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Lesson 3 Different Classifications of Assessment

Desired Significant Learning Outcomes
In this lesson, you are expected to:

• illustrate scenarios in the use of different classifications of assessment;

• rationalize the purpose of different forms of assessment; and
• decide on the kind of assessment to be used.
What are the different classifications of assessment?
The different forms of assessment are classified according to purpose, form, interpretation of
learning, function, ability, and kind of learning.

Classification Type
Educational
Purpose
Psychological
Paper-and-Pencil
Form
Performance-based
Teacher-made
Function
Standardized
Achievement
Kind of learning
Aptitude
Speed
Ability
Power
Norm-referenced
Interpretation of Learning
Criterion-referenced

When do we use educational and psychological assessments?

Educational assessments are used in the school setting for the purpose of tracking the growth of
learners and grading their performance. This assessment in the educational setting comes in the form of
formative and summative assessment. These work hand-in-hand to provide information about student
learning. Formative assessment is a continuous process of gathering information about student learning
at the beginning, during, and after instruction so that teachers can decide how to improve their
instruction until learners are able to meet the learning targets. When the learners are provided with
enough scaffold as indicated by the formative assessment, then the summative assessment is conducted.
The purpose of summative assessment is to determine and record what the learners have learned. On the
other hand, the purpose of formative assessment is to track and monitor student learning and their
progress toward the learning target. Formative assessment can be any form of assessment (paper-and-
pencil or performance-based) that is conducted before, during, and after instruction. Before instruction
begins, formative assessment serves as a diagnostic tool to determine whether learners already know

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about the learning target. More specifically, formative assessment given at the start of the lesson
determines the following:
1. What learners know and do not know so that instruction can supplement what learners do not know.
2. Misconceptions of learners so that they can be corrected.
3. Confusion of learners so that they can be clarified,
4. What learners can and cannot do so that enough practice can be given to perform the task.
The information from educational assessment at the beginning of the lesson is used by the
teacher to prepare relevant instruction for learners. For example, if the learning target is for learners to
determine the by-product of photosynthesis, then the teacher can ask learners if they know what is the
food of plants. If incorrect answers are provided, then the teacher can recommend references for them to
study. If the learning target is for learners to divide a three-digit number by a two-digit number, then the
teacher can start with a three-item exercise on the task to identify who can and cannot perform the task.
For those who can do the task, the teacher can provide more exercises; for those who cannot, necessary
direct instruction can be provided. At this point of instruction, the results of the assessment are not
graded because the information is used by the teacher to prepare relevant ways to teach.
Educational assessment during instruction is done where the teacher stops at certain parts of the
teaching episodes to ask learners questions, assign exercises, short essays, board work, and other tasks.
If the majority of the learners are still unable to accomplish the task, then the teacher realizes that further
instruction is needed by learners. The teacher continuously provides a series of practice drills and
exercises until the learners are able meet the learning target. These drills and exercises are meant to
make learners consolidate the skill until they can execute it with ease. At this point of the instruction, the
teacher should be able to see the progress of the learners in accomplishing the task. The teacher can
require the learners to collect the results of their drills and exercises so that learners can track their own
progress as well. This procedure allows learners to become active participants in their own learning. At
this point of the instruction, the results of assessment are not yet graded because the learners are still in
the process of reaching the learning target; and some learners do not progress at the same rate as the
others.
When the teacher observes that majority or all of the learners are able to demonstrate the learning
target, then the teacher can now conduct the summative assessment. It is best to have a summative
assessment for each learning target so that there is evidence that learning has taken place. Both the
summative and formative assessments should be aligned to the same learning target; in this case, there
should be parallelism between the tasks provided in the formative and summative assessments. When
the learners are provided with word problem-solving tasks in the summative assessment, word problem-
solving should have also be given during the formative assessment. When the learners are asked to
identify the parts of the book during the summative assessment, the same exercises should have been
provided during the formative assessment. For physical education, if the final performance is a folk
dance, then learners are given time to practice and a pre-final performance is scheduled to give

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feedback. The final dance performance is the summative assessment, and the time for practice and pre-
final performance is the formative assessment.
Psychological assessments, such as tests and scales, are measures that determine the learner's
cognitive and non-cognitive characteristics. Examples of cognitive tests are those that measure ability,
aptitude, intelligence, and critical thinking. Affective measures are for personality, motivation, attitude,
interest, and disposition. The results of these assessments are used by the school's guidance counselor to
perform interventions on the learners' academic, career, and social and emotional development.
When do we use paper-and-pencil and performance-based type of assessments?
Paper-and-pencil type of assessments are cognitive tasks that require a single correct answer.
They usually come in the form of test types, such as binary (true or false), short answer (identification),
matching type, and multiple choice. The items usually pertain to a specific cognitive skill, such as
recalling, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. On the other hand, performance-
based type of assessments requires learners to perform tasks, such as demonstrations, arrive at a product,
show strategies, and present information. The skills applied are usually complex and require integrated
skills to arrive at the target response. Examples include writing an essay, reporting in front of the class,
reciting a poem, demonstrating how a problem was solved, creating a word problem, reporting the
results of an experiment, dance and song performance, painting and drawing, playing a musical
instrument, etc. Performance-based tasks are usually open-ended, and each learner arrives with various
possible responses.
The use of paper-and-pencil and performance-based tasks depends on the nature and content of
the learning target. Below are examples of learning targets that require a paper-and-pencil type of
assessment:

• Identify the parts of the plants

• Label the parts of the microscope
• Compute the compound interest
• Classify the phase of a given matter
• Provide the appropriate verb in the sentence
• Identify the type of sentence
Below are learning targets that require performance-based assessment:

• Varnish a wooden cabinet

• Draw a landscape using paintbrush in the computer
• Write a word problem involving multiplication of polynomials
• Deliver a speech convincing your classmates that you are a good candidate for the student
council
• Write an essay explaining how humans and plants benefit from each other
• Mount a plant specimen on a glass slide

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How do we distinguish teacher-made from standardized test?

Standardized tests have fixed directions for administering and scoring. They can be purchased
with test manuals, booklets, and answer sheets. When these tests were developed, the items were
sampled on a large number of target groups called the norm. The norm group's performance is used to
compare the results of those who took the test.
Non-standardized or teacher-made tests are usually intended for classroom assessment. They are
used for classroom purposes, such as determining whether learners have reached the learning target.
These intend to measure behavior (such as learning) in line with the objectives of the course. Examples
are quizzes, long tests, and exams. Formative and summative assessments are usually teacher-made
tests.
Can a teacher-made test become a standardized test? Yes, as long as it is valid, reliable, and with
a standard procedure for administering, scoring, and interpreting results.
What information is sought from achievement and aptitude tests?
Achievement tests measure what learners have learned after instruction or after going through a
specific curricular program. Achievement tests provide information on what learners can do and have
acquired after training and instruction. Achievement is a measure of what a person has learned within or
up to a given time (Yaremko et al. 1982). It is a measure of the accomplished skills and indicates what a
person can do at present (Atkinson 1995). Kimball (1989) explained the traditional and alternative views
on the achievement of learners. He noted that the greater number of courses taken by learners and their
more extensive classroom experience with a subject may give them an advantage. Achievement can be
measured by a variety of means. Achievement can be reflected in the final grades of learners within a
quarter. A quarterly test composed of several learning targets is also a good way of determining the
achievement of learners. It can also be measured using achievement tests, such as the Wide Range
Achievement Test, California Achievement Test, and Iowa Test for Basic Skills.
According to Lohgman (2005), aptitudes are the characteristics that Influence a person's behavior
that aid goal attainment in a particular situation. Specifically, aptitude refers to the degree of readiness to
learn and perform well in a particular situation or domain (Corno et al. 2002). Examples include the
ability to comprehend instructions, manage one's time, use previously acquired knowledge appropriately,
make good inferences and generalizations, and manage one's emotions. Other developments have also
led to the conclusion that assessment of aptitude can go beyond cognitive abilities. An example is the
Cognitive Abilities Measurement that measures working memory capacity, ability to store old
information and process new ones, and speed of an individual in retrieving and processing new
information (Kyllonen and Christal 1989). Magno (2009) also created a taxonomy of aptitude test items.
The taxonomy provides item writers with a guide on the type of items to be included when building an
aptitude test depending on the skills specified. The taxonomy includes 12 classifications categorized as
verbal and nonverbal. The schemes in the verbal category include verbal analogy, syllogism, and number
or letter series; the nonverbal is composed of topology, visual discrimination, progressive series,

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visualization, orientation, figure ground perception, surface development, object assembly, and picture
completion.
How do we differentiate speed from power test?
Speed tests consist of easy items that need to be completed within a time limit. Power tests
consist of items with increasing level of difficulty, but time is sufficient to complete the whole test. An
example of a power test was the one developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics that
determines the ability of the examinees to utilize data to reason and become creative, formulate, solve,
and reflect critically on the problems provided. An example of a speed test is a typing test in which
examinees are required to correctly type as many words as possible given a limited amount of time.
How do we differentiate norm-referenced from criterion-referenced test?
There are two types of tests based on how the scores are interpreted: norm-referenced and
criterion-referenced tests. Criterion-referenced test has a given set of standards, and the scores are
compared to the given criterion. For example, in a 50-item test: 40-50 is very high, 30-39 is high, 20-29
is average, and 10-19 is low, and 0-9 is very low. One approach in criterion-referenced interpretation is
that the score is compared to a specific cutoff. An example is the grading in schools where the range of
range of grades 96-100 is highly proficient, 90-95 is proficient, 80-89 is nearly proficient, and below 80
is beginning.
The norm-referenced test interprets results using the distribution of scores of a sample group.
The mean and standard deviations are computed for the group. The standing of every individual in a
norm-referenced test is based on how far they are from the mean and standard deviation of the sample.
Standardized tests usually interpret scores using a norm set from a large sample.
Having an established norm for a test means obtaining the normal or average performance in the
distribution of scores. A normal distribution is obtained by increasing the sample size. A norm is a
standard and is based on a very large group of samples. Norms are reported in the manual of
standardized tests.
A normal distribution found in the manual takes the shape of a bell curve. It shows the number of
people within a range of scores. It also reports the percentage of people with particular scores. The norm
is used to convert a raw score into standard scores for interpretability.
What is the use of a norm? (1) A norm is the basis of interpreting a test score. (2) A norm can be
used to interpret a particular score.

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Educator's Input
When I construct assessment tools, I clarify with stakeholders the specific kind of test to be used.
There are differences when constructing tests that measure cognitive constructs and psychological
constructs. A specific example of a cognitive test would be teacher-made tests. When I assist teachers in
making their test, we start by selecting the learning competencies or objectives that have been taught to
learners. Items are distributed among the objectives as shown in a table of specifications. I review if the
teacher develops the items that directly measure the objectives. A standard curriculum is needed when
constructing teacher-made tests. Other teachers classify the items according to cognitive skills using the
Bloom's Taxonomy. In developing affective constructs, I provide a selection of conceptual framework
based on a theory that will be used as a basis for writing the items. The theory defines the construct and
its underlying factors. The definition is used as a basis in writing the items. The items usually refer to
practices and behaviors within the confines of the definition. I engage the teacher or the test developer
to perform rigorous research when constructing affective measures.

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