The document discusses various types and purposes of assessment in education. It defines assessment as methods used by educators to evaluate student learning progress and needs. Assessments can be formative (ongoing), summative (final), diagnostic, standardized, informal/formal, and internal/external. The main purposes of assessment are to measure student knowledge and skills, identify strengths and weaknesses, and improve instruction, programs and student learning.

1. Assessment
Jammu University
2 Year B.Ed.
Paper 202
Sem: II
Dr. Atul Thakur
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License.

2. In education, the term assessment refers to the
wide variety of methods or tools that educators
use to evaluate, measure, and document the
academic readiness, learning progress, skill
acquisition, or educational needs of students.
Educational assessment is the process of
documenting, usually in measurable terms,
knowledge, skill, attitudes, and beliefs.
Assessment can focus on the individual learner,
the learning community (class, workshop, or
other organized group of learners), the
institution, or the educational system as a whole
(also known as granularity).

3.  The final purpose of assessment practices in education
depends on the theoretical framework of the practitioners
and researchers, their assumptions and beliefs about the
nature of human mind, the origin of knowledge, and the
process of learning.
 While assessments are often equated with traditional
tests—especially the standardized tests administered to
large populations of students—educators use a diverse
array of assessment tools and methods to measure
everything.
 Assessments are typically designed to measure specific
elements of learning—e.g., the level of knowledge a
student already has about the concept or skill the teacher is
planning to teach or the ability to comprehend and analyze
different types of texts and readings.

4. Assessments also are used to identify
individual student weaknesses and strengths
so that educators can provide specialized
academic support, educational
programming, or social services.

5. Definitions of assessment:
 Assessment involves the use of empirical data on
student learning to refine programs and improve
student learning.
 Assessment is the process of gathering and discussing
information from multiple and diverse sources in order
to develop a deep understanding of what students
know, understand, and can do with their knowledge as
a result of their educational experiences; the process
concludes when assessment results are used to
improve subsequent learning.
 Assessment is the systematic basis for making
inferences about the learning and development of
students.

6. It is the process of defining, selecting,
designing, collecting, analyzing, interpreting,
and using information to increase students’
learning and development.
Assessment is the systematic collection,
review, and use of information about
educational programs undertaken for the
purpose of improving student learning and
development.

7. Purpose of Assessments:
 Formative assessments are in-process evaluations of
student learning that are typically administered
multiple times during a unit, course, or academic
program.
 The general purpose of formative assessment is to
give educators in-process feedback about what
students are learning or not learning so that
instructional approaches, teaching materials, and
academic support can be modified accordingly.
 Formative assessments are usually not scored or
graded.
 They may take a variety of forms, from more formal
quizzes and assignments to informal questioning
techniques and in-class discussions with students.

8. Summative assessments are used to evaluate
student learning at the conclusion of a
specific instructional period—typically at the
end of a unit, course, semester, program, or
school year.
Summative assessments are typically scored
and graded tests, assignments, or projects that
are used to determine whether students have
learned what they were expected to learn
during the defined instructional period.

9. Interim assessments are used to evaluate
where students are in their learning progress
and determine whether they are on track to
performing well on future assessments, such
as standardized tests, end-of-course exams,
and other forms of “summative” assessment.
Interim assessments are usually administered
periodically during a course or year and
separately from the process of instructing
students

10. Placement assessments are used to “place”
students into a course, course level, or academic
program.
For example, an assessment may be used to
determine whether a student is ready for Algebra
I or a higher-level algebra course, such as an
honors-level course.
For this reason, placement assessments are
administered before a course or program begins,
and the basic intent is to match students with
appropriate learning experiences that address
their distinct learning needs.

11.  Screening assessments are used to determine whether
students may need specialized assistance or services,
or whether they are ready to begin a course, grade
level, or academic program.
 Screening assessments may take a wide variety of
forms in educational settings, and they may be
developmental, physical, cognitive, or academic.
 A preschool screening test, for example, may be used
to determine whether a young child is physically,
emotionally, socially, and intellectually ready to begin
preschool, while other screening tests may be used to
evaluate health, potential learning disabilities, and
other student attributes.

12. Assessments on the basis of
purpose:
Standardized assessments are designed,
administered, and scored in a standard, or
consistent, manner.
They often use a multiple-choice format, though
some include open-ended, short-answer
questions.
Standards-referenced or standards-based
assessments are designed to measure how well
students have mastered the specific knowledge
and skills described in local, state, or national
learning standards.

13. Common assessments are used in a school to
ensure that all teachers are evaluating student
performance in a more consistent, reliable, and
effective manner. Common assessments are used
to encourage greater consistency in teaching and
assessment among teachers who are responsible
for teaching the same content.
Performance assessments require students to
complete a complex task, such as a writing
assignment, science experiment, speech,
presentation, performance, or long-term project.

14. Assessment Steps:
Develop learning objectives.
Check for alignment between the curriculum
and the objectives.
Develop an assessment plan (must use direct
measures).
Collect assessment data.
Use results to improve the program.
Routinely examine the assessment process
and correct, as needed

15. Types
Initial, formative, summative and diagnostic
assessment
Objective and subjective
Referencing (criterion-referenced and norm-
referenced)
Informal and formal
Internal and external

16. Initial assessment
Pre-assessment initial assessments are
conducted prior to instruction or
intervention to establish a baseline from
which individual student growth can be
measured.
This type of an assessment is used to know
what the student's skill level is about the
subject. It helps the teacher to explain the
material more efficiently.

17. Formative assessment
generally carried out throughout a course or
project
also called "educative assessment," is used to
aid learning
might be a teacher or the learner, providing
feedback on a student's work and would not
necessarily be used for grading purposes
can take the form of diagnostic, standardized
tests, quizzes, oral question, or draft work.

18. Summative assessment
Generally carried out at the end of a course
or project
used to assign students a course grade
are evaluative
made to summarize what the students have
learned

19. Diagnostic assessment
Diagnostic assessment deals with the whole
difficulties at the end that occurs during the
learning process.

20. Objective and subjective
is often categorized as either objective or
subjective
There are various types of objective and
subjective questions.
Objective assessment is a form of questioning
which has a single correct answer
Subjective assessment is a form of
questioning which may have more than one
correct answer (or more than one way of
expressing the correct answer)

21. Objective question types include true/false
answers, multiple choice, multiple-response
and matching questions.
Subjective questions include extended-
response questions and essays.
Objective assessment is well suited to the
increasingly popular computerized or online
assessment format

22. Referencing (criterion-referenced
and norm-referenced
Criterion-referenced assessment,
occurs when candidates are measured against defined (and
objective) criteria.
often, but not always, used to establish a person's
competence (whether s/he can do something).
The best known example of criterion-referenced assessment
is the driving test, when learner drivers are measured against
a range of explicit criteria (such as "Not endangering other
road users").

23. Norm-referenced assessment (colloquially known as "grading on
the curve"), typically using a norm-referenced test, is not measured
against defined criteria
assessment is relative to the student body undertaking the
assessment.
effectively a way of comparing students
The IQ test is the best example
Many entrance tests are norm-referenced, permitting a fixed
proportion of students to pass
This means that standards may vary from year to year

24. Informal and formal
Formal assessment usually implies a written
document, such as a test, quiz, or paper.
A formal assessment is given a numerical score
or grade based on student performance
Informal assessment does not contribute to a
student's final grade.
An informal assessment usually occurs in a more
casual manner and may include observation,
inventories, checklists, rating scales, rubrics,
performance and portfolio assessments,
participation, peer and self-evaluation, and
discussion.

25. Internal and external
Internal assessment is set and marked by the
school (i.e. teachers)
Students get the mark and feedback regarding
the assessment
External assessment is set by the governing
body, and is marked by non-biased personnel
Some external assessments give much more
limited feedback in their marking