Assessment: Evaluating Assessment Instruments
Why Assess?
Basically, assessment fulfils two purposes: formative and summative.
While summative and formative assessments are not mutually exclusive, there exists
some tension between the two. Mediating between the demands of both requires a
clear idea of their respective functions and appropriateness for meeting different
demands.
Types of Assessment
Formative
Assessment
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Summative
Assessment
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Diagnose degree of mastery of learning and predicts a
student’s potential
Provides feedback to both student and teacher regarding
performance (i.e. self-referencing: to ascertain how well a
student has done in comparison with his previous
performance)
Facilitates improvement
Measures competence
Ranks and selects (i.e. norm-referencing: to judge how well
a student has done in comparison with the norm established
by his/her cohort, for example, in awarding of class)
Certificates/maintains standards (i.e. criterion-referencing:
to measure student performance against some predetermined
criteria so as to ensure a critical standard of competence is
attained in professional disciplines such as law and
medicine)
Encourages desired learning outcomes and motivates
learning
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Summative assessment
Its chief aim is to grade and license. A prime example would be the final
examination. Because it is fairly threatening, it may inhibit intellectual
initiative and exploratory learning. Students tend to ‘play safe’ and be rewardoriented rather than learning-oriented.
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Formative assessment
Its chief function is to provide feedback. Through it, students are given
indications of how well they are mastering a subject. Feedback is also
provided to the lecturer/tutor; poor performance in a significant percentage of
the students may signal problems in the course. Such feedback is useful,
therefore, in guiding decisions about teaching approaches, course design and
curriculum revision/development.
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Assessment: Continuous Assessment
Types of Continuous Assessment
Continuous assessment is more likely to be formative, process-oriented, informal,
internal, learner-involved, and/or self-referenced in nature. It can take the form of
daily work (e.g. essays, quizzes, presentation and participation in class), projects/term
papers and practical work (e.g. laboratory work, fieldwork, clinical procedures,
drawing practice).
Daily work
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Pros
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This is likely to be the most sustained means of assessment, and in
providing relatively prompt feedback, it serves to reinforce or correct
learned responses.
It assists in pacing learning. If a course is broken into units, each
assessed on completion, students have regular feedback of what they
have mastered (and what they need additional work on).
As the most extensive means of assessment, it has a sustained impact
on and improves the quality of student learning.
Cons and possible solutions
o As it is fairly labour intensive for both students and the teacher,
decisions will have to be taken regarding an optimum level. Too many
assignments may result in justice not being done to them all. It is
probably better to have regular but smaller assignments than largescale but infrequent ones. Experience indicates that giving students
more feedback results in faster learning and less confusion.
o Vigilance will be needed to ensure that plagiarism and other forms of
cheating do not go undetected. Make clear to students that a very
serious view will be taken of such offences. Point out that it is not only
dishonest but short-sighted to abuse the important learning experience
involved in preparing an assignment. As a countercheck, arrange for
some of the assignments to be done and completed in class.
Projects/term papers
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Pros
They provide a measure of the student’s ability to:
o collect, select and use data/information;
o undertake independent study and enquiry;
o plan and follow through a fairly large-scaled piece of work;
o integrate theory and practice;
o work with others, when the exercise involves teamwork.
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Cons and possible solutions
o It is difficult to ensure parity in the projects. Careful coordination in
the setting of topics is important.
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Project work may lead to over-involvement at the expense of other
aspects of the course. Tutors/supervisors should therefore guide
students in defining tasks and in being selective with regards to
content.
It may be difficult to maintain consistency and fairness in marking
across a range of projects/papers. To mitigate this, project objectives
should be clearly identified and some broad criteria for assessment set.
Wherever possible, two examiners should be used.
Students may receive unequal supervision and this may affect the
quality of the completed project. Agreement should be made among
tutors/supervisors to standardise the degree of direction and guidance
to be given to students. Criteria for evaluation should be available to
students in advance as these provide direction.
It may be difficult to assign individual marks to students working in a
group project, but this may be resolved by orally examining each
student to establish their knowledge of the subject and the degree of
his/her contribution. Alternatively, have students work on projects
individually.
Practical work
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Pros
It provides a measure of:
 ability to relate theory to practice;
 students’ techniques, procedures and practical skills.
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Cons and possible solutions
o The contribution to a student’s final grade is low in relation to the
amount of work involved. To give it due value, emphasise its
importance as a learning process.
o Too much emphasis may be given to the written report without
sufficient consideration to the actual process and performance. To
avoid this, instructors should scrutinise practical work closely and
question students about their organisation of the work and their
findings.
o The theoretical and practical aspects of the course may not be
sufficiently linked. Obviously, it is important to communicate
frequently with those involved in managing different parts of the
course.
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