An assessment is used to evaluate student progress, instruction quality, and instructional methods. There are different types of criterion-referenced tests, including entry tests, pretests, practice tests, and posttests. When developing assessment items, they should be goal-centered, learner-centered, context-centered, and assessment-centered. Portfolios can be used to assess student work and growth over time using rubrics. When creating an assessment instrument, objectives and analyses should be considered to ensure congruence.

1. CHAPTER 7
DEVELOPING ASSESSMENT
INSTRUMENTS
CarlyYasses

2. Assessment
■ An assessment is a range of items used to estimate a learner’s progress and quality of
instruction in addition to evaluating the instructional mediums used.

3. What are criterion-referenced tests?
■ designed to measure student
performance against a fixed set of
predetermined criteria or learning
standards.

4. Types of criterion-referenced tests
■ Entry BehaviorTest- given to learners before instruction begins designed to assess
learners mastery of prerequisite skills.
■ Pretest- used to determine whether learners have already mastered some of the
skills in your instructional analysis.
■ PracticeTests- solicit learner participation during the instruction by providing them
with a chance to rehearse the new skills they are being taught.
■ Posttests- given following instruction, and help you determine if learners have
achieved the objectives you set out for them in the beginning.

5. Types of Assessment items
■ Essay
■ Fill in the blank
■ Completion
■ Multiple-choice
■ Matching
■ Product checklist
■ Live performance checklist

6. Criteria for writing test items
■ Goal Centered
■ Learner centered
■ Context centered
■ Assessment centered

7. Goal-Centered Criteria:
■ Test items should be congruent with the terminal and
performance objectives by matching the behavior
involved.What this means is that each test item
should measure the exact behavior and response
stated in the objective.

8. Learner-Centered Criteria
■ Test items should take into consideration the characteristics
and needs of the learners.This includes issues such as
learners vocabulary and language levels, motivational and
interest levels, experiences and backgrounds.

9. Context-Centered Criteria
■ Remember the context analysis you wrote.Well,
when writing test items you should consider both the
performance context and the learning context your
wrote about. It is important to make your test items
as realistic and close to the performance setting as
possible.

10. Assessment-CenteredCriteria
■ Test items should be well written and free of spelling, grammar, and punctuation
errors. Directions should be clearly written to avoid any confusion on the part of the
learner

11. Test Item Format
■ To select the best type of item from among those that are
adequate, consider such factors as the response time required
by learner, the scoring time required to analyze and judge the
answers, the testing environment, and the probability of
guessing the correct answer.

12. Using Portfolio Assessments
■ Portfolios are collections of work that together represent
learners’ achievements over an extended period of time.This
could include tests, products, performances, essays, or
anything else related to the goals of the portfolio.They allow
you to assess learners’ work as well as their growth during the
process.

13. Portfolio:
■ Assessment of each portfolio component is done as it is completed, and
the overall assessment of the portfolio is carried out at the end of the
process using rubrics. In addition, learners are given the opportunity to
assess their own work by reflecting on the strengths and weaknesses of
various components.

14. Portfolio
■ Portfolios can also be used as part of the evaluation process
to determine what students did and did not learn, and then
that information can be used to strengthen the instruction.

15. ■ EvaluatingCongruence in the Design Process One of the most crucial aspects of the
assessment phase of the design process is to be able to evaluate the congruence of
the assessment against the objectives and analyses that have been performed.

16. Dick and Carey 5 steps for creating an
instrument:
■ 1. Identify the elements to be evaluated .These elements should be taken directly
from the behaviors and criteria included in your objectives.
■ 2. Paraphrase each element. Also, make sure that a "Yes" response on the instrument
always corresponds with a positive performance, and a "No" response with a negative
performance.

17. Continue:
■ 3. Sequence the elements on the instrument.The
order in which the elements are listed should match
the natural order of the performance.
■ 4. Select the type of judgment to be made by the
evaluator.When evaluating a performance, product,
or attitude, judgments can be made using checklists,
rating scales, or frequency counts.

18. Continue:
■ 5. Determine how the instrument will be scored.With
checklists you can simply add up the "yes" answers to
obtain a score for each objective and for the entire
process or product.With rating scales you can add up
the numbers assigned for each element.

20. Reference:
■ Chapter 7 Developing Assessment Instruments
[Dick, Carey & Carey (2009) pp 130-163]

21. Contact:
■ CarlyYasses
■ CarlyYasses@aol.com