Evaluation and Test Construction

By: Katrina M. Gonzalez, RN, CRN

What is Evaluation?

A systematic process of collecting and analyzing data in order to determine the current status of the subject of evaluation. To compare the status with a set of criteria and to select an alternative solution from among two or more in order to arrive at a sound decision.

 Is a continuous process of inquiry about the study, assessment and improvement of all variables of the educational enterprise

IMPORTANCE OF EVALUATION
To determine the effectiveness of instruction to the: Pupils/students School administrator Parents End view -> IMPROVEMENT

PRINCIPLES OF EVALUATION
1. Evaluation should be within the parameter to which the learners have attained the objectives of education 2. Objectives should be defined in terms of learner behavior.

3.Evaluation is an integral part of the educative process. 4.The evaluation program should be cooperative. 5. Evaluation should be comprehensive. 6. Evaluation utilizes a variety of measurement instruments and techniques.

7. Records should be utilized to give a complete and clear picture of the learners. 8. Diagnosis and remedial teaching are phases of the evaluative process.

TYPES OF EVALUATION
1. DIAGNOSTIC EVALUATION Starts at the beginning of the course to determine the levels in terms of learning experience of children.

2. FORMATIVE EVALUATION The teacher performs the learning activities To find out how well he is doing and what is needed during the next learning experience by the learners.

3. SUMMATIVE EVALUATION

To grade the learners and make his own personal judgment on the effectivity of his methods of teaching Basis in deciding for promotion or retention of the learner

 Measurement refers to the process of gathering information in relation to the presence or absence of a student behavior. Evaluation process where we put a value on or assign worth to something. Essential characteristic judgment

INSTRUMENTS OF MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION

 Measurement quantitative and describes something in terms of specific numbers or percentage. In evaluation a judgment is made in attaching a value or a qualitative description in a measurement derived from a test.

1. Observation and work samples 2. Rating scale 3. Checklist 4. Themes, notebooks, Recitations, Reports, Experiments and Homework. 5. Tests

Primary Purpose of Tests

To determine the extent to which the learning objectives have been attained To evaluate the effectivity of instructional outcomes

CRITERIA FOR SELECTING TESTS

1. RELIABILITY similar results when it is repeated over a short period of time Consistent , dependable and stable

Can be improved by:

Increased number of tests items Heterogeneity of the learner group

 Moderate item difficulty Objective scoring Limited time

2. VALIDITY measures what needs to be measured

Types of Validity:
Content Validity items should adequately reflect the specific content of a given subject

 Curricular validity reflects the knowledge and skills in a particular schools curriculum. The items adequately sample the content of the curriculum the pupils have been studying. Criterion Validity a particular test correlates with some acceptable and valid test or measure of performance of the learners

3. Usability easy to understand, easy to administer and score, within budget limitations and appropriate in the degree of difficulty

Factors Affecting Usability

Unclear directions Reading vocabulary and sentence structure too difficult

 Poorly constructed test items Ambiguity Test items inappropriate for the outcomes being measured Test too short improper arrangement of items

TYPES OF TESTS
I. Standard Survey Tests aimed to measure the progress or status of the students or the school.

II. Standard Achievement Tests aimed to measure the students achievement as a result of instruction in a given subject The performance of an individual is compared with that of a larger population Has a uniform scoring standards Has a high reliability and good validity

1. Norm-referenced Tests (NRT)

Parts of a Standardized Test

evaluate a students performance of some other well defined group of learners on the same test. Compares it with the scores obtained by others It has a raw score and a percentile rank

2. Criterion-reference Tests (CRT)

measures the students performance against some agreed upon level of performance or criterion Focus on what the individual can do and what he knows

Principles in Test Construction

Measure all instructional objectives Cover all learning tasks Use appropriate test items Make test valid and reliable Use tests to improve learning

Types of Standardized Tests

i. Intelligence Tests: Two commonly used are the Standford-Binet (SB) and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). ii. Achievement Tests: sampling of skills or abilities on a specified area of knowledge.

Types of Achievement Tests:

Survey or General Achievement Tests use to measure the knowledge and skills of students in subject areas like Math and Science. Diagnostic Tests: To identify the strengths and weaknesses for purposes of placement and formulating an appropriate instructional program Competency Tests: learners degree of competence.

iii. Aptitude Tests: screening device for students who wish to enroll in a special school
iv. Personality Tests: For special placement of students with learning problems.

v. Inventory Tests: To measure the degree of mastery before the teaching of the subjects. To determine what the learners already know and what they do not know yet in connection with the subject matter to be learned. vi. Teacher Made Tests: It is measure the achievements, progress, weakness, or defects of each learner. It is either ESSAY TYPE OR

OBJECTIVE TYPE

 ESSAY test items are best used in measuring thinking at the higher level like application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. It can be used effectively for determining how well a learner can analyze, synthesize, evaluate, think logically, solve problems and hypothesize.

OBJECTIVE TYPE TESTS 1. Completion Questions. Useful in evaluating the learners thinking at the lower cognitive levels of knowledge and comprehension

Guidelines for writing Completion Questions

The directions Fill in the Blanks is usually sufficient, but the student should be informed about how detailed the answer should be. Do not use statements that are copied from the textbook It should be clearly worded

 The completion part should be near the end of the item. It is simpler and clearer to write the completion item as question than as a statement. There should only be one possible correct answer. Use one blank, or certainly no more than two, in any item.

2. True- False Questions. Used to assess knowledge level thinking Weakness tendency of guessing Purpose: To measure what learners know not how lucky they are.

 Each item should test an important concept or piece of information. It should be significant It should be completely true or false, without exception. The intended correct answer should be clear only to a knowledgeable person.

Guidelines for writing True-False Questions

 Avoid specific determiners and absolute statements (never, only, none, always), since they are unintentional clues. Do not use them in statements you want to be considered TRUE. Avoid qualifying statements and words that involve judgment and interpretation (few, most, usually). Do not use them in statements you want to be considered FALSE.

3. Matching Type Questions. Used to measure the learners thinking at the lower levels of knowledge and comprehension. Problem: It often requires recall rather than comprehension and more sophisticated levels of thinking.

 Directions should be brief and clear The entire matching question should appear on a single page Wording of items in Column A should be shorter than those in column B

Guidelines for Writing Matching Questions

 Column A should contain no more than 10 test items Column A items should be numbered, as they will be graded as individual questions, and column B items should be lettered Items in both columns should be similar in terms of content, form, grammar, and length Many multiple-choice questions can be converted to a matching test

4. Multiple-Choice Questions. Most popular objective test items. This type of test has the capacity to test not only knowledge and comprehension but also some higher level thinking abilities. Can be scored easily

Guidelines for Writing Multiple Choice Questions

The central issue or problem should be stated in the stem. It should be a singular statement, topic or problem. In the stem a direct question is preferable to an incomplete statement. Include in the stem any words that might otherwise be repeated in the alternative responses.

 Negative statements in the stem and alternatives should be avoided. Use numbers to label stems and letters to label alternatives. Avoid absolute terms (always, never, none), especially in the alternatives. Avoid using items directly from the textbook. Arrange alternatives in some logical order. The alternatives All of the above and None of the above should be used sparingly.

5. Discussion Questions. Short essay question that requires a short response. Discussion questions should be aligned with the objectives of the course, and focus on the most important content.

Guidelines for writing Discussion Questions Give clear and concise directions, indicating the length of response and amount of detail expected. Questions should focus on important instructional objectives and course content. Allow sufficient time for students to answer the questions. Match questions and expected responses with the age and abilities of students. Use the same techniques and criteria for evaluating all the students responses.

6. Essay Questions. Produces evaluation data of considerable value. Using of words like why, how, what consequences. This calls for a command of essential knowledge and concepts and require students to integrate the subject matter, analyze data, and show cause-effect relations. Words such as discuss, examine, and explain provides an opportunity to learn how the students think.

 Make directions specific, indicating just what the student is to write about. Word each question as simply and clearly as possible. Prepare enough questions to cover the material of the course broadly.

Guidelines for writing Essay Questions

 Allow sufficient time for students to answer the questions. Ask questions that require considerable thought. Ask more than essay question. Provide sample questions. Explain your scoring technique to students before the test.

 Be consistent in your scoring technique for all students. Grade one question at a time, rather than one test paper at a time, to increase reliability in scoring. Write comments on the test paper for the student, noting good points and explaining how answers could be improved.

vii. Quizzes Short and informal exams Excellent basis for checking homework Evaluates the progress of the learners May be given unannounced and at regular intervals Some teachers give regular, scheduled quizzes to assess learning over a short period of time Easy to develop, administer and check

RETURNING TESTS AND FEEDBACK Tests should be returned to the students as soon as they are corrected as quickly as possible. The teacher should make some general comments and observations to the class about the group effort, level of achievement and common problems. Questions should be discussed in class.