INTRODUCTION TO ASSESSMENT IN

LEARNING
Basic Concepts and Principles in Assessing
Learning
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT MEASUREMENT FRAMEWORKS USED IN ASSESSMENT?
WHAT AREB THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING?
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT PRINCIPLES IN ASSESSING LEARNING?
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED

 Express understanding of the differences among assessment, measurement and

evaluation.
 Generate ideas of the principles of measurement, assessment, and evaluation.
 Communicate the principles of classroom assessment.
DESIRED LEARNING OUTCOME/S

 Describe assessment in learning and related concepts

 Demonstrate understanding of the different principles in assessing learning
WHAT IS ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING?

 The word assessment rooted in the Latin word “assidere” which

means to sit beside another.
 The terms assessment is generally defined as the process of
gathering quantitative and/or qualitative data for the purpose of
making decisions.
 Assessment in learning is vital to the educational process similar to
the curriculum and instruction.
ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING

 Can be defined as the systematic and purpose-oriented, analysis,

and interpretation of evidence of student learning in order to make
informed decisions relevant to the learners.
 In essence, the aim of assessment s to use evidence on student
learning to further promote and manage learning.
 Assessment in learning can be characterized as (a) a process, (b)
based on specific objectives, and (c) from multiple sources.
How is assessment in learning similar or different from the concept of
measurement or evaluation of learning?

 Measurement can be defined as the process of quantifying the attributes of an object.

 Measurement refers to the actual collection of information on student learning through the use of
various strategies and tools.
How is assessment in learning similar or different from the concept of
measurement or evaluation of learning?

 Evaluation may refer to the process of making value judgments on the

information collected from measurement based on specified criteria.
 Evaluation refers to the actual process of making a decision or judgment on
student learning based on the information collected from measurement.
 Assessment and Testing

 The most common from of assessment is testing.

 Testing refers to the use of a test or battery of tests to collect information on student learning over a specific period
of time.
 A test is form of assessment but not all assessments use tests or testing.
 A test can either be selected response (e.g., matching type of test) or constructed response (e.g., essay test, short
answer test).
 A test can make use of objective format (e.g., multiple choice, enumeration) or subjected format(e.g., essay).
 The objective format provides for a more bias-free scoring as the the test items have exact correct answers.
 Subjective format allows for a less objective means of scoring, especially if no rubric is used.
 Assessment and Testing

 Table of Specifications (TOS) maps out the essential aspects of a test (e.g., test objectives, contents, topics covered
by the test, item distribution – used in the design and development of a test.
 Goodness and Effectiveness of a Test

 A test is said to be good and effective if it has acceptable psychometric properties.

 A test should be valid, reliable, has acceptable level of difficulty, and can discriminate between learners with higher
and lower ability.
 Teachers are said to be competent in the design and development of classroom tests.
Assessment and Grading

 A related concept to assessment in learning

 Grading can be defined as the process of assigning value to the performance or achievement of a learner based on
specified criteria or standards.
 Aside from the tests taken by learners, teachers may include performance in recitation, seatwork, homework, and
project.
 Grading is a form of evaluation which provides information on whether a learner passed or failed a subject or a
particular assessment task.
Measurement Frameworks Used in Assessment

 The two most common psychometric theories that serve as frameworks for
assessment and measurement, especially in the determination of the
psychometric characteristics of a measure are Classical Test Theory (CTT) and
Item Responsive Theory (IRT).
 Classical Test Theory

 Also known as the True Score Theory, explains that variations in the performance of examinees on a given measure
is due to variations in their abilities.
 The CTT assumes that an examinee’s true score and some degree of error in the measurement caused by some
internal and external conditions.
 CTT also assumes that all measures are imperfect, and the scores obtained from a measure could differ from the true
score(i.e., true ability) of an examinee.
 The CTT provides an estimation of the Item Difficulty based on the frequency or number of examinees who
correctly answer a particular item.
 Items with fewer number of examinees with correct answers are considered more difficult.
 CTT also provides an estimation of Item Discrimination based on the number of examinees with higher or lower
ability to answer a particular item.
 Classical Test Theory

 Test reliability can also be estimated using approaches from CTT (e.g., Kuder-Richardson 20, Cronbach’s alpha).
 Item analysis based on the statistics (e.g., Item Difficulty Index, Item Discrimination Index, Item-Total
Correlation).
 Item Response Theory

 IRT analyses test items by estimating the probability that an examinee answers item correctly or incorrectly.
 The difference of IRT from CTT is that, in IRT, it assumed that the characteristic of an item can be estimated
independently of the characteristic or ability of the examinee and vice-versa.
 IRT analysis can provide significantly more information on items and tests, such as fit statistics, item characteristic
curve (ICC) and test characteristic curve (TCC).
 There are also different IRT models(e.g., one-parameter model, three-parameter model) which can provide different
item and test information that cannot be estimated using the CTT.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Formative Assessment refers to assessment activities that provide information to both teachers and learners on how
they can improve the teaching-learning process.
 It is used at the beginning and during instruction for teachers to assess learners’ understanding.
 The information collected on student learning allows teachers to make adjustments to their instructional process and
strategies to facilitate learning.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Summative Assessments are assessment activities that aim to determine learners’ mastery of content or attainment
of learning outcomes.
 They are summative as they are supposed to provide information on the quantity or quality of what students have
learned or achieved at the end of the instruction.
 While data from summative assessment are typically used for evaluating learners’ performance in class, these data
also provide teachers with information about the effectiveness of their teaching strategies and how they can
improve their instruction in the future.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Diagnostic Assessment aims to detect the learning problems or difficulties of the learners so that corrective
measures or interventions are done to endure learning.
 Diagnostic Assessment is usually done right after seeing signs of learning problems in the course of teaching.
 It can be done at the beginning of the school year for spirally-designed curriculum so that corrective actions are
applied if pre-requisite knowledge and skills for the targets of instruction have not been mastered yet.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Placement Assessment is usually done at the beginning of the school year to determine what learners already know
or what are their needs that could inform design instruction.
 Grouping of learners based on the results of placement assessment is usually done before instruction to make it
relevant to address the needs or accommodate the entry performance of the learners.
 Entrance examination given in schools is an example of a placement assessment.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Traditional assessment refers to the use of conventional startegies or tools to provide information about the learning
of students.
 Typically, objective (e.g, multiple choice) and subjective (e.g., essay).
 Paper-and-pencil tests are used.
 Traditional assessments are often used as basis for evaluating and grading learners.
 Types of Assessment in Learning

 Authentic Assessment refers to the use of assessment strategies or tools that allow learners to perform or create a
product that are meaningful to the learners, as they are based on real-world contexts.
 The authenticity of the assessment tasks is best described in terms of degree rather than the presence or absence of
the authenticity.
Principles in Assessing Learning

 Assessment should have a clear purpose

 Assessment is not an end in itself
 Assessment is an ongoing, continuous, and a formative process
 Assessment is learner-centered
 Assessment is both process-and product-oriented
 Assessment must comprehensive and holistic
 Assessment requires the use of appropriate measures( Must have psychometric properties)
 Assessment should be as authentic as possible
Performance Task 1

 Based on the lessons on the basic concepts and principles in assessment in learning, select
five core principles in assessing learning and explain them in relation to your experience
with a previous or current teacher in one of your courses/subjects.
 30 points will be credited for this PT 1.
Reference

Assessment in Learning 1
Dr. Marilyn Ubiña-Balagtas
Author Coordinator
Dr. Adonis David
Dr. Evangeline Golla
Dr. Carlo Magno
Dr. Violeta Valladolid
AUTHORS