LESSON 3

TYPES OF ASSESSMENT
Learning outcomes
In this lesson, you are expected to have:

a. Compared traditional and authentic assessment;

b. Differentiated formative and summative evaluation; and
c. Familiarized norm and criterion-referenced assessment.
Time Frame: 3 hours

Let’s begin
In what ways do our students achieve more learning outcomes? What are the
methods with which we could measure students' achievements? Assessment of student
learning requires various techniques for measuring outcomes, which play a significant
role in the effective teaching and learning process. This lesson presents various methods
and procedures for assessing student learning outcomes, helping the mathematics
teachers make instructional, curricular, or administrative decisions.

Let’s discuss
According to genuineness of student leaning outcomes:
A. Traditional Assessment (TA)
❖ Are indirect and inauthentic measures of student learning outcomes.
❖ They are single-occasion tests which measure what learners can do at a particular
time.
❖ This kind of assessment is standardized and for that reason, they are one-shot,
speed-based and norm-referenced.
❖ Often, it focuses on learner’s ability of memorization and recall, which are lower of
cognition skills. Other examples are paper-and-pencil test or quizzes.
Specific Attributes:
✓ Assessment Activity: Selecting a response
✓ Nature of Activity: Contrived activity
✓ Cognitive level: knowledge/comprehension
✓ Development of solution: Teacher-structured
✓ Objectivity of scoring: Easily achieved
✓ Evidence of mastery: Indirect evidence
B. Alternative Assessment (AA)
❖ Refers to the use of alternative or non-traditional assessment strategies or tools to
collect information on student learning.

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 ❖ Also called as authentic assessment, performance assessment and direct
assessment. Authentic means genuine or real which means it involves products
and performance correlated with real life experience.
❖ Focuses on the analytical and creative thinking skills, students to work
cooperatively and that reflect student learning, student achievement, and student
attitudes of relevant activities.
❖ It is authentic when it measures performances and products which have realistic
meaning that can be attributed to the success in school.
❖ Activities, questions and problems with “real world” satisfy the criterion that it needs
to be an intellectual work within the given situation or contextual realism of the
tasks.
❖ AA requires students to make their own answers to questions rather than select
from given options.
❖ It often demonstrates knowledge, skills or competencies in appropriate situations.
Moreover, this gives learners opportunities to assess tnemselves and their peers.
❖ It does not encourage rote learning and passive taking of test. Test takers are
becoming active and involved participants in assessment activities.
❖ Instructors and learners focus on communication, not on right or wrong answers
Dimensions of authenticity (Frey, 2012):
1. Context of assessment (realistic activity, task is performance-based and
cognitively complex)
2. Role of the student (defense of the answer or product is required, assessment
is formative, collaboration of students and teachers)
3. Scoring (criteria are identified, student-developed, multiple indicators are used
for scoring, the performance expectation is mastery)
Phases of Alternative Assessment:
1. Identify learner outcome.
2. Determine criteria and acceptable evidence of performance.
3. Implement supporting learning experiences and instructional activities.
4. Implement assessment strategies.
5. Evaluate results to determine attainment of outcome and ensure continuous
improvement.
Models of Alternative Assessment:
1. Emergent Assessment. This focuses on determing the “effects” of instruction
on students.
2. Developmenttal Assessment. This focuses on determining the extent that
students have developed their competencies from instruction. This adopts pre-
test and post test methodology
3. Authentic Assessement. It is an approach that refers to the use of
assessment strategies or tools that allow learners to perform or create a
product that is meaningful to the learners as they are based on real-world
contexts.
Specific Attributes:
✓ Assessment Activity: Performing a task, portfolio
✓ Nature of Activity: Activity emulates real life
✓ Cognitive level: application/analysis/synthesis

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 ✓ Development of solution: student-structured
✓ Objectivity of scoring: difficult to achieve
✓ Evidence of mastery: direct evidence
✓ Instruments used: rubrics (psychomotor outcomes) and rating scales,
checklists (affective or dispositional outcomes)

According to coverage:
A. Formative assessment
❖ It is given during the course of instruction. The purpose is to find out which aspects
of the lesson the students have mastered. It is a planned process in which the
teacher uses assessment-based evidence to adjust ongoing learning and
instruction.
❖ All those activities undertaken by the teachers which provide information to be
used as feedback to modify the teaching and learning activities in which they are
engaged (Black and William, 1998).
❖ The result is identifying its goal and improving and motivating the students to
enhance achievement; gathered info and interpreted evidence is utilized by the
teachers to give feedback about the progress of students.
❖ It occurs at 3 points of instruction: during instruction, between lessons and between
units.
❖ This pertains to the purpose of assessment for learning.
B. Summative Assessment
❖ are given at the end of the marking period and measures the sum total of the
material covered.
❖ Summary of evidences indicate extent of learning achievements which can classify
for certification or giving of honors/awards.
❖ Moreover, they are typically traditionally paper-and-pencil measures.
❖ This pertains to the purpose of assessment of learning.

Characteristics of Formative and Summative Assessment

Characteristics Formative Summative

To provide feedback and To document learning at the
Purpose
adjustment end of instruction
When Conducted During and after instruction After instruction
Student Motivation Intrinsic, mastery-oriented Extrinsic, performance-oriented
To provide immediate To measure achievement and
Teacher Role
feedback give grades
Learning Deep understanding,
Knowledge and comprehension
Emphasized application, reasoning
Impact of Learning Strong, positive, long-lasting Weak and fleeting

According to interpretation of results/reference or comparison:

A. Norm-referenced assessment
❖ Are interpreted in terms of each student’s relative standing among other students.

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 ❖ It gives information on what the student can perform by comparing to another
student. It measures individual differences in achievement.
❖ Teachers usually rank the achievement of the students.
❖ The level of performance is determined by relative position in some known group
(ranks 5th in a group of 20)
B. Criterion-referenced test results
❖ Are expressed in terms of the specific knowledge and skills each student can
demonstrate.
❖ It describes the performance of the students without the reference of others’
performance which uses preset criteria or predefined and absolute standard or
outcome.
❖ Usually, it describes the student’s mastery of the course content, thus, there is no
competition for a limited percentage for a high score.
❖ Level of performance is commonly determined by the standards (demonstrates
mastery by defining 90% of technical terms.
C. Ipsative Assessment
❖ It measures the performance of a student against previous performances from that
student. With this method you’re trying to improve yourself by comparing previous
results. You’re not comparing yourself against other students, which may be not
so good for your self-confidence.
❖ An advantage of ipsative assessment is that it measures progress and
development – a test-taker can see if he or she is improving and whether or not
he/she is taking advantage of feedback from previous assessments. Using ipsative
assessment can help all test-takers improve.

Summary Comparison of Norm and Criterion-referenced Assessment

Norm-referenced Criterion-referenced
Primary Use Survey testing Mastery testing
Measures individual Describes task students can
Major Emphasis
achievement perform
Interpretation of Compares performance to Compares performance to a
Results other individuals specified domain
Nature of Test Table of specification is Detailed domain specifications
Plan commonly used are favored
The level of performance is Absolute standards commonly
Performance
determined by relative determine the level of
Standards
position in some known group performance

According to purpose:
A. Proficiency Test
❖ generally aims to test the global competence of the examinee on skills and
knowledge.
❖ an examination which tests how proficient or skilled someone is in a particular
activity, field of study, language, etc.
❖ English Proficiency Test is an example.

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B. Diagnostic Test
❖ is used to find out about students’ strengths and weaknesses.
❖ Is a form of pre-assessment that allows a teacher to determine students' individual
strengths, weaknesses, knowledge, and skills prior to instruction. It is primarily
used to diagnose student difficulties and to guide lesson and curriculum planning.
❖ It is used to inform instruction and made as the initial phase of assessment for
learning.
C. Achievement Test
❖ measures whether the students have learned what the teacher has been teaching.
❖ Achievement tests are designed to measure the knowledge and skills students
learned in school or to determine the academic progress they have made over a
period of time.
❖ The tests may also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of a schools and
teachers, or identify the appropriate academic placement for a student—i.e., what
courses or programs may be deemed most suitable, or what forms of academic
support they may need.
❖ Achievement tests are “backward-looking” in that they measure how well students
have learned what they were expected to learn.
❖ NAT is an example.
D. Placement Test
❖ places a student into a particular level or section of a language program.
❖ After you’ve been accepted by a college, you may need to take placement tests.
Colleges use placement tests in subjects like math and English to check the
academic skill levels of entering students. Then the college can place each student
in classes at the right level.
❖ It assists in placing the individual to a job and course of action within his interest
and needs.
❖ Results of this test may lead to skip some introductory topics or shows more
preparation before taking on college-level work in a form of remedial classes.
E. Aptitude Test
❖ this predicts the examinee’s future performance using a certain skill or knowledge.
❖ An aptitude test is an exam used to determine an individual's propensity to succeed
in a given activity. Aptitude tests assume that individuals have inherent strengths
and weaknesses, and have a natural inclination toward success or failure in
specific areas based on their innate characteristics.
❖ Such aptitude tests are often used to assess academic potential or career
suitability. Such tests may be used to assess either mental or physical talent in a
variety of domains.
❖ Special aptitude tests are those designed to look at an individual's capacity in a
particular area.
❖ Multiple aptitude tests are designed to measure two or more different abilities. The
Scholastic Assessment Test (or SAT) is a good example of a multiple aptitude test.
The SAT measures aptitudes in areas including math, reasoning, and language
and is often used by colleges and universities to determine if an applicant is
prepared and has the ability to do well in college.

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Others:
1. Intelligence Test
❖ Intelligence tests attempt to measure your intelligence—that is, your basic ability
to understand the world around you, assimilate its functioning, and apply this
knowledge to enhance the quality of your life.
❖ Intelligence tests are psychological tests that are designed to measure a variety of
mental functions, such as reasoning, comprehension, and judgment.
❖ The goal of intelligence tests is to obtain an idea of the person's intellectual
potential. The tests center around a set of stimuli designed to yield a score based
on the test maker's model of what makes up intelligence. Intelligence tests are
often given as a part of a battery of tests.
❖ IQ Tests are example.
2. Personality Assessment
❖ The measurement of personal characteristics.
❖ It provided information about personal traits as an individual and member in a
group
❖ It mirrors the learners’ preferences in terms of people and work.
3. Competency Assessment
❖ It is the process of collecting evidence and making judgments on whether
competency has been achieved. It focuses in assessing an individual’s skills,
knowledge, attitude and work values relative to a unit or cluster of units of
competency.
❖ In the Philippines, the best example is TESDA (Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority) Assessment for National Certificate.

Untwist the loop

A. Answer the following in the answer sheet.

1. Make a table that shows the key differences between TA and AA. Make 3 columns with
the first column showing the areas in which they differ. Examples: tools used, focus,
definition, etc.…
2. Does alternative assessment mean to not utilize traditional assessment? Support your
answer.
3. Between norm-referenced and criterion-referenced assessment, which do you prefer
to employ and why?
4. Cite 2 types of assessment according to purpose (you may also refer to “others”) where
you can share your experience on those assessments. State why they are important when
you took them.

References
Balagtas, M., David, A., Golla, E., Magno, C., Valladolid, V. (2020). Assessment in
Learning 2. Rex Book Store, Inc. 856 Nicanor Reyes Sr. St., Sampaloc, Manila.

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Cajigal, R.M. and Mantuano, M.L. (2014) Assessment of learning 2. Cubao, Quezon City.
Metro Manila. Adriana Publishing Co. Inc.
De Guzman-Santos (2007). Advanced methods in educational assessment and
evaluation (Assessment of learning 2). Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila. Lorimar
Publishing, Inc.
Jazmin-Hena, L. (2015): Classroom assessment 2. West Avenue, Quezon City. Great
Books Trading.
Navarro R.L. & De Guzman-Santos (2013). Authentic assessment of student learning
outcomes (Assessment of learning 2). Second Edition. Quezon City, Metro Manila.
Lorimar Publishing, Inc.

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