MODULE 3: ROLES AND TAXONOMY OF ASSESSMENT
A. Roles of Assessment
a. Placement
b. Formative
c. Diagnostic
d. Summative
B. Taxonomy of Approaches to Assessment
WEEK: 3
TIME ALLOTMENT: 3 Hours
ONLINE TIME: 8:30 – 9:30 MWF (BSEd – Engish 3/ BSEd – Filipino 4)
OBJECTIVES/ LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this module, the students shall be able to:
1. Determine and identify the roles of assessment; and
2. Explain taxonomy of approaches to assessment and its relevance.
LEARNING CONTENT:
ROLES AND TAXONOMY OF ASSESSMENT
INTRODUCTION
Assessment is a
1 . Define/Refine student
cyclic process. As illustrated in Figure learning outcomes based
on input from
3.1, a program-level learning outcomes stakeholders.
are developed from research and input
from stakeholders. These are aligned
6 . Document results and
with the institutional and outcomes and outline needed changes in 2 . Design assessment
curriculum, instructional tools, criteria and
mapped to the courses within the materials or teaching standards directly linked
program through curriculum strategies. to each outcome.
mapping. Course learning outcomes are
assessed appropriate tools and criteria
Assessment data are gathered, 3 . Implement assessment
5 . Identify gaps between
analysed and interpreted. desired and actual results tool(s) to gather evidence
of learning
Gaps are identified between desired
learning outcomes and actual results.
Datadriven action plans are
4. Analyze and evaluate
then developed for program the collected data
improvement.
Changes in assessment tools, course
Figure 3.1 Assessment Implementation Cycle (BC, 2006)
materials, instructional methods, course prerequisites or learning outcomes are effected. Goals and
objectives are reviewed and refined following evaluation findings. This is referred to as the feedback loop
and the cycle begins anew.
DISCUSSION
A. Roles of Assessment
There are four roles of assessment used in the instructional process. Miller, Linn & Gronlund (2009)
identified these as functional roles of assessment in classroom Instruction. Analogously, Nitko (1994)
enumerated these as instructional decisions supported by tests.
a. Placement Assessment
Placement assessment is basically used to determine a learner's entry performance. Done at the
beginning of instruction, teachers assess through a readiness pre-test whether students possess
prerequisite skills needed prior to instruction. If prerequisite skills are insufficient, then the teacher can
provide learning experiences to help them develop those skills. If students are ready, then the teacher
can proceed with instruction as planned. An example of a readiness pre-test is an arithmetic to
students who are about to take elementary algebra.
Placement assessment is also used to determine if students have already acquired the intended
outcomes. A placement pre-test contains items that measure knowledge and skills of students in
reference to the learning targets. If students do not fare well, the teacher can proceed with the
planned instruction. However, if students have already achieved the learning outcomes, then tin
teacher may advance the students to a higher cognitive level. This suggests that the teacher designs
more complex problems or activities for the students.
b. Formative Assessment
There is now a shifting from a testing culture to an assessment culture characterized by the
integration of assessment and instruction (Dochy, 2001). This is where formative assessment comes
in. Formative assessment mediates the teaching and learning processes. It is learner-centered and
teacherdirected. It occurs during instruction. It is context-specific since the context of instruction
determines the appropriate classroom assessment technique. Consider the following examples:
• Muddiest point is a technique that can be used to address gaps in learning. The technique
consists asking students at the end of a lesson to scribble down their answer to the question
"What is the muddiest point in the lecture, discussion, assignment or activity?
• Background knowledge probe which is a short and simple questionnaire given at the start
of a new lesson to uncover students' preconceptions.
From these we can see that formative assessment is used as feedback to enhance teaching and
improve the process of learning. It is an on-going process, hence learners regularly receive feedback.
And how does this work? For instance, a teacher provides his comments and suggestions to an essay
on climate change submitted by one of his/her students. The student revises his work before being
finally assessed.
Other types of formative assessments include:
• question and answer during discussion
• assignments
• short quizzes
• teacher observations.
Results of formative assessment are recorded for the purpose of monitoring students’ learning
progress. However these are not used as bases for students’ marks.
Positive Effects of Formative Assessment
Black & Wiliam (1998) cited a body of evidence showing that formative assessment can raise the
standards of achievement. Utaberta & Hassanpour (2012) enumerated the positive effects of formative
assessment. They are as follows:
• Reactivates or consolidates prerequisite skills or knowledge prior to introducing new material
• Focuses attention on important aspects of the subject
• Encourages active learning strategies
• Gives students opportunities to practice skills and to consolidate learning; Provides knowledge of
outcomes and corrective feedback;
Helps students monitor their own progress and develop self-evaluation skills; Guides the choice of
further learning activities to increase performance; and Helps students to feel a sense of accomplishment.
Attributes of an Effective Formative Assessment
Melmer, Burmaster & James (2008) delineated five key attributes of an effective formative
assessment. In order for formative assessment to be effective, it requires the active involvement of
students in the learning process through self- and peer assessment. Through immediate constructive
dialogue and feedback, instructional adjustments are made as appropriate and necessary. Learning
opportunities are provided to help students in bridging the gap between their current performance and the
articulated learning goals or standards. As partners in the teaching and learning process, a collaborative
environment is produced – one that is characterized by transparencyy, respect and appreciation of
difference.
1. Learning Progressions. Learning progressions should clearly communicate the sub goals of the
ultimate learning goal.
2. Learning Goals and Criteria for Success. Learning goals and criteria for success should he
clearly identified and communicated to students.
3. Descriptive Feedback. Students should be provided with evidence-based feedback that is linked
to the intended instructional outcomes and criteria for success. Hattie & Timperley (2007)
constructed a model of feedback to enhance learning. Refer to Figure 3.2. Discrepancies (or gaps)
in the students’ current actual performance and desired goal attainment can be reduced by both
teacher and students through effective feedback that answers three vital questions: Where am I
going? How am I going? Where to next? To discourage students from rote and superficial learning
and incite them to do more, assessment feedback must address all three questions previously
mentioned. Effective feedback can operate on any of four levels: task, process, self-regulation
and self-level.
Figure 3.2 Hattie & Timperley (2007) Model of Feedback to Enhance Learning
Purpose
To reduce discrepancies between current understanding/performance and a desired goal .
The discrepancy can be reduced by :
Students
- Increase effort and employment of more effective strategies
OR
- Abandoning, blurring or lowering the goa ls
Teachers
- Providing appropriate challenging and sp ecific golas
- Assisting students to reach them through effective learning strategies
and feeddback
Effective feedback answers three questi ons
Where am I going? ( the goal) Feed Up
How am I going? Feed Back
Where to next? Feed Forward
Each feed back questi on works at four levels:
Self - regulation Self Level
Task Level Process Level Level Personal evaluations
How well tasks are The main process
understood/perform needed to understand/ Self - monitoring, and effect (usually
ed perform task directing and positive) about the
regulating of actions learner
4. Self- and Peer-Assessment. Both self and peer-assessment are important for providing students
an opportunity to think metacognitively about their learning
5. Collaboration. A classroom culture in which teachers and students are partners in learning should
be established.
c. Diagnostic Assessment
Diagnostic assessment is intended to identify learning difficulties during instruction. A diagnostic
test for instance can detect commonly held misconceptions in a subject. Contrary to what others
believe, diagnostic tests are not merely given at the start of instruction. It is used to detect causes of
persistent learning difficulties despite the pedagogical remedies applied by the teacher. This is not used
as part of a student’s mark of achievement.
d. Summative Assessment
Summative assessment is done at the end of instruction to determine the extent to which the
students have attained the learning outcomes. It is used for assigning and reporting grades or
certifying mastery of concepts and skills. An example of summative assessment is the written
examination at the end of the school year to determine who passes and who fails.
There is another form of assessment called interim assessment. Interim assessments have the
same purpose as formative assessments, but these are given periodically throughout the school year.
They prepare students for future assessments. For example, to predict which students are on course to
succeed in a national achievement test or high school/college admission test, the school gives interim
tests to students every eight weeks. Interim assessments fall between formative and summative
assessments. They allow comparison of assessment results to aid in decision-making at the micro
(classroom) and meso (school and district) levels. As such, interim assessments are instructional,
predictive and evaluative. They are differentiated from instructionally embedded formative
assessments that are given frequently or summative assessments that have greater scope and longer
cycle duration.
B. Taxonomy of Approaches to Assessment
Figure 3.3 Assessment Taxonomy (Terenzini, 1989)
The purposes and roles of assessment may be summarized and viewed as a taxonomy approaches.
Terenzini's Assessment Taxonomy (1989) consolidates the what, who and why of assessment. As shown in
Figure 3.3, there are four dimensions of outcome:
1. knowledge (breadth and depth);
2. skills (basic, higher-order and career-related);
3. attitudes and values; and
4. behavioral outcomes (what learners do during and after the course of the program).
Primarily, assessment improves teaching and learning which is formative in function. Terenzini
claims that placement and diagnostic examinations are likewise formative focused at the individual level.
Individual assessment results may be consolidated and interpreted collectively for program evaluation
purposes. If formative, then assessment is used to enhance curricular programs. If summative, then
assessment is rather administrative in purpose. This means that information is mainly used for accounting
and reporting. Examples include academic program reviews, analysis of attrition rates, and alumni follow-
up studies. At the individual level, summative assessment has a “gatekeeping” function. Entrance
examinations for instance, select students that best fit the programs offered by the school. High stakes
tests like comprehensive examinations and licensure examinations are also summative.
SUMMARY
Assessment can serve many different purposes. As stated on this module, there are four roles of
assessment used in the instructional process namely: (a) placement assessment which is done at the
beginning of instruction to determine learner’s entry performance; (b) formative assessment, on the other
hand occurs during instruction to monitor student’s progress and to provide ongoing feedback that can be
used by instructors to improve their teaching and by students to improve their learning; (c) diagnostic
assessment is also done during instruction in order to identify learning difficulties; and (d) summative
assessment is done at the end of instruction to determine and evaluate student learnning, skill acquisition
and academic achievement.
REFERENCE:
1. De Guzman, E. & Adamos, J. (2015). Assessment of Student Learning 1. Adriana Publishing Co., Inc.
2. Paler-Calmorin, L. (2011). Assessment of Student Learning 1. Rex Book Store, Inc.
LEARNING TASK/ACTIVITY Week 3 (September 18, 2022)
Name: _______________________________ Program and Year: __________________
General Guidelines:
1. You may write your answers on a clean sheet of bond paper or encode it thru MS Word with your
name, course and year level, week number, course number, and course description; use black ball
pen in writing your answers.
Example: DELA CRUZ, JUAN D. BSEd 3 WEEK 1
EDUC 107a – ASSESSMENT IN LEARNING 1
2. After writing or encoding your answers, use CamScanner application on your smartphone to
capture image/s of your answer sheet/s.
3. Send your answers to Microsoft Teams EDUC 107a “Assignments Tab”.
4. Your answer sheet should be sent in PDF form and name your file with this format: Surname-
Course Number-Week Number-Learning Task Number (all in capitalized letter).
Example: DELA CRUZ-EDUC 107a-WEEK 1-LEARNING TASK 1.
5. Quiz is done synchronously so make usre to turn in your answer sheet on or before the end of your
schedule.
QUIZ 1. SHORT RESPONSE. Determine the role of assessment in the given scenarios. Was assessment
used for placement, formative, diagnostic or summative purposes? Explain your answer in two to three
sentences.
1. A group of Science teachers analyzed the results of the national achievement tests given to Grade 6
pupils. Most of their students obtained low scores in science. They learned further that their students
had difficulty with items about physical and chemical changes, forms and uses of energy, and motion.
They thought of a professional development project that focuses on introducing pedagogical
innovations particularly in teaching the said topics. After two years, they saw a marked improvement
in the performance of their students in the national test, particularly on Science items about forms of
matter, energy and motion.
2. For the entire session, a Social Studies teacher emphasized the importance of human rights in nation
building. Towards the end of the period, he handed each student a piece of paper and posed a
question: “What happens if human rights violations go unchecked?” The teacher made use of the “exit
ticket" strategy to see what students have learned at the end of the lesson. The students wrote their
answers to the question and submitted them to the teacher at the end of the period upon leaving.
After reading his students’ responses, he starts planning for the next session.
3. Ms. Jimenez suspected that one of her pupils has limited reading skills. To help the learner, she
needed to identify the specific areas with which the child struggles. Is the child impaired in one or
more of the following components: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency vocabulary and
comprehension? To answer her question, she gave the learner an assessment. Upon ascertaining that
the child has difficulty in phonics, the teacher thought of using an analogic approach to teach phonics.
4. Every month, teachers in a private high school give an interim Math test to check on student progress.
Any student who obtains a score below the cut score of 75 is invited to attend a special class for
additional instruction. However, if the student obtains a ‘fail’ score in two or more occasion, the
student is enjoined to attend the special class.
SCORING RUBRIC FOR QUIZ 1
5 points Comprehensive answer and includes extensive information
4 points Well written answer includes some strong analysis
3 points Well written answer but lacks analysis
2 points Lacks of organization and uses little information
1 point Barely addresses the question
CONGRATULATIONS! YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED WEEK THREE MODULE!
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
Prepared by: Reviewed/Approved:
ELVIRA D. TAGUDIN, LPT, MSME ANGELO K. LAHINA, LPT, MAT
Instructor Program Head, Teacher Education
