MODULE 4

Development of Assessment Tools

LESSON 1: MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST (MCT)

The multiple choice test is a form of assessment in which the students are asked to select the correct or best answer out of the choices from the list.

Is composed of a STEM, which sets up the problem, followed by the number of ALTERNATIVE RESPONSES. The other alternatives are DISTRACTORS or FOILS.

Can be presented in 3 ways: direct question, incomplete statement and mathematical equation.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MCT

Has a great versatility in measuring objectives

Requires less time Writing is minimized Scoring is objective More amenable to

item analysis

Multiple choices are ambiguous

Can just select random answers/guessing

Advantages Disadvantages

REFERENCES:

Reganit, Arnulfo, Elicay, Ronaldo, & Laguerta, Cresencial (2010). Assessment of Student Learning 1 (Cognitive Learning). C & E Publishing, Inc.

Garcia, Carlito D. (2008). Measuring & Evaluating Educational Outcomes. Books atbp. Publishing Corp., Mandaluyong

LESSON 2: TRUE OR FALSE TEST

This type of test requires the examinee to recognize and mark an item as true or false. Other possible options are agree or disagree, yes or no, valid or invalid, fact or opinion, and cause or effect.

Are utilized to assess a student’s ability to recognize the accuracy of a declarative statement. (http://www.park.edu.cetl2/quicktips/truefalse.html)

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TFT

Answers tend to be short

Ease of Construction

Ease of Scoring

Emphasis on Rote Memorization

Dependence on Absolute Judgment

Likelihood of Guessing

Advantages Disadvantages

POINTERS ON WRITING TRUE OR FALSE ITEMS

Construct items that measure important objectives.

Avoid using determiners. Avoid using trick questions. Limit each item to the point that is being

tested. Avoid excess use of negative words and

phrases. Approximately half of the statements are

false. Avoid qualitative terms like best, some, many,

and several.

LESSON 3: MATCHING-TYPE TEST

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF MTT

The matching-type test is simple to construct score. It is well suited in measuring associations. Like a multiple-choice test, it presents the student with questions and alternatives.

It reduces the effects of guessing, although the chance of guessing increases as the student progress in answering items. This, however, is easily remedied by adding more options.

 

It tends to ask students to associate trivial information. Unfortunately, most matching-type test emphasizes memorization, although it is impossible to construct items that measure more complex cognitive skills.

  In case of commercial

answer sheets, matching items can accommodate no more than five options.

Advantages Disadvantages

POINTERS ON WRITING MATCHING-TYPE TESTS

If possible, the response list should consist of short phrase, single words, or numbers.

Use homogenous options and items. Have more options than the given items. Initially, a matching-

item test decrease the students' tendencies to guess but as the students progress in answering the test, the guessing tendencies increase. This can be avoided by increasing the options.

Arrange the options and items alphabetically, numerically, or magnitudinally. This is one way to help the examinees since they can maximize their time by not searching for the correct answers, especially if there are many options.

Limit the number of items within each set. Ideally, the minimum is five and the maximum is ten per set.

Place the shorter responses on column B. This time-saving practice allows the students to read the longer items first in column A and then search quickly through the shorter options to locate the correct alternative.

7.PROVIDE COMPLETE DIRECTIONS.DIRECTIONS SHOULD STIPULATE WHETHER OPTIONS CAN BE USED ONLY ONCE OR MORE THAN ONCE. THEY SHOULD ALSO INSTRUCT THE STUDENTS ON HOW TO RESPOND. THE INSTRUCTIONS SHOULD ALSO CLARIFY WHAT COLUMN A AND B ARE ABOUT.8. PLACE THE LIST OF OPTIONS ON THE SAME PAGE AS THE LIST OF ITEMS. TIME IS WASTED IF THE STUDENTS HAVE TO FLIP PAGES TO SEARCH THROUGH ALL OPTIONS TO LOCATE THE CORRECT ONES. ADDITIONALLY, SOME STUDENTS MAY OVELOOK THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME OPTIONS ON THE NEXT PAGE.9. AVOID SPECIFIC DETERMINERS AND TRIVIAL INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP THE STUDENTS FIND THE CORRECT RESPONSE WITHOUT ANY EFFORT ON THEIR PART. THE USE OT "NONE OF THE ABOVE" A AN OPTION IS RECOMMENDED IF IT IS ONLY CORRECT ANSWER. 10. CLEARLY EXPLAIN THE BASIS ON WHICH IS TO BE MADE. 

SUGGESTIONS FOR MEASURING COMPLEX OBJECTIVES WITH MATCHING-TYPE TESTS

Match examples with terminologies. Perhaps this is the most direct and simplest method of increasing the thought content of matching tests provide that the example has not yet been taught before.

Use novel pictorial materials.

LESSON 4: COMPLETION TEST

A completion test is a format of testing that requires the students to complete with the correct word or phrase.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF CT

Construction of relatively test is relative easy.

Guessing is eliminated.

Item sampling is improved.

Completion test are difficult to score.

They typically measure rote memory.

Advantages Disadvantages

POINTERS OF COMPLETION TEST

Write items that clearly imply of response desired.

Use only one blank per item. Put the blank at the end of the item if

possible. Avoid specific determiners. Structure an item so that they require

response should be concise. Blanks provided for answer should be be

equal in length. Provide sufficient space for the answer.

REFERENCES:

Gracia, Carlito D. (2008). Measuring and Evalauting Outcomes. Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.,Mandaluyong

Reganit, Artulfo, Elicay, Ronaldo & Laguerta, Cresencia (2010)

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/completiontest

http://ph.adsfn.com/money-wordsterm6490completion test

LESSON 5: CLOZE TEST

Cloze or cloze deletion test is an exercise. Test. Or assessment consisting of a portion of a text with certain words removed (cloze text) and the students are asked to replace the missing words. The cloze test requires the ability to understand context and vocabulary to be able to identify the correct words or type of words that belong in the deleted passages of the text.

Words may be deleted from the text in question either mechanically or selectively, depending on what aspect the test intends to give emphasis to.

EXAMPLE:TODAY I WENT TO THE _________________

AND BOUGHT SOME MILK AND EGGS. I KNEW IT WAS GOING TO RAIN, BUT I FORGOT TO TAKE MY _________________, AND ENDED UP GETTING WET ON MY WAY ____________.

  ADVANTAGES OF CLOZE TEST. TESTS MADE BY THE CLOSE PROCEDURE HAVE DONE MUCH TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. A CLOZE TEST CAN BE MADE OVER ANY PASSAGE BY REPLACING EVERY FIFTH WORD WITH AN UNDERLINED BLANK SPACE OF A STANDARD OF A LENGTH.

REFERENCES:  *ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING 1*JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT 

LESSON 6: ESSAY TEST (ET)

An essay test permits direct assessment of the attainment of numerous goals and objectives. In contrast to with the objective test item types, an essay test demands less construction time per fixed unit of student time but a significant increase in labor and time for scoring.

ADVANTAGES OF ESSAY TESTS

Essays give students freedom to respond within broad limits. Essay examinations allow students to express their ideas with relatively few restraints.

Guessing is eliminated. Essays involve recall and there are no options to select from. The student is expected to supply rather that select the proper response.

Essay items are practical for testing a small number of students. However, as the number of students increases, the advantage of essay tests decrease.

Essay test reduce assembling time. Less time is required for typing, mimeographing, and assembling. If only a few questions are asked, the teacher can just write them on the board.

They can measure divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is indicated by unconventional, creative, relatively free responses. Because they allow great freedom in answering, the opportunity to obtain unusual responses is increased.

DISADVANTAGES AND LIMITATIONS OF ESSAY TESTS

Essays are difficult to score objectively because students have greater freedom of expression.

Extended essays measure only the limited aspects of student knowledge.

Essay questions are time-consuming for teachers and students.

Essays eliminate guessing but not bluffing. Most essays require a little more than rote

memory. Essay tests place a premium on writing.

THE USE OF ESSAY TESTS TO FACILITATE LEARNING

Raises the quality of writing

Teaches students to organize, outline and summarize assignments rather than simply look for facts, dates and details expected in T-F or multiple choice tests.

Essay tests do not allow students to revise and rewrite their work since time is limited.

The teachers’ over-attention to details can destroy the themes of essays.

Favorable Disadvantages

SITUATIONS THAT SUGGEST THE USE OF ESSAY QUESTIONS

If the test objectives specify that students have to write, recall or supply information, an essay type of test may be necessary.

When the class size is small, a teacher can afford to spend more time to read and check the essay responses.

If a test can be used only once, an essay examination may be more convenient than a multiple-choice one.

POINTERS ON WRITING ESSAY QUESTIONS

Specify limitations. The teachers should tell the students the length of the desired response and the weight each question will be given when determining scores. With these, the students will be able to know the time to be spent on each item, the maximum points per item, the approximate number of words and space for each item.

Structure the task. The instructions in the essay test should clearly specify the task. Most of the questions in the essay tests are so vague that the real intentions of the instructors are lost.

Make each item relatively short and increase the number of items. The more items there are, the greater chance there is of the sampling of knowledge.

Give all the students the same essay questions if content is relevant. Sometimes, teachers give the students the opportunity to deal with one or two items from a set of essay questions.

Ask questions in a direct manner. Avoid deviousness and pedanticism when framing questions.