Assessment

1. Assessment Prof. N.J. Rao

2. Assessment • It is the process of documenting in measurable terms, knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs • To many, "assessment" simply means the process by which we assign students grades IIIT, Bangalore

3. Assessment provides • Data to instructors for improving their teaching methods • Data to instructors for guiding and motivating students to be actively involved in their own learning • Important feedback to both instructors and students IIIT, Bangalore

4. Quality of Learning Improving the quality of learning in a course involves • determining to what extent students have mastered course content at the end of the course • determining to what extent students are mastering content throughout the course IIIT, Bangalore

5. Assessment • Assessment should help students "become more effective, self-assessing, self-directed learners" • Assessment drives student learning • Assessment tools tell students what we consider to be important • Students will learn what we guide them to learn through our assessments • Is the glue that links the components of a course - its content, instructional methods, and skills development IIIT, Bangalore

6. Traditional testing methods • Are limited measures of student learning • Are of limited value for guiding student learning • Are inconsistent with the increasing emphasis being placed on • the ability of students to think analytically • to understand and communicate at both detailed and "big picture" levels • to acquire life-long skills that permit continuous adaptation to workplaces that are in constant flux IIIT, Bangalore

7. Types of Assessment • Formative and summative • Objective and subjective • Referencing • criterion-referenced • norm-referenced • ipsative • Informal and formal • Internal and external IIIT, Bangalore

8. Summative assessment • It is also referred to as “assessment of learning” • Measures learning outcomes and report those outcomes to students, parents, and administrators • It generally occurs at the conclusion of a class, course, semester, or academic year • It is typically used to assign students a course grade IIIT, Bangalore

9. Performance-based assessment • It is similar to summative assessment • Proficiency is demonstrated by providing an extended response to a well-defined task. • The performance may result in a product, such as a painting, portfolio, paper, or exhibition, or it may consist of a performance, such as a speech, athletic skill, musical recital, or reading. IIIT, Bangalore

10. Formative assessment • It is also referred to as "educative assessment" or “assessment for learning” • It is used to aid learning and is generally carried out throughout a course or project • It is used by teachers to consider approaches to teaching and next steps for individual learners and the class, and would not necessarily be used for grading purposes. • It is defined as “all those activities undertaken by teachers and/or students, which provide information to be used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are engaged” IIIT, Bangalore

11. Assessment for learning: Key features • High quality interactions based on thoughtful questions, careful listening and reflective responses; • Involves students and instructors in deciding next steps in their learning and identifying who can help. • Students and instructors are given timely feedback about the quality of their work and how to make it better. • Sharing criteria: Students and instructors are clear about what is learned and what success would be like. IIIT, Bangalore

12. Formative assessment: Other forms • Diagnostic assessment: measures a student's current knowledge and skills for the purpose of identifying a suitable program of learning • Self-assessment: a form of diagnostic assessment which involves students assessing themselves • Forward-looking assessment asks those being assessed to consider themselves in hypothetical future situations IIIT, Bangalore

13. Objective and Subjective Assessment • Objective assessment is a form of questioning which has a single correct answer • Objective question types include true/false answers, multiple choice, multiple-response and matching questions. • Objective assessment is well suited to the increasingly popular computerized or online assessment format. • Subjective assessment is a form of questioning which may have more than one correct answer (or more than one way of expressing the correct answer). • Subjective questions include extended-response questions, essays, hypothesizing, creating plans etc. IIIT, Bangalore

14. Referencing Test results can be compared • against an established criterion • against the performance of other students • against previous performance IIIT, Bangalore

15. Criterion-referenced assessment • Candidates are measured against defined (and objective) criteria • It is used to establish a person’s competence (whether s/he can do something) Example: the driving test IIIT, Bangalore

16. Norm-referenced assessment • Colloquially known as “grading on the curve” • Norm-referenced measures are designed to compare students: disperse average student scores along a bell curve, with some students performing very well, most performing average, and a few performing poorly • Examples: IQ, CET, GATE, CAT, SAT and GRE • They permit a fixed proportion of students to pass • Standards may vary from year to year, depending on the quality of the cohort IIIT, Bangalore

17. Ipsative assessment It is self comparison • in the same domain over time • comparative to other domains IIIT, Bangalore

18. Informal and Formal • Formal assessment implicates a written document, such as a test, quiz, or paper • Formal assessment is given a numerical score or grade based on student performance, • An informal assessment may include observation, inventories, checklists, rating scales, performance and portfolio assessments, participation, peer and self evaluation, and discussion. • Informal assessment does not contribute to a student’s final grade IIIT, Bangalore

19. Internal and External • Internal assessment is set and marked by the institution • Students get the mark and feedback regarding the assessment • External assessment is set by the governing body, and is marked by non-biased personnel. • Students only receive a mark without feedback IIIT, Bangalore

20. Quality and Standards High-quality assessments have a high level of • reliability • validity IIIT, Bangalore

21. Reliability • Reliabilityrelates to the consistency of an assessment • A reliable assessment is one which consistently achieves the same results with the same (or similar) cohort of students. • Factors that affect reliability • ambiguous questions • too many options within a question paper • vague marking instructions • poorly trained markers IIIT, Bangalore

22. Reliability of an assessment It is based on the following: • Temporal stability: Performance on a test is comparable on two or more separate occasions. • Form equivalence: Performance among examinees is equivalent on different forms of a test based on the same content. • Internal consistency: Responses on a test are consistent across questions IIIT, Bangalore

23. Validity • A valid assessment measures what it is intended to measure. • It would not be valid to assess ability to design a circuit through asking the student to explain the theory of devices used in the circuit. • When you complain that some examinations do not properly assess the syllabus upon which the examination is based, you are questioning the validity of the examination. IIIT, Bangalore

24. Gauging Validity Validity of an assessment is gauged through examination of evidence in: • Content -- Does the content of the test measure stated objectives? • Criterion -- Do scores correlate to an outside reference? • Construct -- Does the assessment correspond to other significant variables? IIIT, Bangalore

25. Reliability and Validity • A good assessment has both validity and reliability • In practice, an assessment is rarely totally valid or totally reliable • The more reliable is our estimate, the less certain we are that we are actually measuring that aspect of attainment IIIT, Bangalore

26. Methods of Assessment • Written objective questions • Written short-answer methods • Written long-answer methods • Discussion methods • Artifact methods • Performance methods • Quasi Assessment methods IIIT, Bangalore

27. Written objective questions • Objective refers to the methods of marking questions • Multiple choice questions • True/False • Matching • Fill in the blank IIIT, Bangalore

28. Short-answer Questions Can be used to test a wide range of learning • Fill-in-the-blank • Producing a list • One-sentence answers • Completing a table • Completing a diagram • Several sentences/a series of steps/a series of calculations etc. • Essay outlines (logical order, key points made, counter arguments considered, and sensible, sustainable conclusions) IIIT, Bangalore

29. Long-answer Methods • Plans • Reports • Essays • Dissertations They all require • Having a sense of audience and purpose • Choosing the arguments (and its boundaries) to be presented • Ordering the argument • Selecting the evidence • Presenting an argument logically • Avoiding problems such as unstated premises IIIT, Bangalore

30. Discussion Methods • Conference • Brainstorm • Case discussion • Topic discussion • Buzz session • Committee Problem solving • Role playing IIIT, Bangalore

31. Artifact Methods Learner creates an artifact Examples of artifacts • Type a letter • Fabricate an item in the workshop • Write a poem • Create a database • Change a wheel on car • Produce a product The emphasis is on product and not on the process IIIT, Bangalore

32. Performance Methods • Presentation • Acting • Dancing • Singing • Playing a musical instrument IIIT, Bangalore

33. Quasi Assessment Methods • Projects and Placements • Diaries, journals and logs • Case studies • Portfolios when used for assessment IIIT, Bangalore