Assessment: Current Status and Challenges

Anup K Singh, PhD

Assessment and Learning Assessment determines what the student

would learn Feedback from assessment can boost

learning Bases on assessment results, an instructor

can modify his teaching strategy Elaborate assessment enriches learning One shot assessment does not result in

learning. It is there just for certification Multi-trait, multi-method assessment is

better than content-based, paper and pencil assessment

Ws of AssessmentWhy should be assess? Assessment for learning vs.

assessment of learning What should be assessed? Rubrics based assessment;

cognitive, affective and psychomotor dimensions of assessment

How learning should be assessed? Individual vs. group assessment; formal vs. informal assessment; classroom vs. non-classroom assessment; written vs. oral assessment; classroom vs. online assessment

When assessment should be done? In the beginning; in the middle; and towards the end of a course

Who should assess? The instructor; another instructor; peers; self

Rubrics and Assessment Rubrics are the attributes of learning It helps the instructor to be clear and focussed

in the process of assessment It must be related to learning outcomes of the

course There are different levels of each attributes Each level can be assigned a range of marks to

differentiate the performance of students Easier to develop for essays and assignments Each assessment components should have some

rubrics

Rubrics and Assessment Rubrics are the attributes of learning It helps the instructor to be clear and focussed in the

process of assessment It must be related to learning outcomes of the course There are different levels of each attributes Each level can be assigned a range of marks to

differentiate the performance of students Easier to develop for essays and assignments Each assessment components should have some

rubrics

Educational Systems in the 80s Annual examination system One instructor teaches, another teacher sets the

examination paper and third one assesses the answer sheet

Total reliance on paper and pencil test, with some practical examinations

As a result, focus was on rote learning and examination orientation

Both learning and assessment were individual basedStudents had slow start in the beginning of the

academic year and worked at the end for success in examinations

Reforms in the Educational SystemFrom annual system to semester systemTwo semester end examinations in lieu of one

annual examination Semester end examinations are

supplemented by continuous evaluation Continuous evaluation consists of quizzes,

assignments, projects, etc.Focus on accreditation that emphasises

outcome-based education

Current Issues in AssessmentA weaker relationship between learning outcomes and

assessmentNo right of the student to know how he has been

assessed and gradedLack of transparency in assessment systemRegulator and prompt feedback on assessed work is

missingNew philosophy with old systemsLittle use of authentic assessmentClassroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are rareNo involvement of students in the assessment process

Contd… Most systems are still based on marks Grading is generally criterion based Lesser stress on formative assessment (i.e.,

assessment for learning) As a result, there is a less focus on

improvement in learning on a continuous basis

Students hardly receive feedback to improve their learning

Very less use of informal and alternative assessment

Issues in Grading For effective assessment, both criterion-referenced

grading and norm-referenced grading are necessary Pass/fail grading is required in some courses Various components of continuous evaluation

measure different competencies. Therefore, they need to be graded separately

All assessed works need not be graded Grading should take care some dip in the

performance of students; and, develop system to support the student in such a situation.

Flexibility in programme grading is needed

Quality Issues in AssessmentInstitution Student Quality of questions Consistency in assessment Zero copying Zero plagiarism Transparency Quick and detailed

feedback Quality of invigilation Timely conduct and

declaration of results Strong process orientation:

PDCA

Consistency in learning and demonstration of evidence

Academic integrity Zero absenteeism Continuous

improvement Consistent performance

across different components and courses

Meta-learning about assessment

Assessment and IT Questions are generally of two types: open and close Open-ended questions require judgement, while close-

ended questions don’t require any judgement Teaching Assistants used to assess close-ended questions Now technology has replaced them and assesses them

much faster. Students get the results instantaneously. The instructor can do analysis of the question paper and give feedback to the whole class

The instructor can also administer the test as per the convenience of the students

The administration of IT-enabled test is much convenient and requires little invigilation because the instructor can jumble the questions for each student

National Level Testing It is required to certify that students have

achieved minimum level of learning (NET of UGC; AIPGMEE; BCI exam)

It can also be used as merit base for advanced courses

It is also used to provide scholarship (NET, GPAT, etc.)

As the modern trend is to provide autonomy to educational institutions, such testing become crucial to compare students graduating from different institutions

Assessment

For Learning

Of Learning

Learning Outcomes

Content

Feedback to students

Feedback for the instructor

Continuous

Multi-method

Classroom test

Outside classroom tests Change in teachingstrategy

Improvement in learning

Graded

Ungraded

Certification of learning

After learning assessment

Can be done by the instructoror any other teacher

Done by theinstructor

Rubrics

IT Enabled