Educational

1. EDU – 08: Evaluation
Like measurement, "evaluation" has also been used by man in his day today life. How
many times have we evaluated others in our life? Have we not passed judgment on the dress,
behavior, life etc. of others? To evaluate means to pass a judgment something or somebody.
But in education "evaluation indicates whether the objectives of teaching are being or have
been achieved. Looked from that point of view, evaluation is integral part of the teaching
learning process. When a teacher teaches he has certain well defined aims and objectives. As
such it becomes essential that he makes sure that the teaching learning process proceeds
towards those aims and objectives. Properly conducted evaluation comes to the aid of the
teacher and the students to conduct the class properly and make instruction effective.
Sometimes measurement and evaluation are misunderstood as synonymous. But they
are different. A measurement assigns numbers or symbols. Evaluation appraises worth or
value. It attempts to pass value judgment based on the result of measurement. It may rightly
be said that "Evaluation is a process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting evidence to
judge the level of achievement acquired by an individual learner or a group of learners in
cognitive and no cognitive domains for the purpose of making a variety of decisions."
The uses of evaluation (The purpose or function of evaluation)
1. Evaluation which is the integral part of the teaching learning process, is a means to make
sound decisions on matters related to the process of education. Decisions on the content of
education, method of instruction etc. could be made on the basis of the result of evaluation.
Learning cannot be promoted effectively without evaluations.
2. Education today is for the mass. Remedial teaching and compensatory education have
become indispensable in this situation, especially in lower classes. For example, the
committee headed by Prof. R.H. Dave suggested in 1991 a minimum level of learning up to
standard V. The instructional objectives and the teaching learning activities in mathematics,
environment studies and languages have been defined competencies by NCERT. Each
student has to achieve these as competencies to the satisfactory level. Those who acquire
80% are termed as masters. Others are no masters. The no masters are to be given remedial
teaching. Diagnostic evaluation is made to identify them. Thus evaluation helps the teachers
to adopt remedial teaching.

2. 3. Education is a process which moves in well defined direction to achieve certain clear
objectives within a specified period of time. Teachers, parents, administrators and students
have a right to know whether the process proceeds in this desired direction. Evaluation
provides data to decide this. If the result of evaluation is not satisfactory, necessary
adjustments can be made. Even the objectives can be modified to make teaching learning
effective. Formative evaluation is more useful in this situation.
4. The result of properly conducted evaluation indicates the learners' achievement of
cognitive and no cognitive abilities and skills. This throws some light on what they are able
to achieve in future. Thus on the basis of evaluation, students can take decision on their future
course of study or profession. It is a feed back for both the teachers and the students.
5. Evaluation motivates the students. It has been observed that the students become earnest at
the time of examinations. The result of evaluation will motivate the learners to learn better.
6. Modern life is complex and complicated. Without proper guidance and counselling the
immature minds may find life difficult. This is true of the educational and vocational fields
also. Continuous and comprehensive evaluation based on tests, observation interviews,
anecdotal records, cumulative records, case study etc. is a powerful and useful instrument to
guide the students on the choice of courses of study, vocation, and in the solution of personal
and social problem.
7. The modern tendency is to have quality in education. Academic excellence is the much
cherished desire of modern India. The establishment of Autonomous Colleges in higher
education, Navodaya Schools and School Complexes in School education are attempts to
maintain quality in education Evaluation result helps the authorities and the public to identify
quality College and schools.
These purposes of evaluation may be grouped under three major heads-managerial,
communicative and pedagogical. They are briefly considered below:
1. Managerial purpose
The result of measurement and evaluation can be used to test the effectiveness of
educational policies implemented, to motivate teachers, to select students for higher courses
and placement etc.

3. 2. Communicative purpose
The result of evaluation may be used to provide parents data about their children so
that they can plan their future. Further, the result of the evaluation can be used to select
children for appointment and admission to higher studies. Criterion related evaluation is more
useful for placement and admission than any other type.
3. Pedagogical purpose
Evaluation of the performance of the students is useful to diagnose their difficulties so that
effective remedial measures may be adopted. The test results can be a feed back for both the
teachers and the students. It can be used to motivate them. The teachers can modify their
method of curriculum transaction if necessary to help the learners to achieve the norm and
criteria.
Types of evaluation:
Evaluation which is the integral part of any process of education can be categorized
into different types. The main types of evaluation are Formative and summative, outcome and
process evaluation, self evaluation peer evaluation, product evaluation external evaluation,
internal evaluation, and objective based evaluation. They are considered below:
1. Formative evaluation (process evaluation) refers to evaluation taking place during the
program or learning activity. It is conducted while the event to be evaluated is occurring and
focuses on identifying the progress towards purposes, objectives, or outcomes to improve the
activities, course, curriculum, program or teaching and student. Formative evaluation is the
type of evaluation that is being conducted along with teaching to ensure that the teaching
learning process is effective and that the objective of teaching of every stage is realised.
Teaching consists of the teacher, the taught, the curriculum and the teaching method. They
must proceed in the direction of the objectives. It is essential that every student at every stage
of every part of the lesson moves in the correct path towards the already set objectives.
Because of this, formative evaluation gains ground in developing educational perceptive.
Formative evaluation is an ongoing and informal activity as the teaching process goes on in a
class. The pupil's understanding of the lesson is assessed informally in a number of ways.
Observing the facial expression of the students, looking at their written work, asking
questions etc. their understanding can be assessed. There are three stages systematically used
in formative evaluation.

4. Stage 1
The teacher teaches a small area of content. He helps the student to assimilate it and
develop his cognitive ability. The teacher and the student have to ensure whether the
cognitive development has occurred. In other words it has to be ensured that the expected
behavioral changes have taken place. Formative evaluation is used for this. The result of
formative evaluation can be either of the two (1) changes took place (2) No change took
place. Then we go to the second stage.
Stage 2
If the expected behavioral change has taken place, the class could move to the next
item of the lesson. In case the changes have not occurred, it is essential to find out the reason
for the failure. Formative evaluation leads to the diagnosis of the weakness of the learner.
After proper diagnosis, richer and more suitable experiences are provided to help the learner
move in the desired direction, Stage 3
Thus formative evaluation makes the learners move successfully to the set objectives.
So they are motivated and learning becomes effective. Thus the objectives of the topic, the
teaching learning process and evaluation become integral part of the educational process.
The uses of formative evaluation
1. Formative evaluation is helpful to the teacher to make adjustments, if necessary, with the
method of instruction curriculum and even the objectives. The result of formative evaluation
is an effective feedback for the teachers.
2. The students remain alert all the times as they may be examined at any time. It is a kind of
internal assessment which will be a feed back for them.
3. It is a motivation for the students.
4.The teachers are also motivated when they find that their teaching is proceeding in the
designed direction.
5. Formative evaluation will improve the quality of educational institution.
6. Formative evaluation is a continuous and comprehensive process. It improves not only
learning, but instruction and instructional material.

5. 7. It can be effectively used to diagnose the weakness of the learning process and adopt
remedial teaching.
2. Summative Evaluation (product evaluation) it is the kind of evaluation that is made at the
end of the definite part of a course or at the end of a few lessons. The purpose of this
evaluation is to find out what the learner has achieved at the end of the course so that the
agency could find out the effectiveness of the learning experience. Both the micro and macro-
approaches are used in summative evaluation. Unit test is an example for this.
Uses
Summative evaluation is useful for the students, teachers parents and for the society.
1. For the students summative evaluation serve different purpose.
(a) It motivates them better and develops study habits. It is a truis to say that students do their
best to perform well in the examination.
(b) The result of summative evaluation helps the students to plan their future. For example,
consider the examination at +2 levels. If they have secured 50% or more they can try
engineering or medicine. If a student has got maximum marks for English (say 65 or 70%) he
can take English main for his future study. Thus on the basis of the mark or grades in the
summative evaluations students can plan their future course of study.
(c) Develops healthy spirit of competition among the students
(d) Helps the students to plan for their future job. For example, now a student securing first
class in SSLC examination can appear for clerical tests in certain departments. II For teachers
summative evaluation is useful To guide and counsel students about the future
For the parents summative evaluation is useful
(a) To know the achievement of their children and predict their future. Wise parents will not
wish to make their sons and daughters doctors, if their achievement in zoology and chemistry
is very poor.
(b) To select the school to which they are to admit their children. No parent will send the
child to a school which has consecutively produced very low result in summative evaluation.

6. For the community summative evaluation is useful
(a) To ensure that the money spend on educational institutions is properly used. For example,
if an institution is consistently producing poor result, the community can conduct inquiry for
this failure and adopt remedial measures. Thus the quality of the institution can be
maintained.
b) The result of summative evaluation can used to select people for different jobs in the
community
3. Outcome evaluations assess the effectiveness of a program in producing change. Outcome
evaluations focus on difficult questions that ask what happened to program participants and
how much of difference the programs made for them Outcome evaluations a assess the
effectiveness of a program in producing change. For example, The objective educational
program, according to the National Policy on Education,1986 is to prepare the students to
enter the 21st century with confidence and competence. Consequently, outcome evaluation
measures how well the program goal has been achieved; Outcome evaluation will help to
answer questions such as: "Has the overall program goal been achieved? Outcome evaluation
gives the value the change that occurred as a result of the program
4. Process evaluation is concerned with the actual development and implementation of a
particular program. In education, it establishes whether the teacher has hit quantifiable targets
and implemented strategies as planned, Process evaluation is done at theend of program. It
evaluates the program from the beginning to the end, Progress evaluation is useful to decide
whether a program should be continued, expanded, modified or eliminated.
5. Self-evaluation is the process by which the self-concept is socially negotiated and
modified. It is a scientific and cultural truism that self-evaluation is motivated. Motives
influence the ways in which people select self-relevant information, gauge its veracity, draw
inferences about themselves, and make plans for the future. Empirically-oriented
psychologists have identified and investigated four cardinal self-evaluation motives (or self-
motives) relevant to the development, maintenance, and modification of self-views. These are
self-enhancement, self-assessment self-verification and self-improvement.
6. Peer evaluation is a process of institutional feedback on quality of teaching. It is a
purposeful process of gathering information and evidence about the effectiveness of teaching
processes and the educational environment with a view to subjecting it to constructive critical

7. scrutiny. It usually begins with people identifying what areas they would like feedback on,
and works best where the process is reciprocal between peers. A key component of peer
evaluation is peer review of current practice often based on peer observation of teaching
interactions. It should always be viewed as an opportunity not a threat for both parties.
7. External and internal evaluations. External evaluation means that the evaluator is not
involved in the program or project evaluated. In education it means that the evaluation of the
statements is done by somebody other than the teachers who teach them.
External examinations are held at the end of school education or at the end of the year. This
examination has mainly two objectives selection and quality. This exam selects those who
successfully complete the curriculum and then it conform the eligibility of students for the
level of higher education. Internal evaluation is a process in which the department members
judges the quality cooperatively and select evaluation factors, criteria and indicators based on
the input, output and process factors such as management, faculty, student, programs,
learning- teaching process and graduates.
Evaluation provides a systematic method to study a program, practice, intervention, or
initiative to understand how well it achieves its goals. Evaluations help determine what works
well and what could be improved in a program or initiative.