Basic Concepts in Assessment & Evaluation

Here are terms that a student of this course should first fully understand:

Test. A test is an instrument designed to measure any characteristic, quality, ability, knowledge or skill. It is comprised of items in the area which it intends to measure.

Measurement. Measurement is a process by which the teacher quantifies the degree to which someone or something projects a specific trait.

Assessment. Assessment is a process of gathering and organizing quantitative or qualitative data into an interpretable form to have a basis for judgment or decision-making. It must also be noted that assessment is prerequisite to evaluation. It provides the information which enable evaluation to take place.

Evaluation. Evaluation is a process of systematic interpretation, analysis, appraisal or judgment of the worth of organized data as basis for decision-making. It involves judgment about the desirability of changes in students.

Traditional Assessment. Traditional assessment refers to the use of pen-and-paper objective test.

Alternative Assessment. Alternative assessment refers to the use of methods other than pen-and-paper objective test which includes performance test, projects, portfolios, journals and the likes.

Authentic Assessment. Authentic assessment refers to the use of assessment methods that simulate true-to-life situations. This could be objective tests that reflect real life situations or alternative methods that are parallel to what we experience in real life.

REMEMBER:

A test is an assessment

Teacher A administered a 30-item quiz; this is a form of assessment.

Teacher B, using a standardized rubric, graded the first performer with score of 89; this is a form of measurement. The teacher assigns a quantitative values to the performance.

Teacher C decided that Student A fail in the subject due to very low scores and very sparse attendance; this is a form of evaluation. The teacher judges whether the student is going to pass or fail the subject. Of course, judgment should be based upon what the assessment and measurement reflect.

Assessment is a prerequisite to evaluation. No teacher can judge a student's stand in the subject without sufficient assessment.

On the other, assessment feeds the teacher results which he will, in turn, measure. To measure is to assign numerical or symbolical value to a given, measure trait.