This document discusses developing effective assessment instruments. It covers criterion-referenced versus norm-referenced tests, using portfolios for assessment, evaluating congruence between objectives and assessments, and Dick and Carey's five-step model for creating assessments. Key aspects include ensuring assessments measure the behaviors and criteria in course objectives, considering learner characteristics, and making assessments as realistic to the performance context as possible.

1. DEVELOPING ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENTS
Jasmine Crawford

2. The central element of systematically designed
instruction is called the learner-centered
assessmentor criterion-referencedtesting. This "type of
testing is important for evaluating both learners'
progress and instruction quality. Criterion-reference tests
enable learners to reflect on their own performances by
applying established criteria to judge their own
work." Developing assessments should be parallel
to learners’ ability to perform as described in the
objectives. The emphasis should be on the relationship
between the kind of skills described in the objectives to
the assessment requirements. Below is Dick & Carey
model in Developing Assessment Instruments.

3. Norm-Referenced vs Criterion -Referenced Tests
According to this chapter criterion-referenced test is
focused on specific goals and objectives within a given
content area. It's main purpose is to examine a person's
or group's achievement in a carefully defined area. In
contrast, norm-referenced tests are used to compare the
relative performance of learners in larger areas of

4. content. Instructional designers used the data from both
type of tests. One test is not superior than the
other. Norm-references tests describe learners' general
achievement and ability levels using terms such above
average, average, or below average in a given subject
area. The data from this test are not useful for
instructional design and development but they are useful
for field trial groups in developing instructional
materials. In contrast, criterion-referenced tests are the
backbone of the assessment used for decision making in
the development and evaluation of instruction.

5. Four Types of Criterion-Referenced Tests and their Uses

6. 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. As with all other forms of
assessment, whatever is included in the portfolio must
be related to specific goals and objectives. The choice of

7. what to include can be decide on entirely by the teacher,
or in cooperation with students. 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. 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.
Evaluating Congruence 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. Remember that this
is a systematic approach to instructional design, which
means that every step in the process influences
subsequent steps. As such, all of your skills, objectives,
and assessment items should be parallel. One way to
clearly represent this relationship is to create a three-
column table that lists each of the skills from your

8. instructional analysis, the accompanying objective, and
the resulting assessmentitem. At the bottom of the table
you would finish up with your main instructional goal,
the terminal objective, and the test item for the terminal
objective.
Reference
Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2009). The systematic
design of instruction. (7th ed., pp. 130-163). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Test Item Criteria
There are four categories of test item qualities to
consider during the creation of test items and
assessment tasks:

9. 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.

10. 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, and special needs.
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 . It is
important to make your test items as realistic and close
to the performance setting as possible.
Assessment-Centered Criteria
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. Dick and Carey Five Steps for Creating an Assessment
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.
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.
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.

12. REFLECTION
I can't help but think about how I have used assessments
in the past to either gauge my personal knowledge and
skill levels. How succesful is the assessment? Am I able
to analyze the aptitudes of my learners? These are just
some of the questions I've been thinking about as I read
this chapter.
I read this comment about assessmentI though I'd share:
"No area of educational practice is as controversial and
problematic as student assessment. Throughout the
world, a move is on whose stated goals are to make
schools more accountable for their outcomes. A key
piece of this movement is the use of standardized tests
as the primary measure of effectiveness of student
learning and evaluation of schools. The fact is, however,
if you are interested in pursuing personal excellence and
citizenship for your students, standardized tests don’t
contribute very much. First, their focus is much too
narrow. Most emphasize basic facts in core subjects such
as reading, math, and science. Presently, such

13. assessment is limited to these three areas under the
requirements of NCLB in the United States. Even in these
subjects, however, most tests do not engage students in
problem solving and using skills and information in
performing authentic tasks. Few involve students in
meaningful thinking beyond factual recall. Of course,
there simply are no tests for other important areas in
children’s development – eg. honesty, relationships,
critical thinking, and more. The second problem is related
to the first. Many schools are following the narrow focus
of these tests to further narrow their curriculum,
reducing and restricting the quality of learning" (Kohn,
1999; Neill, Guisbond, & Schaeffer, 2004).
Overall, I think that the assessments helped to gain a
better understanding of my knowledge and that of my
learners.
EXTENDED KNOWLEDGE
Purposes of assessment
Assessment for improved student learning and deep
understanding requires a range of assessment practices

14. to be used with three overarching purposes:
Assessment FOR learning - occurs when teachers use
inferences about student progress to inform their
teaching
Assessment AS learning - occurs when students reflect
on and monitor their progress to inform their future
learning goals
Assessment OF learning - occurs when teachers use
evidence of student learning to make judgements on
student achievement against goals and standards.

15. Principles for assessment
Substantial research exists on the characteristics of good
practice for assessing student learning. This research is
summarised in the following set of principles.
The primary purpose of assessmentis to improve student
performance
Good assessment is based on a vision of the kinds of
learning we most value for students and how they might
best achieve these. It sets out to measure what matters
most.
Assessmentshould be based on an understanding of how
students learn
Assessment is most effective when it reflects the fact

16. that learning is a complex process that is multi-
dimensional, integrated and revealed in student
performance over time.
Assessment should be an integral component of course
design and not something to add afterwards
The teaching and learning elements of each program
should be designed in full knowledge of the sorts of
assessment students will undertake, and vice versa, so
that students can demonstrate what they have learned
and see the results of their efforts.
Good assessment provides useful information to report
credibly to parents on student achievement
A variety of assessment methods provide teachers with
evidence of what students know and can do, and their
particular strengths and weaknesses. Teachers can then
report to parents on how far their child has progressed
during the year, where they are compared to the
relevant standards, and what the student, the parent and
the teacher need do to improve the student's
performance.

17. Good assessment requires clarity of purpose, goals,
standards and criteria
Assessment works best when it is based on clear
statements of purpose and goals for the course, the
standards which students are expected to achieve, and
the criteria against which we measure success.
Assessment criteria need to be understandable and
explicit so students know what is expected of them from
each assessment they encounter. Staff, students, parents
and the community should all be able to see why
assessment is being used, and the reasons for choosing
each individual form of assessment in its particular
context.
Good assessment requires a variety of measures
In general, a single assessment instrument will not tell us
all we need to know about student achievement and how
it can be improved. Therefore, we need to be familiar
with a variety of assessment tools so we can match them
closely to the type of information we seek.
Assessment methods used should be valid, reliable and
consistent

18. Assessment instruments and processes should be chosen
which directly measure what they are intended to
measure. They should include the possibility of
moderation between teachers where practical and
appropriate to enhance objectivity and contribute to a
shared understanding of the judgments that are made.
Assessment requires attention to outcomes and
processes
Information about the outcomes students have achieved
is very important to know where each student ends up,
but so too is knowing about their experiences along the
way and, in particular, the kind of effort that led to these
outcomes.
Assessment works best when it is ongoing rather than
episodic
Student learning is best fostered when assessment
involves a linked series of activities undertaken over
time, so that progress is monitored towards the intended
course goals and the achievement of relevant standards.
Assessment for improved performance involves feedback

19. and reflection
All assessment methods should allow students to receive
feedback on their learning and performance so
assessment serves as a developmental activity aimed at
improving student learning. Assessment should also
provide students and staff with opportunities to reflect
on both their practice and their learning overall.
I think the model below enables us to understand the
concept well.
Reference:
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/teachers/suppo
rt/pages/advice.aspx