Criteria for Selection of Evaluative Devices The initial step in instrument selection is to conduct a literature search for evaluations

similar to the evaluation being planned. Instruments that have been used in more than one study should be given preference over an instrument developed for a single use, because instruments used multiple times generally have been more thoroughly tested for reliability and validity. There are different types of evaluative devices may be used to evaluate and measure student achievement. The major criteria used in selecting and developing tests are: (1) sampling of the objectives, (2) sampling of the content, (3) validity, (4) reliability, (5) practicality and (6) usefulness. 1. Sampling Course Objectives all of the objectives in each course should be tested. This may sound like a superfluous statement, but the fact of the matter is that tests in many courses measure only knowledge of facts. Probably, this is because questions relating for this objective are easier to construct than items measuring the abilities to use those facts in solving problems, in making judgments or in drawing conclusions. Nonetheless, measures of all the important objectives must be included, if testing is to provide evidence of whether the objectives of the course are attained and to what degree, despite the fact that it takes time and considerable skill in developing them. This is especially true for nursing courses. It would be of little help to the teacher in determining a students nursing ability, to measure only knowledge objectives; both are essential in appraising a nurses ability. The teacher who has defined carefully and clearly the behaviors implicit in the educational objectives will be aware of all the objectives and have a good basis for developing tests. 2. Sampling Course Content since it is not possible for the teacher to test the e student on all of the content knowledge that hopefully she has acquired in a course, the teacher must resort to sampling. That is, she has no choice but to select from among all the possible items a relative few to include in her tests. The underlying assumption is that a students performance on this small sample will be similar to her performance on a larger test containing all possible content/ items. Therefore, in choosing the sample the teacher must make certain that there are enough items and that they are representative of the range of course content. Teachers sometimes check the adequacy of their sample content against the objectives and the content of each important topic in the course. 3. Validity one of the most of the most important criteria of a good evaluation device is validity. The validity of a test is the degree to which it measures what it is intended to measure. This definition maybe broken down into two parts: (1) the

degree to which it measures; and (2) what it is intended to measure. The degree to which a test measures anything, and measures it accurately, is the reliability of the test. What it is intended to measure, is the criterion for the relevance of the test. Thus the 3 requirements of a valid test are relevance of the tasks, proper representation of the essential elements of the thing knowledge and/ or skill) being tested and reliability. 4. Reliability a test not only should measure what it is supposed to measure, it also should measure it accurately. That is, an examination administered two or more times to the same group of students without intervening learning should yield approximately identical results. 5. Test Practicality this criterion refers to the development of evaluation devices capable of being administered and scored with reasonable ease and within the limits of time and of the resources imposed by circumstances. For example, it would not be feasible for the teacher of a large class to give individual performance tests, even though they have high validity. Typically, the teacher will have to choose those evaluation measures that will give the best measures possible within the limits of practicality in her situation. 6. Test Usefulness tests may be used for a number of different purposes, besides providing a basis for graces and for measuring teaching and learning effectiveness. They may be used for pretesting, for diagnosis of students abilities for measuring speed, power and comprehensiveness, and for many other purposes. Each test must be constructed in accordance with its purpose. For example, a speed test requires that the items be sufficiently easy that almost every student could answer them correctly if given enough time. The power test, on the other hand, attempts to give each student time and opportunity to work to her level of capacity, and most students will complete the test; but those who do not, it is assumed, will have done as much as they are capable of doing.

Key points to consider in in the selection of evaluation devices: First. The instrument must measure the performance being evaluated exactly as that performance has been operationally defined for the evaluation. For example, if satisfaction with a continuing education program is operationally defined to include a score of 80% or higher on five specific program components (such as faculty responsiveness to questions, relevance of content, and so on) , then the instrument selected to measure participant satisfaction with the program must include exactly those five components and must be able to be scored in percentages.

Second. An appropriate instrument should have documented evidence of its reliability and validity with individuals who are as closely matched as possible with the people from whom data will be collected. When evaluating the ability of older adult patients to complete activities of daily living, for example, one would not want to use an instrument developed for evaluating the ability of young orthopedic patients to complete routine activities. Similarities in reading level and visual acuity also should exist if the instrument being evaluated is a questionnaire or a scale that participants will complete themselves. Third. Existing instruments being considered for selection also must be affordable, must be feasible for use inthe location planned for conducting data collection, and should require minimal training on the part of datacollectors. The evaluation instrument most likely to require modification from an existing tool or development of an entirely new instrument is a cognitive test. The primary reason for constructing such a test is that it must be consistent with content actually covered during the educational program or activity. The intent of a cognitive test is to be comprehensive and relevant and to fairly test the learners knowledge of content covered. Using a test blueprint is one of the most helpful methods for ensuring comprehensive and relevance of test questions. A blueprint enables the evaluator to be certain that each area of course content is included in the test and that content areas emphasized during instruction are similarly emphasized during testing.