REVIEW ON THE PRINCIPLES

OF HIGH-QUALITY
ASSESSMENT

ED 37: Assessment of Learning 2

Dr. A. Mira-ato
Capitol University
Second Semester, AY 2017-2018
 TERMS TO KNOW
ASSESSMENT is an ongoing process that involves a series
of steps; collecting, analyzing, and interpreting of data.
LEARNING TARGETS are the desired outcomes the
teacher wants her students to attain or acquire from her
teaching. In short, these are intents communicated by a
statement of what the learner is to be like when he has
successfully completed a learning experience (Mager).
HIGH-QUALITY ASSESSMENT provides results that
demonstrates and improves targeted school learning.
TEACHER-MADE TESTS are the means that the teacher
designed to assess students learning. These test are
associated with the grades on report cards. They help
measure students progress. Test scores may be used for
a portion of students mark (Williams & Haladyna, 1999).
 CHARACTERISTICS OF HIGH-QUALITY
ASSESSMENTS

1. Clarity of learning targets.

2. Appropriateness of
assessment methods.
3. Properties of assessment
methods.
I. CLARITY OF
LEARNING
TARGETS
 6 LEVELS OF LEARNING TARGETS
(BLOOMS TAXONOMY)
LEVEL 1: KNOWLEDGE is simply recalling of facts (who, where, when, how). Keywords:
identify, label, define, list, match, name, recite, select, state
LEVEL 2: COMPREHENSION involves the awareness of the interrelationships of facts
and concepts. Keywords: explain, predict, infer, estimate, paraphrase, convert,
divert
LEVEL 3: APPLICATION is when students can transfer their learning from one field to
another but within the same discipline. Keywords: compute, modify, operate,
organize, solve, transfer, demonstrate.
LEVEL 4: ANALYSIS is when the students can now break into pieces the parts of an
idea and explain each part of the concept. Keywords: diagram, differentiate,
distinguish, select, separate, relate, illustrate
LEVEL 5: SYNTHESIS is when the students can put back together the components in
order to summarize the concept. Keywords: compose, organize, create, design,
devise, categorize, formulate, summarize.
LEVEL 6: EVALUATION is when the students are ready to make judgments about the
value of a concept. Keywords: appraise, compare, contrast, criticize, defend, justify,
judge, evaluate.
BLOOMS TAXONOMY (2001)
BLOOMS TAXONOMY VERSIONS: COMPARISON

Old version vs. Updated

Updated version (2001) Version
 MARZANO & KENDALLS (1996) FIVE TYPES OF
LEARNING TARGETS
( Marzano and Kendall (1996) identified five types of learning targets:
1. Knowledge and Simple Understanding - includes mastery of facts and information,
typically through recall, as well as simple understanding
2. Deep Understanding and Reasoning - includes problem solving, critical thinking,
synthesis, comparing, higher order thinking skills and judgement. It requires the student to
identify errors or to differentiate among facts, opinions, and conclusions. Keywords: Break
down, illustrate, diagram, outline, subdivide.
3. Skills Level - involves something that a student must demonstrate in a way other
than answering questions. In other words, these are specific task that a student can
proficiently do. Competencies are a group of tasks needed for a specific task. Abilities are
talents of the students that fall into three (3) domains.
4. Products, Outputs, and Project Targets (psychomotor domain) - includes a sample
of students work that demonstrates the ability knowledge, understanding, reasoning and
skills. In a nutshell, these refer to the tangible and intangible finished product of a students
achievement.
5. Affective - includes attitudes, values, interests, feelings and beliefs of an individual.
Keywords: Appreciate, show respect for, admire, observe strictly, comply with, observe
wisely, initiate, pleasure
 1. CLARITY OF LEARNING TARGETS
These learning targets should be clearly defined in
your instructional objectives.
 POINTS IN WRITING BEHAVIORAL
OBJECTIVES
1. Begin each behavioral objective with a verb. The critical
aspect of any behavioral objective is the verb selected to
indicate expected behavior from learning activities.
2. State each objective in terms of learner performance. A
behavioral objective is one that is considered to be
observable and measurable. Behavior is generally
construed to be an action of an individual that can be
seen, felt, or heard by another person.
3. State each objective so that it includes only one general
learning outcome.
 BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES
Once an instructor decides he will teach his students
something, several kinds of activity are necessary on his
part if he is to succeed.
First, he must decide upon the goals he intends to
reach at the end of his course or program.
Second, he must select procedures, content and
methods that are relevant to the objectives.
Finally, measure or evaluate the students
performance according to the objective or goals
originally selected.
 BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES

There are instructional objectives stated in terms of what

we, as teachers, are going to do.
Example: 1. To demonstrate to students how to set up
laboratory.

A more fruitful way to state instructional objectives is in

terms of outcomes we expect from our teaching;
therefore, after we demonstrate how to use laboratory
equipment, we might expect students to be able to do
the following:
Example: 1. Identify the laboratory equipment used in
demonstration.
 STATING SPECIFIC LEARNING OUTCOMES
How to write objectives that will describe the desired
behavior of the learner. Mager has three (3)
suggestions:
1. First, identify the terminal behavior by name; you can
specify the kind of behavior that will accept as
evidence that the learner has achieved the objective.
2. Second, try to define the desired behavior further by
describing the important conditions under which the
behavior will be expected to occur.
3. Third, specify the criteria of acceptable performance
by describing how well the learner must perform to be
considered acceptable.
 Let us consider the objectives that follow:
1. To be able to solve quadratic equations.
2. To develop an appreciation for music.

The first objective tells what the learner will be

doing when he is demonstrating that he has
reached the goal: he will be solving
quadratic equations.
The second objective, on the other hand,
does not meet the criterion.
 THREE BUILDING BLOCKS OF WELL-WRITTEN
OBJECTIVES
1. CONDITIONS define the materials that will be
available ( or unavailable) when the objective is
assessed.
2. BEHAVIOR is a verb that describes an observable
activity- what the students will do (action verb).
3. CRITERION (also referred to as Degree)- is the
standard that is used to measure whether or not the
objective has been achieved.
 SET OF GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR
HIGH-QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Students Are the Key Assessment Users
Clear and Appropriate Targets are Essential
Accurate Assessment Is a must
High-quality assessment is essential in all assessments
Sound assessments arise from clear achievement
targets
Valid assessments reflect clear achievement targets
Begin any assessment design with a clear sense of
why you are conducting the assessment
APPROPRIATENESS
OF ASSESSMENT
METHODS
 5 VARIETIES OF ASSESSMENT METHODS
1. Written-Response Instruments
2. Product Rating Scales
3. Performance Tests
4. Oral Questioning
5. Observation and Self-Reports
 1. WRITTEN RESPONSE INSTRUMENTS
Objective tests appropriate for assessing the various levels of
hierarchy of educational objectives. It generally calls for single
words, phrases, numbers, letters or other symbols as responses
to items.

Essays can test the students grasp of the higher level

cognitive skills. Examinees are made to discuss, enumerate,
compare, state, explain, analyze or criticize.

Checklists list of several characteristics or activities presented

to the subjects of a study, where they will analyze and place a
mark opposite to the characteristics.
2. Product Rating Scales are used to rate products like book reports, maps, charts,
diagrams, notebooks, creative endeavors.
Need to be developed to assess various products over the years
3. Performance Tests - Performance checklist
Consists of a list of behaviors that make up a certain type of performance
Used to determine whether or not an individual behaves in a certain way when asked to
complete a particular task
4. Oral Questioning is an appropriate assessment method when the objectives are to:
Assess the students stock knowledge and/or
Determine the students ability to communicate ideas in coherent verbal sentences.
5. Observation and Self-reports
Useful supplementary methods when used in conjunction with oral questioning and
performance tests
Most appropriate means of obtaining information about the measurable aspect of
performance using the 5 senses: seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and touching.
Self-reports are commonly used for social-emotional assessment. They are usually part of a
more comprehensive assessment plan and often involve the use of interviews to obtain data.
 PROPERTIES OF ASSESSMENT METHODS

Validity
Reliability
Fairness
Positive Consequences
Practicality and Efficiency
Ethics
 VALIDITY
the extent to which the test serves its purpose or the efficiency with which it
intends to measure.
the appropriateness, correctness, meaningfulness and usefulness of the
specific conclusions that a teacher reaches regarding the teaching-learning
process.
Something valid is something fair.
A valid test is one that measures what it is supposed to measure.

How is validity determined?

Content validity: Am I testing what I taught?
i. Students adequate experience - Do students have adequate experience with the type
of task posed by the item?
ii. Coverage of sufficient material - Did the teachers cover sufficient material for most
students to be able to answer the item correctly?
iii. Reflect the degree of emphasis - Does the item reflect the degree of emphasis
received during instruction?
 HOW IS VALIDITY DETERMINED?
Face validity: What do students think of the test?
Criterion-related validity: How does this compare
with the existing valid test?
Construct validity: Am I testing in the way I taught?

Tests can be made more valid by making

them more subjective (open items).
 SUGGESTIONS FOR ENHANCING VALIDITY OF
ASSESSMENT
1.Prepare a table of specifications (TOS).
2.Construct appropriate test items.
3.Formulate directions that are brief, clear, and concise.
4.Consider the reading vocabulary of the examinees.
5.Make the sentence structure of your test items simple.
6.Never have an identifiable pattern of answers.
7. Arrange the test items from easy to difficult.
8. Provide adequate time for student to complete the
assessment.
9. Use different methods to assess the same thing.
 RELIABILITY
The Reliability of an assessment method refers to its consistency.
It also a term that is synonymous with dependability or stability.
Something reliable is something that works well and that you can trust.
A reliable test is a consistent measure of what it is supposed to
measure.
Questions:
Can we trust the results of the test?
Would we get the same results if the tests were taken again and scored by a
different person?
Tests can be made more reliable by making them more objective
(controlled items).
Reliability is the extent to which an experiment, test, or any measuring
procedure yields the same result on repeated trials.
 METHODS IN ESTIMATING THE RELIABILITY OF
A GOOD MEASURING INSTRUMENT
Split-Half Method - The test in this method may only be
administered once, but the test items are divided into
two halves. The reliability of the test is calculated using
the Spearman-Brown Formula and Kuder-Richardson
Formula.
Consistency of test results when the same test is
administered at two different time periods
i. Test-retest method
ii. Correlating the two test results
 SUGGESTIONS FOR ENHANCING THE RELIABILITY
OF CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT
1. Use a sufficient number of items or tasks. A longer test is more reliable.
2. Use independent raters or observers who can provide similar or top
the same performances.
3. Make sure the assessment procedures and scoring are objective.
4. Continue the assessment until the results are consistent.
5. Eliminate or reduce the influence of extraneous events or
factors.
6. Assess the difficulty level of the test.
7. Use shorter assessments more frequently rather than a few
long assessments.
 FAIRNESS
This pertains to the intent that each question should be made as
clear as possible to the examinees and the test is absent of any
biases.
Fairness also implies freedom from teacher-stereo-typing.
Stereotyping means boys are better than girls in mathematics or
girls are better than boys in language.
Students need to know exactly what the learning targets are and
what method of assessment will be used.
Assessment has to be viewed as an opportunity to learn rather than
an opportunity to weed out poor and slow learners
The concept that assessment should be 'fair' covers a number of aspects:
Student Knowledge and learning targets of assessment
Opportunity to learn
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Avoiding teacher stereotype
Avoiding bias in assessment tasks and procedures
 POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES

Learning assessments provide students with

effective feedback and potentially improve
their motivation and/or self-esteem. Moreover,
assessments of learning gives students the tools
to assess themselves and understand how to
improve.
Positive consequence on students, teachers,
parents, and other stakeholders.
 PRACTICALITY AND EFFICIENCY
Assessments need to take into consideration the teacher's
familiarity with the method, the time required, the complexity of
administration, the ease of scoring and interpretation, and the
cost to be able to determine an assessment's practicality and
efficiency.
Something practical is something effective in real situations.
A practical test is one which can be practically administered.
Questions:
Will the test take longer to design than apply?
Will the test be easy to mark?
Tests can be made more practical by making it more
objective (more controlled) items)
Teachers should be familiar with the test; does not require too much
time; implementable.
 The problem:
The more reliable a test is, the less valid.
The more valid a test is, the less reliable.
The more practical a test is, (generally) the less valid.
The solution:
As in everything, we need a balance (in both exams
and exam items).
 ETHICS IN ASSESSMENT
The term "ethics" refers to questions of right and wrong.
The teachers need to ask themselves if it is right to assess a specific
knowledge or investigate a certain question.

Here are some situations in which

assessment may not be called for:
Requiring students to answer checklist of their sexual fantasies
Asking elementary pupils to answer sensitive questions without consent of their
parents
Testing the mental abilities of pupils using an instrument whose validity and
reliability are unknown
 ETHICAL ISSUES IN ASSESSMENT
The fundamental responsibility of a teacher is to do all within her abilities to
ensure that the test takers are protected from physical or psychological
harm, discomfort or harm that may arise due to the testing procedure.
Anonymity and Confidentiality: Test results and assessment results are
confidential results. Results should be communicated to the students in a
way that other students would not be in possession of information
pertaining to any specific member of the class.
Informed Consent.
Conforming to the standards of conduct of a given profession or group

Ethical issues that may be raised

Possible harm to the participants.
Confidentiality.
Presence of concealment or deception. There are instances in which it is
necessary to conceal the objective of the assessment from the students
in order to ensure fair and impartial results.
Temptation to assist certain individuals in class during assessment or
testing is ever present. It is best if the teacher does not administer the test
himself if he believes that such a concern may be considered unethical.
 SOME USEFUL SUGGESTIONS IN TEST
CONSTRUCTION
Some suggestions that can be helpful in
constructing tests:
1.) Test should be balanced.
2.) Students should not be penalized with
a low mark because they are weak in
reading & writing.
3.) The teacher might choose to use
format different from conventional test.
 CHAPTER EXERCISE (SEATWORK)
A teacher plans to rate the performance of students in a
gymnastics class unobtrusively. He does not let the students
know that he is actually rating their gymnastic abilities.
Instead, he tells his students to use the gym facilities for
practice and then, he watches his students practice on
occasions that are unannounced.
Identify the ethical issues that may be raised, in terms of
A. possible harm to the student-participants
B. Confidentiality of assessment data
C. Presence of concealment or deception