Assesment & Testing

Assesment & Testing

1. Testing

   • "is a method of measuring a person ~ ability, know/edge, or performance in a given domain." (Brown 3)
     • "To qualify as a test, the method must be explicit and structured" (Brown 3)
     • Norm-Referenced Test
     • Criterion Referenced Test
       • Aims to
         • "place test-takers along a mathematical continuum in rank order"(Brown 7)
           • Standardized
             • TOEFL
         • "give test-takers feedback usually in, the form of grades" (Brown 7)
     • Computer Based testing
       • "test--taker performs responses on a computer"(Brown 14)

2. Assessment

   • "ongoing process(...) the teacher subconsciously makes an assessment of the student'S performance" (Brown 4)
   • kinds
     • Informal Assessment
       • "takes a number of forms, starting with incidental, unplanned comments and responses”(Brown 6)
     • Formal Assessment
       • "They are systematic, planned sampling techniques constructed to give teacher and student an appraisal of student achievement" (Brown 6)
     • Formative Assessment
       • "evaluating students in the process of "forming" their competencies and skills with the goal of helping them to continue that growth process" (Brown 7)
     • Summative Assessment
       • "measure, or summarize, what a student has grasped, and typically occurs at the end of a course or unit of instruction"(Brown 7)
     • Alternative assesment
       • "Alternative assessment is a form of student performance grading that allows for a more holistic approach to student assessment. The traditional form of student assessment involves the average grading of a cumulative set of work for a given time period." (Brown 9)
   • Principles - "apply to ·assessments of all kinds"(Brown 19)
     • Practicality
       • "An Effective test is practical" (Brown 19)
         • That means
           • • is not excessively expensive
             • • stays within appropriate time constraints
               • • is relatively easy to administer
                 • • has a scoring/evaluation procedure that is specific and time-efficient.
     • Reliability - "A reliable test is consistent and dependable" (Brown 20)
       • Rater
         • Inter-Rater
           • "occurs when. Two or more scorers yield inconsistent scores of the same test possibly for lack of attention to scoring criteria, inexperience, inattention, or even preconceived biases (Brown 21)"
         • "Human error, subjectivity, and bias may enter into the scoring process (Brown 21)"
         • Intra-Rater
           • "is a common occurrence for classroom teachers because of unclear scoring. criteJ;"ia, fatigue, bias toward particular "good" and "bad" students, or simple carelessness" (Brown 21)
       • Student
         • "caused by temporary illness, fatigue, a "bad day," anxiety, and other physical or psychological factors, which may make an "observed"score deviate from one's "true" score" (Brown 21)
       • Test Admin.
         • "all of the external factors must be appropriate and the guarantees for test-takers demanded and given" (Brown 21)
       • Test Reliability
         • "the nature of the test itself can cause measurement errors( 22)"
     • Validity
       • ''The extent to which inferences made from assessment results are appropriate, meaningful, and useful in terms of the purpose of the assessment'' (Brown, 22)