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Does the educational assessment succeed in achieving its purpose?
This question has become the main concern of measurement and evaluation experts, and for all those responsible for and involved in the educational process.
Especially in the current orientation, which is interested in the educational process becoming an innovative process in which all educational elements interact together, having relied for a long time on the educator who plays the greatest part, while the learner has been only a receiver!
In order for the educational assessment to be consistent with this interactive orientation, it is worth highlighting its role in the educational process, the key principles that need to be taken into account for this role to be fully realized, and the most important tools on which the evaluation relies.
And that’s what we’re discussing in the next lines, so let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Educational Assessment
Educational assessment is defined as a systematic measure of achievement for educational purposes based on the evaluation of learners’ knowledge and skills.
It differs from simply giving a grade or percentage to learners’ educational performance, which is called measurement.
Assessment goes beyond measurement to evaluate that numerical description.
For example, if you say that a student (x) scored 90% in a biology course, that is a measurement.
But if you say that student (x)’s performance in biology is outstanding based on his or her results, that is an assessment.
Given the importance of educational assessment and its impact on the entire educational process, it must be placed in a context that is consistent with the prevailing educational orientation and promotes modern teaching methods and educational policy.
To effectively frame and understand this context, it is necessary to take a closer look at the main concepts, strategies, and mechanisms of educational assessment.
Therefore, in the following lines, we will discuss:
- Principles of Educational Assessment.
- Importance of Educational Assessment.
- Examples of Educational Assessment.
- Educational Assessment instruments.
- Educational Assessment software.
Basic principles of educational assessment
In order to achieve the purpose of educational assessment that mainly targets increasing the effectiveness of the educational process and improving learner achievement, a number of principles must be considered in any evaluation.
The most important of these principles are:
Valid
The principle of validity of assessment in education refers to the choice of an assessment tool that is actually appropriate to measure the intended educational goal.
Educational goals are diverse, so assessment tools are diverse.
Not all tools are appropriate to measure all objectives; the appropriate tool should be used in such a way that its results can be relied upon.
Clear
For pedagogical assessment to bear fruit, it is important to ensure that it is equally transparent to all learners and does not include anything that could cause confusion or interpretation on the part of the learner.
An unclear understanding would undoubtedly lead to questionable results and the decisions based on them would not be correct.
Equitable
Assessment equity is achieved in education by taking into account individual differences among learners when preparing assessments because assessments should be fair to all students’ academic levels.
This is to give each student the opportunity to discover and consolidate his or her strengths and to address and build on his or her deficits.
True and objective
Assessment in education is true when it produces the same results each time it is applied, without any of its elements or circumstances being changed.
It is objective when it takes place under the same exams and conditions that apply to all students who are subjected to it, without bias.
In this way, reliable results can be obtained from the intended evaluation, which can be relied upon in formulating decisions and the steps ordered by that evaluation.
Improves the educational process
Evaluation in education should be designed so that its results can be monitored, interpreted, and translated into educational decisions, policies, and mechanisms that are appropriate for learners and improve the quality of their education.
This principle is very important. It takes evaluation in education from the garb of the end to the garb of the instrument that benefits all sides of the educational process and helps to develop their performance and increase their efficiency.
To help you implement these principles effectively, Qorrect system provides you with endless powerful features that you can rely on to create balanced exams, such as: linking exam questions to learning objectives, offering more than one way in creating exams, questions detailed analysis, and so on.
The following video shows in detail: how Qorrect features guarantee your institution an effective assessment:
Importance of Educational Assessment
Educational assessment is considered a process that helps learners achieve specific educational goals because it contributes to the following:
Knowledge of the learner’s educational and developmental needs
The results of the educational assessment are used to determine a learner’s anticipated level of knowledge and skills and then to determine what the learner actually has at that level.
It also identifies what the learner does not have and how they can appropriately acquire the knowledge and skills they still need.
Formulation of educational goals
Based on the results of the educational assessment, it is possible to determine the knowledge and skills that should be provided to learners in subsequent learning stages.
Educational goals can therefore be formulated on the basis of this knowledge and skills, in such a way that the specified objectives can be adjusted in light of the results of the assessment.
Provide learners with constructive feedback on their level
Different types of educational assessments are used to identify learners’ problems and show what they have learned and mastered, as well as what they have missed.
Based on this, each learner can identify the strengths and weaknesses of his performance and see into which part of the curriculum he needs to put more effort into.
It should be noted that feedback is important not only for the learner but also for the educator.
Through it, the educator can manage the effectiveness of his teaching methods and address and build on their weaknesses.
He\she also knows where and how to track his students’ performance.
Parents get an objective and detailed view of their children’s academic level
The comprehensive educational assessment and evaluation give a complete picture of the student’s level of achievement, showing the extent of their development, the areas in which they have progressed, and the areas they have not understood.
It also shows the reasons for academic performance difficulties and how those causes can be addressed.
This allows for a more successful collaboration between the family and the school to promote the student’s performance and raise his academic level.
Formulation and development of curricula for subsequent levels of education
Knowledge is a cumulative process, a fact that must be taken into account when developing curricula.
Knowledge should be divided according to the level of intellectual development of the learner at a given level of education.
The curriculum that introduces quantum theory to a high school student is very different from that offered to students in the physics department of the science faculty, etc.
The results of the assessment help us to determine the intellectual level and the level of development of the students at a certain point, in order to determine the appropriate knowledge and skills at the next point.
Therefore, the curricula can be tailored to the learners’ level and teach them exactly what they need.
In addition, curricula must be constantly evolving as new scientific facts are discovered and new theories are formulated every day.
Educational assessment supports the development of curricula, as its results guide the educational process toward an appropriate development mechanism for learners.
Start building courses that meet your goals by requesting Qorrect course management system, where you can build, preserve and modify the curriculum at any time.
Visit this webpage to know more about the system, or contact one of our experts!
Improving administrative efficiency in various educational institutions
The results of the educational assessment help us to assess the efficiency of the current level of administration and find out how it can be maintained.
We also learn about deficiencies and their causes so that they can be addressed and avoided later.
Educational Assessment Examples
There are many educational assessment examples that can be applied in different stages of education, such as final exams, presentations, observations, exit tickets, quizzes, student portfolios, and so on.
The most important point is to choose the example that really evaluates the intended educational goal!
These examples can be conducted within different types of educational evaluation, as they are classified into more than one category, according to the classification criterion used.
Educational Assessment based on inclusiveness
Assessment in education is divided into two types, which are:
- Enlarged assessment: an assessment of all parts of the educational process during a particular level of education, such as an assessment of all details of secondary education to determine the extent to which the educational goals of that level have been achieved.
- Micro-assessment: an assessment of a specific part of the educational process within narrow and independent boundaries, such as an assessment of the mathematics curriculum of the fifth grade of elementary school, without any connection between it and the mathematics curriculum of the other grades.
Assessment in education according to the evaluator
The educational assessment takes one of two images:
- Formal assessment: The systematic evaluation conducted by the official bodies responsible for the educational process, such as the Egyptian general secondary examinations.
- Informal assessment: an assessment conducted within narrow limits away from official bodies, such as in-class discussions organized by the teacher, through which the evaluation depends on the teacher’s views and experiences in observing and evaluating his or her student performance.
Assessment in education according to the time of its implementation
Assessment is divided into pre-assessment, formative, diagnostic, and final assessment.
Pre-assessment
Pre-assessment is used in areas that aim to determine the level of a learner to determine whether or not they are ready for a specific specialization.
It is also used to classify learners into different categories based on their learning progress.
Educators can use pre-assessment before they start teaching; to determine whether or not the learners have the readiness required to learn that knowledge or skill.
Formative assessment
This assessment is called continuous assessment because it is prepared and carried out during the educational process.
The assessment results are analyzed and used to modify educational plans and practices, simultaneously with their application, rather than at the end.
In this way, the teacher can redesign his curriculum during the teaching process.
Formative evaluation is useful for identifying strengths and weaknesses in student achievement and in the plans and teaching practices used.
It also helps students understand the knowledge they have learned before reinforcing it in the next lessons.
It motivates not only the student to learn and make an effort, but also the teacher to plan the lesson.
Diagnostic assessment
It can be argued that diagnostic evaluation shares with the formative assessment in identifying strengths and weaknesses in students’ performance and detecting the causes of learning difficulties, but it’s more comprehensive.
Final assessment
It is the customary form of educational assessment, which usually takes the picture of the achievement tests held at the end of each school year or stage of education.
It represents a comprehensive assessment of student performance academically with the aim of issuing success and failure certificates.
Educational Assessment tools
Educational assessment tools are mechanisms for measuring student academic performance that goes beyond traditional exams.
These tools are of great importance because they help educators make more effective assessments and allow them to evaluate many different dimensions of student performance and personality.
One of the most popular assessment tools in education is:
- Assignments.
- Presentations.
- Surveys.
- Peer and self-assessment.
- Portfolios.
- Classroom Discussion.
- Grading cycle.
Educational Assessment System
Educational assessment system refers to technology that helps to conduct and manage any form of educational assessment, making the assessment process easier to manage and more accurate to results.
And if you are looking for a trusted elementary and higher education assessment system, we will definitely recommend Qorrect!
By relying on Qorrect testing mechanization and correction system, you will get a more accurate and easier assessment!
At each step of the evaluation process, you will enjoy a unique level of professionalism and efficiency, because:
- You can start with Qorrect in the drafting of tests, where you can use the question banks in the system, or draft new questions that will automatically enter in the question banks for use thereafter.
- You can determine the type and purpose of each question, and determine its grade, as the system deals with all kinds of questions.
- You can then distribute the tests via any electronic platform you prefer, whether computer, mobile, or tablet.
- You can manage tests, monitor students and prevent cheating, relying on the latest data encryption techniques.
- In addition, you can make use of more than 25 statistical and analytical reports provided by the Qorrect system on exams and students’ performance, so that you can formulate the next stage of education with the highest efficiency and the most suitability for your students!
The best system for making an educational assessment is in your hands, book a FREE demo now!
Resources
Educational assessment
UNDERSTANDING THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES OF ASSESSMENT
Placement, Formative, Diagnostic, and Summative Evaluation of Classroom Learning.
