Module 1: Basic concepts in measurement (Notes)
After questions are done they are marked and a number of correct answers are being counted. This process of marking and counting the correct answers is what is called Measurement
After marking and counting correct responses the teacher concludes that the topic was well understood or not. This process of judgment is what is called Evaluation
Sometimes the term evaluation is used synonymously with the term assessment.
Assessment
Includes Testing, Measurement and evaluation.
What do we assess in an educational context?
- Inputs:
E.g. Text books, students etc. in terms of how good are they or the ratio between materials and the number of students.
- Educational process
Teaching and learning process-in terms of how good or how well is the process.
Managerial assessment, how good is the head teacher, principal and other school managers.
- Learning outcomes
How do students perform, this will enable to know how efficient or effective the process of teaching and learning is.
- Physical infrastructures
How good are they
How comfortable one is on them
How confined are they to the environment.
Teacher’s effectiveness
Student’s characteristics
E.g. Their aspirations, interest, aptitude (non cognitive)
Therefore assessment needs to focus on the three domains
> Cognitive
> Affective
> Psychomotor
A. Testing
Is the process of administering a test.
Test refers to a set of items or questions designed to be presented to one or more students under specified conditions
In educational context tests can have weaknesses when not properly handled. The weaknesses can arise from:
- Sampling of test items
- Sample size especially if the sample is not widely spread
- Administration is the environment where the test is done conducive? physical and psychological environment so as to ensure validity
Types of test
Tests are not limited to paper and pencil inventories; there are wide ranges of test samples as follows;
- Individual tests; comprises things like interview and normal classroom tests
- Group work; Some students tend to do better in individual test while others in group tests.
- Powered tests (time); students are being given much time to complete an assignment
- Speeded tests (amount); Amount of test items per test becomes bigger compared to the amount of time given to complete. This can lead to errors
- Verbal; mostly tests communication skills
- Non verbal; tests physical performance or psychomotor skills
Paper and pencil or Performatory tests
| |
Normal exams Action/ Psychomotor skills
B. Measurement
Is a process of obtaining and assigning numerical description of the degree to which an individual possesses a particular characteristic.
E.g. Assigning 30 to a particular student is what makes testing to be a measuring process.
Scales of measurement
1. Nominal scale.
In this case, numbers has got no meaning rather they are used for identification and categorization process of objects or attributes. E.g. In soccer-players are being given numbers in order to be identified like
- Goalkeeper
- First basemen
- Second basemen
NB: the numbers do not mean anything
2. Ordinal Scale
Is a scale used for classifying but also assigning rank order. E.g. ranking individuals in a class according to their test scores. Student scores could be ordered from first, second, third and so forth to the lowest score.
Advantages
- Gives more information than nominal measurement.
Disadvantages
- The units of ordinal scale are most likely unequal-the difference between the first person and the second and the third does not necessarily vary equally.
- No mathematical operation can be performed through this scale since addition and subtraction of such units yield meaningless numbers.
3. Interval Scale
The interval between two values is fixed or is in equal means. The scale contains properties from nominal and ordinal scale. E.g. Thermometers and calendar years. The difference in temperature between 10 and 20 is the same as that between 47 and 57 degrees centigrade
Advantages
- Some mathematical operations can be performed e.g. Addition and subtraction
Disadvantages
- We cannot multiply or divide because we do not know the absolute upper and lower limits. E.g. Temperature 0 does not mean that there is no temperature, 100 in Math does not mean that one has all abilities in math.
4. Ratio scale
The scale is used for measuring height, volume, weight, distance etc. it is rarely used and achieved in educational assessment either in cognitive or affective areas.
Advantages
Allows ratio comparison. E.g. Asha is ½ times as taller as her sister Anna.
Functions of measurement in education
- Motivate and enhance learning to students. An appropriate and fair test enhances students’ morale to learn while unfair one discourages them, so as teachers we need to be very careful when constructing a test.
- Tests provide feedback to the teacher on the nature of the students. The results may be used for diagnosis of possible student’s weaknesses and evaluation of student’s performance.
- Provides feedback on the effectiveness of instruction(teaching and learning process)
Has the instruction been effective?
Is there certain content that was poorly covered?
Student’s misconception due to confused instruction?(for improvement to be made)
Guidance and counselling
Students can be guided on how to study depending on the frequency of their scores.
Administrative purpose
Measurement can save a function of correcting administrative issues often related to program evaluation. Test information indicates whether or not student needs are being met. In some schools, school boards use student’s test results for the evaluation of the teaching performance or sorting students in streams e.g. Stream A-Intelligent, B-Moderate etc. administratively decisions can be easily made from test results.
C. Evaluation
Is a systematic process of observing, collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to determine the extent to which students are achieving what the teacher intends them to achieve.
Teacher’s intentions are normally expressed as instructional objectives.
Generally evaluation deals with value judgment on the entire process of testing, measuring and evaluating the desirability of the results.
General principle of evaluation
Know exactly what to be evaluated.
Specify clearly and exactly what has to be evaluated. The characteristics to be measured should be specified in advance, this will help in determining the evaluation device to use.
Select evaluation technique that is relevant and appropriate to the characteristics to be measured.
Have a variety of evaluation techniques in order to achieve the comprehensiveness in evaluation. E.g. you can use both observation and written tests.
Know the limitation of each evaluation technique you intend to use.
Evaluation should basically be made to obtain information on which to base on instructional decisions.
Post a Comment