Direct and indirect
testing
NAME: LAIBA JAVAID
ROLL NO: 63
COURSE : TESTING AND EVALUATION
MAM SARWAT
IN ASSESSMENT, THERE ARE TWO
CATEGORIES THAT MOST TEST ITEMS
FALL INTO WHICH ARE DIRECT AND
INDIRECT TEST ITEMS. DIRECT TEST ITEMS
ASK THE STUDENT TO COMPLETE SOME
SORT OF AUTHENTIC ACTION. INDIRECT
TEST ITEMS MEASURE A STUDENTS
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT A SUBJECT.
Direct testing
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DIRECT TEST ITEMS USED AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT APPROACHES.
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FOR SPEAKING: INTERVIEWS AND PRESENTATIONS.
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FOR WRITING: ESSAY QUESTIONS.
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FOR READING: USING REAL READING MATERIAL AND HAVING THE
STUDENT RESPOND TO QUESTION VERBALLY AND OR IN WRITING.
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FOR LISTENING: FOLLOWING ORAL DIRECTIONS TO COMPLETE A TASK.
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THE PRIMARY GOAL OF DIRECT TEST ITEMS IS TO BE AS MUCH LIKE REALLIFE AS POSSIBLE. OFTEN, DIRECT TESTING ITEMS ARE INTEGRATIVE, WHICH
MEANS THAT THE STUDENT HAS TO APPLY SEVERAL SKILLS AT ONCE.
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FOR EXAMPLE, PRESENTATIONS INVOLVE MORE THAN JUST SPEAKING BUT
ALSO THE WRITING OF THE SPEECH, THE READING OR MEMORIZING OF THE
SPEECH AS WELL AS THE CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TO DEVELOP THE
SPEECH.
Advantages
YOU GET THE EXACT DATA YOU NEED.
 YOU ONLY GATHER AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS YOU
NEED.
 YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE DATA CAME FROM
AND SO YOU CAN ESTIMATE HOW RELIABLE IT IS.
 YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SELL THE DATA FOR OTHER
PURPOSES.
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Disadvantages
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DATA GATHERING MAY TAKE A LONG TIME TO COLLECT.
DATA GATHERING MAY BE EXPENSIVE AS YOU HIRE OTHER
COMPANIES TO GET IT FOR YOU.
IT MAY INVOLVE HAVING TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT SUCH
AS DATA LOGGERS AND COMPUTERS.
IT MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE TO GATHER ORIGINAL DATA DUE
TO THE TIME OF YEAR E.G. YOU WANT WINTER SNOWFALL DATA
AND THE PROJECT IS NOW IN THE MIDDLE OF SUMMER.
Indirect
testing
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INDIRECT ASSESSMENT IS GATHERING INFORMATION
THROUGH MEANS OTHER THAN LOOKING AT ACTUAL
SAMPLES OF STUDENT WORK.
THESE INCLUDE SURVEYS, EXIT INTERVIEWS, AND FOCUS
GROUPS.
EACH SERVES A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. INDIRECT MEASURES
CAN GIVE US INFORMATION QUICKLY, BUT MAY NOT
PROVIDE REAL EVIDENCE OF STUDENT LEARNING.
STUDENTS MAY THINK THAT THEY LEARNED WELL OR SAY
THAT THEY DID, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THEIR
PERCEPTIONS ARE CORRECT.
Disadvantages
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INDIRECT METHODS PROVIDE ONLY IMPRESSIONS AND OPINIONS, NOT
HARD EVIDENCE.
IMPRESSIONS AND OPINIONS MAY CHANGE OVER TIME AND WITH
ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE.
RESPONDENTS MAY TELL YOU WHAT THEY THINK YOU WANT TO HEAR.
THE NUMBER OF SURVEYS RETURNED ARE USUALLY LOW, WITH 33 PERCENT
CONSIDERED A GOOD NUMBER.
YOU CANNOT ASSUME THOSE WHO DO NOT RESPOND WOULD HAVE
RESPONDED IN THE SAME WAY AS THOSE WHO DID RESPOND.
EXIT INTERVIEWS TAKE TIME TO CARRY OUT.
FOCUS GROUPS USUALLY INVOLVE A LIMITED NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS.
UNLESS THE FACULTY AGREE UPON THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED IN EXIT
INTERVIEWS AND FOCUS GROUPS, THERE MAY NOT BE CONSISTENCY IN THE
RESPONSES.
Examples of direct and
indirect testing
DIRECT MEASURE
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COURSE AND HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS
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EXAMS AND QUIZZES
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STANDARDIZED TESTS
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TERM PAPERS AND REPORTS
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OBSERVATIONS OF FIELD WORK, INTERNSHIP PERFORMANCE, SERVICE LEARNING,
CLINICAL EXPERIENCES
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RESEARCH PROJECTS
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CLASS DISCUSSION PARTICIPATION
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CASE STUDY ANALYSIS
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RUBRIC SCORES FOR WRITING, ORAL PRESENTATIONS, AND PERFORMANCES
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ARTISTIC PERFORMANCES AND PRODUCTS
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GRADES BASED ON EXPLICIT CRITERIA RELATED TO CLEAR LEARNING GOALS.
INDIRECT MEASURE
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COURSE EVALUATIONS ,
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TEST BLUPRINTS (OUTLINES OF THE CONCEPTS AND SKILLS COVERED ON
TESTS),
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PERCENT OF CLASS TIME SPENT IN ACTIVE LEARNING
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,NUMBER OF STUDENT HOURS SPENT ON SERVICE LEARNING ,
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NUMBER OF STUDENT HOURS SPENT ON HOMEWORK,
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NUMBER OF STUDENT HOURS SPENT AT INTELLECTUAL OR CULTURAL
ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE COURSE,
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GRADES THAT ARE NOT BASED ON EXPLICIT CRITERIA RELATED TO
CLEAR LEARNING GOALS .
Thank you