Module 1 Nature and Roles of Assessment

Summary

This educational module explores the nature and roles of assessment in education, distinguishing between pre-assessment, formative, and summative assessments. It delves into outcome-based education (OBE) principles, measurement, testing, and evaluation processes. The script highlights assessment types, their purposes, and relevance to various stakeholders, emphasizing the importance of clarity, relevance, and proper use of assessment tools for effective educational outcomes.

Takeaways

• 📚 Assessment helps in identifying learning needs, monitoring progress, and evaluating student performance.
• 📝 There are three types of assessments: pre-assessment (before instruction), formative assessment (during instruction), and summative assessment (after instruction).
• 🎯 Outcome-Based Education (OBE) focuses on organizing education around achieving clear outcomes for students at the end of their learning experiences.
• 🔢 Measurement refers to the quantitative description of an attribute, while testing is the practice of gathering information through formal tests.
• 🎓 The purposes of tests include assessing knowledge, evaluating progress, identifying strengths/weaknesses, and providing a basis for awards or program entry.
• ✔️ Assessment involves gathering information about learning and making value judgments based on that information.
• 📊 Evaluation is the process of making judgments about the quality of student performance using criteria and evidence.
• 🔄 There is a relationship between measurement, testing, and evaluation, where all can overlap, but each has distinct roles in assessing performance.
• 📈 Types of assessments include maximum performance assessments (achievement and aptitude tests) and typical performance assessments (interest, attitude, personality inventories).
• 🎯 Assessment plays various roles for students, teachers, parents, administrators, and policymakers by providing information for decision-making and improving learning processes.

Q & A

What is the primary purpose of assessment in education?

Assessment is used to determine learning needs of students, monitor their progress, and examine their performance against identified student learning outcomes.

What are the three types of assessment mentioned in the script?

The three types of assessment are pre-assessment, formative assessment, and summative assessment.

What does OBE stand for and what does it focus on?

OBE stands for Outcome-Based Education, which focuses on organizing everything in the education system around what is important for students to be successful at the end of their learning experiences.

What are the four principles of Outcome-Based Education?

The four principles of OBE are clarity of focus, designing town, high expectations, and expanded opportunities.

What is the difference between measurement and testing?

Measurement is a quantitative description of an object's characteristic or attribute, while testing refers to the practice or act of giving tests to measure someone's knowledge or ability.

What are the general principles of assessment?

The general principles of assessment include clearly stating what is to be assessed, selecting procedures relevant to the characteristics or performance to be measured, requiring a variety of procedures for comprehensive assessment, being aware of the limitations of assessment procedures, and viewing assessment as a means to an end, not an end in itself.

How does evaluation differ from measurement and testing?

Evaluation refers to the process of making judgments based on criteria and evidence, whereas measurement and testing involve gathering information and do not necessarily involve making judgments or decisions.

What are the two classifications of assessment mentioned in the script?

The two classifications of assessment are maximum performance assessments and typical performance assessments.

What are the purposes of assessment for learning?

Assessment for learning involves diagnostic and formative tasks used to identify learning needs, monitor student progress, and guide instruction.

What is the difference between formative and summative assessment?

Formative assessment mediates the teaching and learning process and is both teacher-centered and learner-centered, while summative assessment determines the extent to which students have attained learning outcomes and is done at the end of instructions.

Why are different types of tests important in assessment?

Different types of tests are important because they allow for varied modes of response, ease of qualification of response, modes of administration, and modes of interpreting results, which provide a comprehensive view of a student's abilities and achievements.