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| Post by Yuyun Sugianti Tuesday, 18 February 2020 |
A. Definition of Test
A
test supposed to be able to measure learning outcome which distinguish the
every single student’s ability between students already mastered and not yet
the learning material. Therefore, testing is one of the powerful tools to
measure students’ abilities as well as enhance their attitudes towards
learning. This notion is supported by Hughes (2003) stated that a test is a
tool to measure language proficiency of students. Brown (2004:3) stated that a
test is a method of measuring a person’s ability knowledge, or performance in a
given domain. In the same line, Anthony J Nitko (1983:6) defined test is
systematic procedure for observing and describing one or more characteristics
of person with the aid of either a numerical of category system. Based on
Cronbach in Azwar (2005) defined a test is a systematic procedure for observing
a person’s behavior and describing it with the aid of a numerical scale or
category system.
A
test or examination (informally, exam or evaluation) is an assessment intended
to measure a test-taker's knowledge, skill, aptitude, physical fitness, or
classification in many other topics (e.g., beliefs). A test may be administered
verbally, on paper, on a computer, or in a predetermined area that requires a
test taker to demonstrate or perform a set of skills. Tests vary in style,
rigor and requirements. For example, in a closed book test, a test taker is
usually required to rely upon memory to respond to specific items whereas in an
open book test, a test taker may use one or more supplementary tools such as a
reference book or calculator when responding. A test may be administered
formally or informally. An example of an informal test is a reading test
administered by a parent to a child. A formal test might be a final examination
administered by a teacher in a classroom or an I.Q. test administered by a
psychologist in a clinic.
B.
Definition of Measurement
In
the most general sense, assessment is the process of making a judgment or
measurement
of worth of an entity (e.g., person, process, or program). Educational
assessment
involves gathering and evaluating data evolving from planned learning
activities
or
programs. This form of assessment is often referred to as evaluation (see
section below
on
Assessment versus Evaluation). Learner assessment represents a particular type
of
educational
assessment normally conducted by teachers and designed to serve several
related
purpose (Brissenden and Slater, n.d.). These purposed include:
•
motivating and directing learning
•
providing feedback to student on their performance
•
providing feedback on instruction and/or the curriculum
•
ensuring standards of progression are met
A
measurement is a collection of quantitative or numerical data that describes a
property of an object or event. A measurement is made by comparing a quantity
with a standard unit. Since this comparison cannot be perfect, measurements
inherently include error, which is how much a measured value deviates from the
true value. The study of measurement is called metrology. There are many
measurement systems that have been used throughout history and across the
world, but progress has been made since the 18th century in setting an
international standard. The modern International System of Units (SI) bases all
types of physical measurements on seven base units.
C.
Definition of Assessment
Assessment
has two meanings (“an amount that a person is officially required to pay” and
“the act of making a judgment about something”) so distinct that one might
rightfully wonder if they come from different sources. Both are derived from
related senses of assess, a verb that for over 500 years has meant “to
determine the rate or amount of (a tax).” The monetary sense of assessment is
tied to this oldest use of assess. By the 19th century, the verb’s object
shifted slightly to produce a new meaning, “to make an official valuation of
(property) for the purposes of taxation.” It was but a short step from here to
the broadened sense “to make a judgment about” that is the basis of assessment
“the act of making a judgment.”
While
assessments are often equated with traditional tests—especially the
standardized tests developed by testing companies and administered to large
populations of students—educators use a diverse array of assessment tools and
methods to measure everything from a four-year-old’s readiness for kindergarten
to a twelfth-grade student’s comprehension of advanced physics. Just as
academic lessons have different functions, assessments are typically designed
to measure specific elements of learning—e.g., the level of knowledge a student
already has about the concept or skill the teacher is planning to teach or the
ability to comprehend and analyze different types of texts and readings.
Assessments also are used to identify individual student weaknesses and
strengths so that educators can provide specialized academic support,
educational programming, or social services. In addition, assessments are
developed by a wide array of groups and individuals, including teachers,
district administrators, universities, private companies, state departments of
education, and groups that include a combination of these individuals and
institutions.
D. Definition
of Evaluation
Evaluation is a
systematic determination of a subject's merit, worth and significance, using
criteria governed by a set of standards. It can assist an organization,
program, design, project or any other intervention or initiative to assess any
aim, realisable concept/proposal, or any alternative, to help in
decision-making; or to ascertain the degree of achievement or value in regard
to the aim and objectives and results of any such action that has been
completed. The primary purpose of evaluation, in addition to gaining insight
into prior or existing initiatives, is to enable reflection and assist in the
identification of future change.
Evaluations
are carried out using social research methods and practices to measure what
changes the programme, projects and policies have contributed to and to get a
mature understanding of how it happened. Evaluation aims at increasing the
knowledge about one or several aspects of the intervention for learning,
informing decision-making processes, and being accountable to stakeholders,
donors and citizens.
E.
Definition of Informal Assessment
Informal
assessment involves observing the learners as they learn and evaluating them
from the data gathered. It can be compared to formal assessment, which involves
evaluating a learner's level of language in a formal way, such as through an
exam or structured continuous assessment. For example: the teacher has carried
out informal assessment of the learners during speaking activities throughout
the course by keeping notes about how well individuals are doing in speaking
and uses the data gathered to evaluate the learners at the end of the course.
F. Definition
of Formal Assessment
Formal assessments are
systematic, preplanned methods of testing students that are used to determine
how well students have learned the material that is being taught in the
classroom. In other words, formal assessments provide a way to know what the
students know. Each formal assessment has the same set of expectations for all
of the students who are taking the assessment. Each formal assessment also has
specific criteria used for scoring and interpretation. The main purpose of
formal assessment is to measure the amount of knowledge that students have
retained from what they have been previously taught. Other uses of formal
assessments include: comparing a student to other students in the classroom, comparing
a student to a larger group beyond the classroom. For example, standardized
tests allow you to compare one student's assessment results to the results of
students across the county, district, and country, identifying a student's
strengths and weaknesses compared to peers, and finding out new information
about the student.
G.
Definition of Formative Assessment
Formative
assessment refers to a wide variety of methods that teachers use to conduct
in-process evaluations of student comprehension, learning needs, and academic
progress during a lesson, unit, or course. Formative assessments help teachers
identify concepts that students are struggling to understand, skills they are
having difficulty acquiring, or learning standards they have not yet achieved
so that adjustments can be made to lessons, instructional techniques, and
academic support.
The
general goal of formative assessment is to collect detailed information that
can be used to improve instruction and student learning while it’s happening.
What makes an assessment “formative” is not the design of a test, technique, or
self-evaluation, per se, but the way it is used—i.e., to inform in-process
teaching and learning modifications.
H.
Definition of Summative Assessment
Summative
assessment, summative evaluation, or assessment of learning refers to the
assessment of participants where the focus is on the outcome of a program. This
contrasts with formative assessment, which summarizes the participants'
development at a particular time. Summative assessment is widely taught in
educational programs in the United States.[citation needed] Scriven claims that
while all assessment techniques can be summative, only some are formative.
The
goal of summative assessment is to evaluate student learning at the end of an
instructional unit by comparing it against a standard or benchmark. Note, 'the
end' does not necessarily mean the end of an entire course or module of study.
Summative assessments may be distributed throughout a course, after a
particular unit (or collection of topics) has been taught, and there are
advantages to doing so. In many disciplines in the UK Higher Education sector,
there has been a move away from 100% end of course assessments, to a model
where summative assessments are distributed across a course, which helps to
scaffold students' learning. Summative assessment usually involves students
receiving a grade that indicates their level of performance, be it a
percentage, pass/fail, or some other form of scale grade. Summative assessments
are weighted more than formative assessments. For example-test after 6 months
in schools, Semester exams in B. Ed after each 6 months.
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