Lesson 1: Basic Concepts and Principles in Assessing

Learning

Learning Objectives
At the end of this chapter, the student is expected to:
 Describe assessment in learning and related concepts
 Demonstrate understanding of the different principles in assessing learning

Duration
Topic 1: What is assessment in learning? = hour
Topic 2: What are the different measurement = hour
frameworks used in assessment?
Topic 3: What are the different types of = hour
assessment in learning?
Topic 4: What are the different principles in = hour
assessing learning?

Lesson Proper

What is assessment in learning?

The word assessment is rooted in the Latin word assidere, which means "to sit
beside another." 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 curriculumand
instruction. Schools and teachers will not be able to determine the impact of
curriculum and instruction on students or learners without assessing learning.
Therefore, it is important that educators have knowledge and competence in
assessing learners.
Assessment in Learning can be defined as the systematic and purpose-
oriented collection, analysis, and interpretation of evidence of student learning in
order to make informed decisions relevant to the learners. In essence, the aim of
assessment is 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 theprocess
of quantifying the attributes of an object, whereas evaluation may refer to the
process of making value judgments on the information collected from
measurement based on specified criteria. In the context of assessment in learning,
measurement refers to the actual collection of information on student learning
through the use of various strategies and tools, while evaluation refers to the actual
process of making a decision ·or judgment on student learning based on the
information collected from measurement. Therefore, assessment can be
considered as an umbrella term consisting of measurement and evaluation.
However, there are some authors who consider assessment as distinct and separate
from evaluation (e.g., Huba and Freed 2000, Popham 1998).

Assessment and Testing

The most common form of assessment is testing. In the educational context,
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 a form of assessment, but not all
assessments use tests or testing. A test can be categorized as either a 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
subjective format (e.g., essay). The objective format provides for a more bias-free
scoring as the test items have exact correct answers. On the other hand, the
subjective format allows for a less objective means of scoring, especially if no
rubric is used. A table of specifications (TOS)-a table that maps out the essential
aspects of a test (e.g., test objectives, contents, topics covered by the test, item
distribution)-is used in the design and development of a test. Descriptive statistics
are typically used to describe and interpret the results of tests. A test is said to be good
and effective if it has acceptable psychometric properties. This means that a test
should be valid, reliable, has acceptable level of difficulty, and can discriminate
between learners with higher and lower ability. Teachers are expected to be
competent in the design and development of classroom tests.

Assessment and Grading

A related concept to assessment in learning is grading, which 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 tests, other classroom tasks can
serve as bases for grading learners. These may include a learner's performance in
recitation, seatwork, homework, and project. The final grade of a learner in a
subject or course is the summation of information from multiple sources {i.e.,
several assessment tasks or requirements). Grading is a form of evaluation which
provides information on whether a learner passed or failed a subject or a particular
assessment task. Teachers are expected to be competent in providing performance
feedback and communicating the results of assessment · tasks or activities to
relevant stakeholders.

What are the different 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 (e.g., tests, scale), are the classical test theory (CTT)
and the item response theory (IRT).
 The CTT, also known as the true score theory, explains that variations ln the
performance of examinees on a given measure is due to variations in their abilities.
The CTT assumes that an examinee's observed score in a given measure is the sum
of the examinee's true score and some degree of error in the measurement caused
by some internal and external conditions. Hence, the 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. The CTT
also provides an estimation of item discrimination based on the number of examinees
with higher or lower ability to answer a particular item. If an item is able to distinguish
between examinees with higher ability (i.e., higher total test score) and lower ability
(i.e., lower total test score), then an item is considered to have good discrimination.
Test reliability can also be estimated using approaches from CTT (e.g., Kuder-
Richardson 20, Cronbach's alpha). Item analysis based on CCT has been the dominant
approach because of the simplicity of calculating the statistics (e.g., item difficulty
index, item discrimination index, item-total correlation).
The IRT, on the other hand, analyzes test items by estimating the probability
that an examinee answers an item correctly or incorrectly. One of the central
differences of IRT from CTT is that in IRT, it is assumed that the characteristic of
an item can b estimated independently of the characteristic or ability of the examinee
and vice-versa. Aside from item difficulty and item discrimination indices, 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. In previous years, there have been an increase in the use of IRT analysis
as measurement framework despite the complexity of the analysis involved due to the
availability of IRT software.

What are the different types of assessment in learning?

Assessment in learning could be of different types. The most common types
are formative, summative, diagnostic, and placement. Other experts would describe
the types of assessment as traditional and authentic.
Formative Assessment refers to assessment activities that provide
information to both teachers and learners on how they can improve the teaching-learning
process. This type of assessment is formative because 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. Through performance
reports and teacher feedback, formative assessment can also inform learners about
their strengths and weaknesses to enable them to make steps to learn better and
improve their performance as the class progresses.
Summative Assessments are assessment activities that aim to determine
learner’s 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 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.
Through performance reports and teacher feedback, summative assessment can
also inform learners about what they have done well and what they need to
improve on in their future classes or subjects.
Diagnostic Assessment aims to detect the learning problems or difficulties
of the learners so that corrective measures or interventions are done to ensure
learning. Diagnostic assessment is usually done right after seeing signs of learning
problems in the course of teaching. It can also 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.
Placement Assessment is usually done at the beginning of the school year
to determine what the learners already know or what are their needs that could inform
design of 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. The entrance examination
given in schools is an example of a placement assessment.
Traditional/Assessment refers to the use of conventional strategies or toolsto
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. They are more
commonly used in classrooms because they are easier to design and quicker to be
scored. In general, traditional assessments are viewed as an inauthentic type of
assessment.
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 assessment tasks is best
described in terms of degree rather than the presence or absence of authenticity. Hence,
an assessment can be more authentic or less authentic compared with other
assessments. The most authentic assessments are those that allow performances that
most closely resemble real-world tasks or applications in real-world settings or
environments.

What are the different principles in assessing learning?

There are many principles in the assessment in learning. Based on the different
readings and references on these principles, the following may be considered as core
principles:
1. Assessment should have a clear purpose. Assessment starts with a clear
purpose. The methods used in collecting information should be based on this
purpose. The interpretation of the data collected should be aligned with the
purpose that has been set. This assessment principle is congruent with the
 outcome-based education (QBE} principles of clarity of focus and design
down.
2. Assessment is not an end in itself. Assessment serves as a means to enhance
student learning. It is not a simple recording or documentation of what learners
know and do not know. Collecting information about student learning, whether
formative or summative, should lead to decisions that will allow improvement
of the learners.
3. Assessment is an ongoing, continuous, and a formative process.
Assessment consists of a series of tasks and activities conducted over time. It
is not a one-shot activity and should be cumulative. Continuous feedback is an
important element of assessment. This assessment principle is congruent with
the OBE principle of expanded opportunity.
4. Assessment is learner-centered. Assessment is not about what the teacher
does but what the learner can do. Assessment of learners provides teachers with
an understanding on how they can improve their teaching, which corresponds
to the goal of improving student learning. ·
5. Assessment is both process- and product-oriented. Assessment gives equal
importance to learner performance or product and the process they engage in
to perform or produce a product.
6. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic. Assessment should be
performed using a variety of strategies and tools designed to assess student
learning in a holistic way. Assessment should be conducted in multiple periods
to assess learning over time. This assessment principle is also congruent with
the OBE principle of expanded opportunity.
7. Assessment requires the use of appropriate measures. For assessment to be
valid, the assessment tools or measures used must have sound psychometric
properties, including, but not limited to, validity and reliability. Appropriate
measures also mean that learners must be provided with challenging but age-
and context-appropriate assessment tasks. This assessment principle is
consistent with the OBE principle of high expectations.
8. Assessment should be as authentic as possible. Assessment tasks or activities
should closely, if not fully, approximate real-life situations or experiences.
Authenticity of assessment can be thought of as a continuum from least
authentic to most authentic, with more authentic tasks expected to be more
meaningful for learners.

DEVELOP
Let us check what ideas you have acquired about the basic concepts and
principles in assessing learning.
1. What is assessment in learning?
2. How similar or different is assessment from: measurement, evaluation,
testing, and grading?
3. What is the main difference between classical test theory and item-response
theory?
 4. What are the different types of assessment?
5. Give three core principles in assessing learning.

To determine whether you have acquired the needed information about the
basic concepts and principles in assessment, use the space provided to draw metaphor
(i.e., any object, thing, or action you could liken assessment to) that will visually
illustrate what is assessment in learning. Everyone will share and discuss the
metaphors they have drawn in class.

Example: A thermometer can be d awn as a metaphor for assessment if you consider

measurement or collection of information from a person (i.e., student) as
central in the assessment process. A thermometer is a device that collects
information about a person's temperature, which provides information on
whether a person's body temperature is normal or not (i.e., high temperature
could be a symptom of fever). The information is then used by medical
personnel to make decisions relative to the collected information. This is
similar to the process of assessment.

APPLY
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.
Example:
Principle Illustration of Practice
In our practicum course, we were asked to prepare a
1. Assessment should be
lesson plan then execute the plan in front of the students
as authentic as
with my critic teacher around to evaluate my
possible.
performance. The actual planning of the lesson and its
execution in front of the class and the critic teacher is a
very authentic way of assessing my ability to design
and deliver instruction rather than being assessed
 through demons ration in front of my classmates in the
classroom.

Given the example, continue the identification of illustrations of assessment

practices guided by the principles discussed in the class.
Use a clean sheet of paper for this work. Share your insights on how your
teacher’s practices allowed you to improve your learning.
Principle Illustration of Practice
1.

2.

3.

4.
 5.

TRANSFER
Prepare a plan on how you will conduct assessment based on the core principles
you have learned. Refer to the K to 12 curriculum in identifying the competencies
targeted by instruction and how you intend to assess your future students while
following the principles in assessing learning. Use the matrix provided to write your
ideas on how you should design and conduct assessment of student learning based on
the core principles.
Principle Plan for Applying the Principles in your
Classroom Assessment
1. Assessment should
have a clear purpose.

2. Assessment is not an
end in itself.

3. Assessment is an
ongoing, continuous,
and formative process.

4. Assessment is learner-
centered.

5. Assessment is both
process- and product-
oriented.
6. Assessment must be
comprehensive and
holistic.

7. Assessment requires
the use appropriate
measures.

8. Assessment should be
as authentic as
possible.