3.0 MAIN CONTENT 3.1 Meaning of Terms 3.1.

1 Test and testing Simply put a test is a measuring tool or

instrument in education. More specifically, a test is considered to be a kind or class of measurement
device typically used to find out something about a person. Most of the times, when you finish a lesson
or lessons in a week, your teacher gives you a test. This test is an instrument given to you by the teacher
in order to obtain data on which you are judged. It is an educationally common type of device which an
individual completes himself or herself, the intent is to determine changes or gains resulting from such
instruments as inventory, questionnaire, opinionnaire, scale etc. Testing on the other hand is the
process of administering the test on the pupils. In other words the process of making you or letting you
take the test in order to obtain a quantitative representation of the cognitive or non-cognitive traits you
possess is called testing. So the instrument or tool is the test and the process of administering the test is
testing. 3.1.2 Assessment Now that you have learnt the difference between test and testing, Let us
move on to the next concept which is assessment. As a teacher, you will be inevitably involved in
assessing learners; therefore you should have a clear knowledge and the meaning of assessment. The
term assess is derived from a Latin word “asoidere” meaning “to sit by” in judgment. There are many
definitions and explanations of assessment in education. Let us look at few of them. i. ii. Freeman and
Lewis (1998) to assess is to judge the extent of students’ learning. Rowntree (1977): Assessment in
education can be thought of as occurring whenever one person, in some kind of interaction, direct or
indirect, with another, is conscious of obtaining and interpreting information about the knowledge and
understanding, EDU 726 MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION 3 of abilities and attitudes of that other
person. To some extent or other, it is an attempt to know the person. iii. Erwin, in Brown and Knight,
(1994). Assessment is a systematic basis for making inference about the learning and development of
students… the process of defining, selecting, designing, collecting, analyzing, interpreting and using
information to increase students’ learning and development. You will have to note from these
definitions that Assessment is a human activity. Assessment involves interaction, which aims at seeking
to understand what the learners have achieved. Assessment can be formal or informal. Assessment may
be descriptive rather than judgment in nature. Its role is to increase students’ learning and development
It helps learners to diagnose their problems and to improve the quality of their subsequent learning.
SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 1. What is the major difference between test and testing? 2. In your own
words define Assessment. 3. Give an example of a test. 3.1.3 Measurement This is a broad term that
refers to the systematic determination of outcomes or characteristics by means of some sort of
assessment device. It is a systematic process of obtaining the quantified degree to which a trait or an
attribute is present in an individual or object. In other words it is a systematic assignment of numerical
values or figures to a trait or an attribute in a person or object. For instance what is the height of Uche?
What is the weight of the meat? What is the length of the classroom? In education, the numerical value
of scholastics ability, aptitude, achievement etc can be measured and obtained using instruments such
as paper and pencil test. It means that the values of the attribute are translated into numbers by
measurement. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2 List the instruments which you can use to measure the
following: weight, height, length, achievement in Mathematics, performance of students in Technical
drawing, attitude of workers towards delay in the payment of salaries. EDU 726 MEASUREMENT AND
EVALUATION 4 3.1.4 Evaluation According to Tuckman (1975) evaluation is a process wherein the parts,
processes, or outcomes of a programme are examined to see whether they are satisfactory, particularly
with reference to the stated objectives of the programme, our own expectations, or our own standards
of excellence. According to Cronbach et al (1980) evaluation means the systematic examination of
events occurring in and consequent on a contemporary programme. It is an examination conducted to
assist in improving this programme and other programmes having the same general purpose. For
Thorpe (1993) evaluation is the collection analysis and interpretation of information about training as
part of a recognized process of judging its effectiveness, its efficiency and any other outcomes it may
have. If you study these definitions very well, you will note that evaluation as an integral part of the
instructional process involves three steps. These are i. ii. iii. Identifying and defining the intended
outcomes. Constructing or selecting tests and other evaluation tools relevant to the specified outcomes,
and Using the evaluation results to improve learning and teaching. You will also note that evaluation is a
continuous process. It is essential in all fields of teaching and learning activity where judgment need to
be made. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3 Explain the difference between measurement and evaluation,
assessment and testing. 3.2 Types of Evaluation The different types of evaluation are: placement,
formative, diagnostic and summative evaluations. 3.2.1 Placement Evaluation This is a type of
evaluations carried out in order to fix the students in the appropriate group or class. In some schools for
instance, students are assigned to classes according to their subject combinations, such as EDU 726
MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION 5 science, Technical, arts, Commercial etc. before this is done an
examination will be carried out. This is in form of pretest or aptitude test. It can also be a type of
evaluation made by the teacher to find out the entry behaviour of his students before he starts
teaching. This may help the teacher to adjust his lesson plan. Tests like readiness tests, ability tests,
aptitude tests and achievement tests can be used. 3.2.2 Formative Evaluation This is a type of evaluation
designed to help both the student and teacher to pinpoint areas where the student has failed to learn so
that this failure may be rectified. It provides a feedback to the teacher and the student and thus
estimating teaching success e.g. weekly tests, terminal examinations etc. 3.2.3 Diagnostic Evaluation
This type of evaluation is carried out most of the time as a follow up evaluation to formative evaluation.
As a teacher, you have used formative evaluation to identify some weaknesses in your students. You
have also applied some corrective measures which have not showed success. What you will now do is to
design a type of diagnostic test, which is applied during instruction to find out the underlying cause of
students persistent learning difficulties. These diagnostic tests can be in the form of achievement tests,
performance test, self rating, interviews observations, etc. SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1 What are the
major differences and similarities between formative evaluation and diagnostic evaluation? 3.2.4
Summative evaluation: This is the type of evaluation carried out at the end of the course of instruction
to determine the extent to which the objectives have been achieved. It is called a summarizing
evaluation because it looks at the entire course of instruction or programme and can pass judgment on
both the teacher and students, the curriculum and the entire system. It is used for certification. Think of
the educational certificates you have acquired from examination bodies such as WAEC, NECO, etc. These
were awarded to you after you had gone through some types of examination. This is an example of
summative evaluation. EDU 726 MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION 6 3.3 The Purpose of Measurement
and Evaluation. The main purposes of measurement and evaluation are: i. ii. iii. iv. v. vi. Placement of
student, which involves bringing students appropriately in the learning sequence and classification or
streaming of students according to ability or subjects. Selecting the students for courses – general,
professional, technical, commercial etc. Certification: This helps to certify that a student has achieved a
particular level of performance. Stimulating learning: this can be motivation of the student or teacher,
providing feedback, suggesting suitable practice etc. Improving teaching: by helping to review the
effectiveness of teaching arrangements. For research purposes. vii. For guidance and counseling
services. viii. For modification of the curriculum purposes. ix. x. xi. For the purpose of selecting students
for employment For modification of teaching methods. For the purposes of promotions to the student.
xii. For reporting students progress to their parents. xiii. For the awards of scholarship and merit awards.
xiv. For the admission of students into educational institutions. xv. For the maintenance of students. 4.0
CONCLUSION Now that you have gone through the descriptions of the major terms used in
measurement and evaluation and you can give the purposes of measurement and evaluation as well as
explain the types of evaluation, you have placed yourself on a good footing for the study of this all
important course which you can not do without as a teacher. 5.0 SUMMARY In general, those
practitioners in the educational system are most of the times interested in ascertaining the outputs of
the educational programme. Output is counted in terms of test results which are naturally expressed in
quantitative indices such as scores or marks. Test, which is a device, an instrument or a tool consisting of
a set of tasks or questions, is used to obtain the results. Test can be in the form of pen and paper
examination, assignments, practical etc. The process of administering this test is called testing. But an
act of measurement is done when we award marks to an answer paper or assignment. EDU 726
MEASUREMENT