ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION: CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES

Assessment, Evaluation and its Principles

Assessment and evaluation are essential to student success in mathematics. The purpose of assessment
is diverse: Assessment provides rich data to evaluate student learning, the effectiveness of teaching, and the
achievement of the prescribed curriculum outcomes. However, assessment without evaluation is insufficient, as
the collection and reporting of data alone are not entirely useful unless the quality of the data is evaluated in
relation to the outcomes. With this end, teachers use written or non-written tests, rubrics, criteria, marking keys,
and other objective guides to evaluate the learning performance of their students.

You should be able to

1. define what is assessment and evaluation;

2. distinguish the characteristics of assessment from evaluation;

3. identify the functions of educational evaluation;

4. discuss the principles of assessment.

Meaning of Assessment

To provide us proper guidance and framework in this major course, let us start considering some
definitions of assessment from varied authorities and sources:

1. Assessment involves the use of empirical data on student learning to refine programs and improve student
learning. (Assessing Academic Programs in Higher Education by Allen 2004)

2. 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; the process culminates when assessment results are used to improve
subsequent learning. (Learner- Centered Assessment on College Campuses: shifting the focus from teaching to
learning by Huba and Freed 2000)

3. 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. (Assessing Student Learning and Development: A Guide to the
Principles, Goals, and Methods of Determining College Outcomes by Erwin 1991)

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

5. Assessment refers to the wide variety of methods or tools that educators use to evaluate, measure, and
document the academic readiness, learning progress, skill acquisition, or educational needs of students (Great
School Partnership, 2020).

6. David et al. (2020:3) defined assessment as the ―process of gathering quantitative and/or qualitative data for
the purpose of making decisions.

7. Assessment is defined as a process that is used to keep track of learners‘ progress in relation to learning
standards and in the development of 21st century skills; to promote self-reflection and personal accountability
among students about their own learning; and to provide bases for the profiling of student performance on the
learning competencies and standards of the curriculum (DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2015).
 Assessment is one of the most critical dimensions of the education process; it focuses not only on
identifying how many of the predefined education aims and goals have been achieved but also works as a
feedback mechanism that educators should use to enhance their teaching practices.

Although many definitions exist, assessment is generally considered as the process of collecting
information for specific purposes.

Meaning of Evaluation

Several respected authors have provided us the definition of evaluation:

 Evaluation is the assignment of symbols to phenomenon, in order to characterize the worth or value of a
phenomenon, usually with reference to some cultural or scientific standards (James M. Bradfield).
 The term evaluation is closely related to measurement. It is in some respect, inclusive including informal
and intuitive judgement of pupil‘s progress. Evaluation is describing something in term of selected
attributes and judging the degree of acceptability or suitability of that which has been described
(Thorndike and Hegan).
 Evaluation is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting in-formation to determine the
extent to which pupil‘s are achievement instructional objectives (Norman E. Gronlund and Robert L.
Linn).
 The process of ascertaining or judging the value or amount of something by use of a standard of
standard of appraisal includes judgement in terms of internal evidence and external criteria. From the
above definitions it can be said that evaluations a much more comprehensive and inclusive term than
the measurement and test. A test is a set of question measurement is assigning numbers to the results
of test according to some specific rules on the other hand evaluation adds value judgement (C.V. Good).

Distinctions between Assessment and Evaluation

Educators use two distinct processes to help students build lifelong learning skills: assessment and
evaluation. Assessment provides feedback on knowledge, skills, attitudes, and work products for the purpose of
elevating future performances and learning outcomes. Evaluation determines the level of quality of a
performance or outcome and enables decision-making based on the level of quality demonstrated. These two
processes are complementary and necessary in education. This module draws important distinctions between
assessment and evaluation, underscoring the need for both processes to occur at separate places and times, and
ideally through different roles

Inconsistent Use of the Terms

In the last fifteen years, much has been written about assessment and evaluation, but the terms have
not always had distinct meanings. As accrediting agencies have become increasingly interested in improvement,
it has become imperative to have a word that describes feedback for improvement that is distinct from one that
describes the determination of quality. To add another layer of confusion from the literature, the word
―formative (used as an adjective with assessment or evaluation) has typically been used to describe an
improvement process, while the word ―summative has been used to describe a decision-making process
(Brown, Race, & Smith, 1996).

Similarly, evaluation is usually used to indicate that some sort of judgment of quality will be made. The
Assessment is the term used to look at how the level of quality of a performance or outcome could be improved
in the future; it includes strengths that should be sustained as well as high priority areas for improvement. The
assessment process is not concerned with the level of quality; only with how to improve the level of quality.
Evaluation is the term used to describe the determination of the level of quality. The evaluation process focuses
only on the actual level of quality with no interest in why that level was attained.

Assessment and evaluation both have their purposes, and, when used correctly, both can add significant
value to teaching/learning. However, there can be detrimental effects when the people involved have not
agreed whether the process is evaluation or assessment, or when the Assessment Methodology gets confused
with the Evaluation Methodology.

In-Class Assessment Exercises

Students are more used to feeling that they are evaluated by instructors, rather than assessed. Part of
the reason for this perception is that instructors do evaluate students by giving grades. Part of the reason is that
students are not often included in determining what should be fed back to them. In order for assessment of
student learning to work effectively, students must participate in determining the criteria that will be used for
their feedback.

For example, after giving an assignment that requires a draft, you could ask students to tell you in what
areas they would like feedback for improvement. In this way, they would have to determine the areas where
they feel improvement would make a difference.

Functions of Educational Evaluation

The main aim of teaching learning process is to enable the pupil to achieve intended learning outcomes.
In this process the learning objectives are fixed then after the instruction learning progress is periodically
evaluated by tests and other evaluation devices.
 The function of evaluation process can be summarized as following:

1. Evaluation helps in preparing instructional objectives. Learning outcomes expected from class-room
discussion can be fixed by using evaluation results.
 What type of knowledge and understanding the student should develop?
 What skill they should display?
 What interest and attitude they should develop?

It can only be possible when we shall identify the instructional objectives and state them clearly in terms
of intended learning outcomes. Only a good evaluation process helps us to fix up a set of perfect instructional
objectives.

2. Evaluation process helps in assessing the learner’s needs. In the teaching learning process it is very much
necessary to know the needs of the learners. The instructor must know the knowledge and skills to be mastered
by the students. Evaluation helps to know whether the students possess required knowledge and skills to
proceed with the instruction.

3. Evaluation help in providing feed back to the students. An evaluation process helps the teacher to know the
learning difficulties of the students. It helps to bring about an improvement in different school practices. It also
ensures an appropriate follow-up service.

4. Evaluation helps in preparing programmed materials. Programmed instruction is a continuous series of

learning sequences. First, the instructional material is presented in a limited amount then a test is given to
response the instructional material. Next feedback is provided on the basis of correctness of response made. So
that without an effective evaluation process the programmed learning is not possible.

5. Evaluation helps in curriculum development. Curriculum development is an important aspect of the

instructional process. Evaluation data enable the curriculum development, to determine the effectiveness of
new procedures, identify areas where revision is needed. Evaluation also helps to determine the degree to what
extent an existing curriculum is effective. Thus, evaluation data are helpful in constructing the new curriculum
and evaluating the existing curriculum.

6. Evaluation helps in reporting pupil’s progress to parents. A systematic evaluation procedure provides an
objective and comprehensive picture of each pupil‘s progress. This comprehensive nature of the evaluation
process helps the teacher to report on the total development of the pupil to the parents. This type of objective
information about the pupil provides the foundation for the most effective co-operation between the parents
and teachers.

7. Evaluation data are very much useful in guidance and counselling. Evaluation procedures are very much
necessary for educational, vocational and personal guidance. In order to assist the pupils to solve their problems
in the educational, vocational and personal fields the counsellor must have an objective knowledge of the pupil’s
abilities, interests, attitudes and other personal characteristics. An effective evaluation procedure helps in
getting a comprehensive picture of the pupil which leads to effective guidance and of counselling.

8. Evaluation helps in effective school administration. Evaluation data helps the administrators to judge the
extent to which the objectives of the school are being achieved, to find out strengths and weaknesses of the
curriculum and arranging special school programs. It also helps in decisions concerning admission, grouping and
promotion of the students.

9. Evaluation data are helpful in school research. In order to make the school program more effective,
researches are necessary. Evaluation data help in research areas like comparative study of different curricula,
effectiveness of different methods, effectiveness of different organizational plans, etc.
Principles of Assessment

There are many principles in the assessment in learning. Different literature provides their unique list yet
closely related set of principles of assessment. According to David et al. (2020), the following may be considered
as core principles in assessing learning:

1. Assessment should have 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
principle is congruent with the outcome-based education (OBE) principles of clarity of focus and design down.

2. Assessment is not an end in itself. It 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 decision that will allow improvement of the learners.

3. Assessment is an on-going, continuous, and a formative process. It 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 principle is congruent with the OBE principle of expanded opportunity.

4. Assessment is learner-centered. It 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. It gives equal importance to learner performance or
product in the process. They engaged in to perform or produce a product.

6. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic. It should be performed using a variety of strategies and tools
designed to assess student learning in a holistic way. It should be conducted in multiple periods to assess
learning overtime. This 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 principle is consistent with the OBE principle of high expectation.

8. Assessment should be authentic as possible. Assessment tasks or activities should closely, if not fully,
approximate real-life situations or experiences. Authenticity of assessment can be taught of as a continuum
from least authentic to most authentic, with more authentic tasks expected to be more meaningful for learners.