstudents
studentsrespond
respondtotooral
oral
questionsand
questions andbehave
behaveduring
duringindividual
individual
andcollaborative
and collaborativeactivities,
activities,the
theteacher
teacher
canget
can getinformation
informationif iflearning
learningisistaking
taking
placeininthe
place theclassroom.
classroom.
 Non-verbalcues
Non-verbal cuescommunicate
communicatehow how
learnersare
learners aredoing.
doing.Teachers
Teachershave have
totobebewatchful
watchfulif ifstudents
studentsare arelosing
losing
attention,misbehaving,
attention, misbehaving,ororappearappear
non-participativeininclassroom
non-participative classroom
activities.ItItwould
activities. wouldbebebeneficial
beneficialif if
teachersmake
teachers makeobservational
observationaloror
anecdotalnotes
anecdotal notestotodescribe
describehow how
students learn in terms
students learn in terms of conceptof concept
building,problem
building, problemsolving,
solving,
communicationskills,
communication skills,etc.
etc.
4. Student Self-Assessment

Self-Assessment is a process
where the students are given a
chance to reflect and rate
their own work and judge how
well they have performed in
relation to a set of assessment
criteria. Students track and
evaluate their own progress or
performance.
 Studies show that self-assessment
exercises provide students with an
opportunity to reflect on their
performance, monitor their learning
progress, motivate them to do well
and give feedback to the teacher
which the latter can use to improve
the subject/course. It is an essential
component of formative assessment
(Black & Wiliam, 1998).
Constructive Alignment
The principle of constructive alignment simply
means that the teaching-learning activity or
activities and assessment tasks are aligned to
the intended learning outcome. The intended
learning outcomes is “to drive a car”. The
teaching-learning activity is driving a car not
giving lectures on car driving.. The assessment
task is to let the student drive a car not to
describe how to drive a car.
You have been victims of teachers who taught you
one thing but assessed you on another. The
result? Much confusion and disappointment? If
you have been victims of lack of constructive
alignment, then break the cycle by not victimizing
your students, too. Observe the principle of
constructive alignment. Make sure your
assessment tasks are aligned to your learning
outcomes.
 Why the term “constructive”?
Constructive alignment is
based on the constructivist
theory (Biggs, 2007) that
learners use their own activity
to construct their knowledge or
other outcome/s.
 Constructive alignment provides the “how-
to” by verifying that the teaching-learning
activities (TLAs) and the assessment tasks
(Ats) activate the same verbs as in the ILOs.
Hence, it is vital that the teacher considers
the domain of learning and the level of
thinking he/she would like to measure. The
performance verbs in the ILOs are indicators
of the methods of assessment suitable to
measure and evaluate students learning.
 McMillan (2007) prepared a
scoreboard as a guide on how well
a particular assessment method
measures each level of learning.
The table below depicts the
relative strength of each
assessment method in measuring
different learning targets.
Learning Targets and Assessment Methods (McMillan, 2007)
Assessment Methods
Selected- Essay Performance Oral Observatio Student Self
  response Tasks Questioning n Assessment
and Brief
constructed
response

Targets 5 4 3 4 3 3
Knowledge
and Simple
Understanding

Deep 2 5 4 4 2 3
Understanding
and
Reasoning
Skills 1 3 5 2 5 3
Products 1 1 5 2 4 4
Affect 1 2 4 4 4 5

Note: Higher numbers indicate better matches (e.g. 5 = excellent, 1 = poor)

 Matching the assessment
method with the learning
outcomes requires an
examination of the evidences
of learning needed and
targeted levels of knowledge,
understanding, reasoning,
skills, product/performance
and affect as manifested in the
learning targets.
 As for tertiary level, CHED
underscores the importance of
preparing a learning plan as a
tool to check the match
between the learning
outcomes, content and
methodology. Below is a
sample learning plan in
Mathematics.
 Sample Elements of a Learning Plan
Learning Topics Activities Resources Asessment
Outcomes
Perform *Constants and *Lecture- * LCD Projector * Boardwork
algebraic variables Demonstration *Paper and pen activities
operations using * Order of *Peer teaching * Worksheet *Problem solving
algebraic operations *Cooperative exercises
expressions with * Integral learning: Spin * Performance
grouping exponents and Think task
symbols and/ or * Fundamental
exponential Operations of
expressions, and Algebraic
explain Expressions
solutions  
through board
work.
When choosing an assessment
method, determine first the
purpose (role) of the
assessment. Is it for placement,
feedback, diagnosis and the
intervention or grading? The
selection should also rests on
the (1) nature of the task, (2)
level of cognitive processing,
and (3) context of the
assessment (Garavalia, Marken
& Sommi, 2003).