EVALUATION IN EDUCATION


Dr. T. C. Thankachan & Roselit Michael

Meaning

Evaluation is the assessment of quality and analyzing and interpreting of all round development of a person. Evaluation is the process by which we judge the value of something. In the field of education evaluation is the process of determining the extent to which educational objectives, one attains. It is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting evidences of students’ progress and achievement both in cognitive and non- cognitive areas of learning for the purpose of taking a variety of decisions. Evaluation, thus involves gathering and processing of information and decision making.

Evaluation is an important component of the teaching- learning process. Teaching for successful learning cannot occur without high quality evaluation. Evaluation, therefore, needs to be integrated with the process of teaching and learning. The greater the integration the better the outcomes of learning. Hence evaluation has to be so designed that it can be used as a powerful means of influencing the quality of what teachers teach and what students learn.

Definitions

According to M.P. Moffalt,” evaluation is a continuous process and is concerned with more than the general academic achievements of students. It is interested in the development of the individual in terms of desirable behavioral changes in relation to his feelings, thinking and actions”.

According to N.E.Gronlund, “Evaluation is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing and interpreting information to determine the extent to which pupils are achieving the expected outcome.”

From the education point of view the definition of evaluation can be given as “Evaluation is any systematic continuous process of determining- the extent to which the specified educational objectives are attained, the effectiveness of the learning experiences provided in the classroom, how well the goals of education can be established.”

Evaluation is a continuous process where various process of measurement can be utilized. It is a co-operative activity in which the principal, teachers, parents and students participate.

Characteristics of evaluation

1) Evaluation provides quality control at every stage of the teaching- learning process and therefore, evaluation would be treated as an integral part of the teaching- learning process

2) Evaluation will be humane in nature. It will help students grow as social beings.

3) Evaluation will be the responsibility of the teacher who teaches the students and is responsible for developing the requisite healthy attributes in them.

4) Evaluation will be consistent with its purpose and will provide a reliable and valid measure of students’ performance.

5) Evaluation will take into account both the background and the prior experiences of students.

6) Procedures for grading and their reporting will be appropriate and easily understood by one and all.

Need, Scope & Importance of Evaluation

1) Interpretations of the behavior of the children are done through the right type of evaluation.

2) The success / failure of an educational programme is decided through evaluation.

3) It determines how far the learning objectives could be achieved.

4) It motivates students for better learning.

5) It judges effectiveness of instruction.

6) it determines the rate of progress of the students.

7) It provides the base for certifying the students.

8) It helps in classifying the students.

9) It predicts the success of students in future.

10) It diagnoses strengths & weaknesses of students.

Functions of evaluation

Functions of evaluation may be classified into two major categories.

1 Functions associated with the instructional process

1) Measurement function: the measurement function, act as the basis for most of the other functions is of primary importance to a teacher. Through evaluation teachers are able to measure the degree of realization of the objectives of classroom teaching, to measure the attributes related to the physical growth, development, health conditions etc, to measure intelligence, aptitudes and other personality traits. These are essential for enhancing the quality of instruction.

2) Diagnostic function: It helps to detect errors committed, deficiencies, gaps that exist in the cognitive structure, limitations of the learning experiences and learning conditions provided, physical and psychological problems etc.

3) Guidance and remediation: This is a natural extension of the diagnostic function. When the difficulties are identified a teacher can help the learners to overcome their difficulties by giving guidance and remediation.

4) Motivating function: Evaluation motivate thye learner in two ways. Firstly, it provides immediate feedback about the performance of each learner .Secondly, the knowledge of the result and the diagnosis of difficulties lead to mastery learning and the thrill of success can act as a motivating force.

5) Assessment of final output: Assessment of the final performance of the learner in terms of quality and quantity of the total attainment with respect to a specific curriculum area is the function of evaluation.

6) Classification and placement: Classification of students on the basis of their level of attainment and abilities, placement of students on the basis of realization of the expected level etc are the functions of evaluation.

7) Prognosis, prediction and selection: This aims at determining in advance whether a particular student can be expected to succeed in a course of study or job he is intended to take up. This prediction is necessary because each field of study or job demands certain capacities and levels of attainment in all the three domains of behavior.

8) Setting up of norms: On many occasions we will have to compare individuals with reference to standards or norms of a group of which they are members . eg. To select a few girls who have completed SSLC for admission to sports school, the performance will have to be compared with some prescribed standard. By measuring the performance of a large sample, group norms can be established.

2. Functions associated with the educational system as a whole

1) Improvement of inputs and processes of education: the inputs include curriculum, text books, instructional material, infrastructure facilities, expertise of teachers etc. Improvement in this field can be done only on the basis of proper analysis and evaluation of inputs and processes.

2) Maximization of the output (student development): evaluation helps in setting goals, refixing goals, reinforcing achievements and remediating weaknesses. By improving inputs and processes and by ensuring perfection through diagnosis and remediation, educational evaluation enhances productivity of the system.

Measurement and Evaluation

Measurement: Measurement is an important feature of almost every aspect of our life. It is an act or process which ascertains the quantity of something. It is the quantitative description of data. Measurement is the assignment of numerals to entities according to rules. It is the process of obtaining a numerical description of the degree to which an individual possesses a particular characteristic. Educational measurement is the assessing of academic or educational achievement. It includes all aspect of testing and test construction.

Measurement = quantitative description

Evaluation = quantitative description (measurement) + value judgment.

Measurement, assessment and evaluation mean very different things and have their own difference.

Measurement refers to process by which attributes or dimensions of some physical object are determined. Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal. A test is a special form of assessment. All tests are assessments, but not all assessments are tests. Evaluation is a process that is designed to provide information that will help us make a judgement about a given situation.

Distinction between measurement and evaluation

Measurement Evaluation

Answers to the questions how much answers to the questions how good

Quantitative description qualitative description

Describes a situation Judges its value

Objective and impersonal Subjective and personal

Occasional Continuous

Independent of evaluation Dependent on measurement

Process involved is collecting information Process involved are collecting, analyzing and interpreting information

Concerned with knowing the level of attainment Concerned with its improvement

Less comprehensive More comprehensive

Measures scholastic area of an individual Measures students achievement in scholastic

and co-scholastic areas.

TYPES OF EVALUATION

Formative and Summative Evaluation

Formative evaluation is a process by which the achievements of students are judged at every stage of teaching and learning process. It is done during the instructional programme. According to A.J. Nikto “Formative evaluation is concerned with judgements made during the design and or development of a programme which is directed towards modifying, forming or improving the programme before it is completed.” While teaching, the content to be taught is presented in the form of small teaching units. At the end of each such item students have to be evaluated with respect to the anticipated objectives. Thus difficulties if any should be diagnosed and remediated. The important functions of formative evaluation are:

-provides feedback to an individual in order to improve that individual’s performance.

-identifies areas for improvement and provides specific suggestions for improvement

-Planned corrective action for overcoming learning difficulties.

-To aid in motivating learning.

-To increase retention and transfer of learning.

-To improve the quality of educational institutions.

Summative evaluation

Summative evaluation is done at the end of a course or unit of study. It is the overall assessment or decision with the programme. According to A.J. Nikto “Summative evaluation describes judgements about the merits of an already completed programme,procedure or product.”It may be done at the end of a term or end of a unit. Summative evaluation is designed to determine the extent to which the instructional objectives have been achieved and is used primarily for assigning the course grade or certifying pupil’s mastery or the intended learning outcome. Summative evaluation is useful for teachers to plan their teaching for next year. The important functions of summative evaluation are:

-Assigning grades

-Reporting learning programmes to parents, pupils and school personal.

-Improving learning and instruction.

-The results of summative evaluation help students to plan their future.

Difference between Formative evaluation & Summative evaluation

Formative evaluation Summative evaluation

Process oriented Product oriented

Internal in nature Can be internal or external in nature

Aims at immediate feedback, diagnosis and remediation Aims at overall assessment. Grading,

Classification, placement, selection,

Setting up of norms etc.

Can be conducted daily weekly, termly etc

Developmental in nature Judgemental

Timing is during instructional period End of the course or unit

Methods used are daily assignment, observations etc Methods used are tests, projects etc

Profiles and record of achievements are regularly used Limits the use of profiles and record of achievements

Objective Based and Competency Based Evaluation

Evaluation is based on predetermined objective is objective based evaluation. An objective is the statement of a result to be achieved. In objective based evaluation the teacher evaluates the realization of a specific objective. He selects one specific objective he wants to set. Based on these objectives he selects learning activities and experiences. Then he selects appropriate evaluation procedures to test those objectives. Thus we find that objectives, learning experiences and evaluation are inter related as

Objectives







Learning Experiences Evaluation

Fig: Triangular relationship of Objectives, Learning Experiences and Evaluation

Competency based evaluation involve testing pupils on the basic skills and setting a satisfactory level of performance as a graduation requirement. Competency is the ability to do something at some level of proficiency and is usually composed of some combination of knowledge, understanding, skill, attitude, and values. Competency based evaluation procedure is specially constructed to check the proficiency of an individual in performing a skill in different situations. Competency tests are used as a basis for promotion at the lower grade levels. Competency based assessment is not a set of examinations; it is a basis for certification of competency and it is carried out as a process in order to collect evidence about the performance and knowledge of a person with respect to a competency standard.

Distinction between Objective Based Evaluation and Competency Based Evaluation

Objective Based Evaluation Competency Based Evaluation

Emphasis on objectives Places emphasis on what a person can do in the work

Place as a result of completing a program of training.

Progress of objective based instruction is Progress of CBI is based on time.

not based on time.

Flexibility in study Greater Flexibility in studying

SCHOLASTIC AND CO-SCHOLASTIC EVALUATION

Scholastic evaluation is the evaluation meant for testing the performance of the learner in scholastic aspects.. Assessment based on the scholastic aspect which includes curricular areas or subject specific area is known as scholastic evaluation. The area of assessment includes the entire school subject ie assessment of cognitive growth in subject.

Co-scholastic evaluation meant to measure the co- scholastic or the objectives other than the academic aspects of the learner. The area of assessment –co-scholastic aspects of pupils growth helping the all round development of the child.ie growth in affective and psychomotor areas is covered. Co-scholastic areas are required to develop physical growth, development of social personal qualities, interests, attitudes and values etc.

CRITERION-REFERENCED AND NORM- REFERENCED EVALUATON

Criterion-Referenced Evaluation

A test is criterion – referenced when provision is made for translating the test score into a statement about the behavior to be expected of a person with that score. Evaluation done on the basis of selected criteria indicating specific changes brought about in the learner is said to be criterion-referenced evaluation. Predetermined and well-defined specific objective act as the criterion. Criterion referenced evaluation are those which are used to ascertain an individual’s status with respect to certain criterion i.e. performance standard. It is because the individual is compared with some established criterion, rather than individuals. It aims at qualitative assessment. Whenever evaluation is based on well defined objectives and is done by searching for criteria it is criterion referenced. Most of achievement tests are criterion referenced.

Uses

1) to discover the inadequacies in learners learning and assist the weaker section of learners to reach the level of other students.

2) To identify the master learners and non-master learners in a class.

3) To find out the level at which a particular concept has been learnt.

4) To find out the level of attainment of various objectives of instruction.

NORM-REFERENCED EVALUATION

Norm-referenced tests are designed to rank students in the order of achievement, from high to low, so that decisions based on relative achievements(e.g. selection, grouping, grading) can be made with greater confidence. Tests that set goals for students based on the average student’s performance are norm-referenced tests.

This test is used primarily for comparing achievement of an examinee to that of a large representative group of examinees at the same grade level. The representative group is known as the norm-group. Norm group can be made up of examinees at th e local level, district level, state level, or national level. Since the development of norm-referenced test is expensive and time consuming.

Characteristics;

- Its basic purpose is to measure student’s achievement in curriculum based skills.

- It is prepared for a particular grade level.

- It is administered after instruction.

- It classifies achievement as above average, average or below average.

Distinction between criterion- referenced (CRT) and norm-referenced evaluation (NRT)

CRT

It stresses what examinees can do and What they Cannot do

It contains easy as well as difficult items.

It diagnosis the loopholes in the developmental process.

Remedial instruction is given to the students if the material presented is not mastered.

A criterion-referenced test will use questions, which were correctly answered by students who know the specific material.

NRT

It stresses discrimination among individuals.

It contains items of average difficulty.

It stresses the final product of development rather than process.

A norm-referenced test will use questions which were correctly answered by the “best” students and not correctly answered by the “worst” students.

Both terms criterion- referenced and norm- referenced were originally coined by Robert Glaser. They differ only to the method of interpreting results. They can and should mutually complement.

CONTINUOUS AND COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION (CCE)

Evaluation of all the relevant scholastic, co -scholastic and personal qualities of a learner, done all over the period in a school is known as continuous and comprehensive evaluation. I.e. it refers to a particular process of evaluation, which aims at overall development of the child.

The term continuous refers to continuity and regularity of assessment during the whole session. The frequency of class tests, unit tests, and terminal tests make the evaluation regular. The continuity can be made feasible by employing both formal and informal methods of assessment. Education is a continuous process. Therefore, evaluation and development must go hand in hand. Evaluation has to be carried out in every possible situation and throughout the period of formal education of a pupil. Hence, evaluation has to be continuous.

By comprehensive evaluation, we mean that evaluation should cover all the learning experiences of the learner in curricular and non-cognitive areas. It refers to the areas of assessment, which includes both scholastic, and co –scholastic aspects of pupil growth helping in all round development of the child. The scholastic areas are meant for intellectual growth whereas co-scholastic areas are required to develop physical growth, development of social personal qualities, interests, attitudes and values. If we want the teaching –learning process really effective, we should evaluate the learners continuously and comprehensively. The CCE is multi- dimensional as it involves multiple techniques and different persons like teacher, pupil, peer, parent, community etc.

Objectives of CCE

- To make evaluation as an integral part of teaching - learning process.

- To use evaluation for improvement of students achievement through diagnosis and remediation.

- To take timely decisions of learners’ growth, learning process, learning pace and learning environment.

- To maintain desired standard of attainment.

- To provide scope for self- evaluation.

Components of CCE

Innovative programmes for the promotion of CCE

On the basis of the recommendations made by different committees and commissions four areas were highlighted for the implementation of new concept CCE. They are:

Continuous internal assessment

Introduction of the grading system

Introduction of the semester system

Development of question bank

These programmes were used not only for implementing examination reforms but also for revitalizing all aspects of education- curriculum development, curriculum analysis, curriculum transaction-with evaluation.

Features of new system of evaluation

• NPE (national policy on education 1986) stressed the need for making evaluation continuous and comprehensive.

• It give stress to formative and summative evaluation at the same time.

• Evaluate all aspects of development through different methods.

• Evaluation should fulfill the function of formative evaluation leading to immediate feedback, knowledge of result, diagnosis and remediation.

• Summative evaluation should fulfill the function like gradation and placement.

• Evaluation should be continuous and comprehensive.

• Grading system and semester system introduced in evaluation.

• General education department in Kerala has implemented a revised evaluation for SSLC examination with effect from 2005 onwards.

• Evaluate pupils with regards to three dimensions.

o Part -1:evaluation of scholastic skills

o Part-2: evaluation of co-scholastic skills

o Part-3: evaluation of personal and social qualities

Part- 1: Evaluation of scholastic skills

• Term end evaluation(T E)

• Continuous evaluation (C E)- COMPONENTS of CE are

o Projects

o Assignments

o Seminars/ practical

o Records/ collection

o Class test

Part-2 : Evaluation of co- scholastic skills

1) Work experience

o Making of teaching aids

o Making of school stationery

o Making of saleable items

o Making of artistic and eco-related items

2) Art education

o Drawing and clay modeling

o Music

o Acting

o Dancing

3) Health and physical education

Under health education, evaluate the knowledge, interest and with respect to

• Personal hygiene

• Nutrition

• First aid

• Communicable diseases

• Knowledge about disease resistance

Under physical education, evaluation is to be performed with respect to

Physical abilities

Drill and march

Physical exercise

Recreational games

Part- 3: personal and social qualities

• Communication skill

• Character and conduct

• Regularity

• Group working skill

• Leadership quality

• School club activity

GRADING

The word grade is derived from the Latin word ‘gradus’ where it means step. Grading is comparing the performance of one student in relation to his reference group (all the students of same age and class level) on a normative scale. A grading system is a method of communicating measurement of achievement. Fundamentally a grade is a score. It is a process of classifying students on the basis of predefined standard.

Marking is awarding marks for the correct responses of the student. Marks compare a student’s performance with a standard or on a scale. Marking system has its own limitations- precise judgement is not possible, subjectivity involved in assigning marks, limitation regarding coverage e of aspects etc.

Distinction between grading and marking

Grading marking

Compares the performance of students Awarding marks for the correct responses of the student

More scientific in the present day system, marks are great motivators for better performance,

measures scholastic and co-scholastic areas. Measures only scholastic areas

True representation of a student’s ability Not a true representation of a student’s ability

Grades are standard scores percentage of marks is not a standard score

Skills of students can be measured skills of students cannot be completely measured

Features of grading

- In grading classification is made on 5 point, 7 point, and 9 point scale.

- Fundamentally a grade is a score.

- More scientific way of evaluation as it solves the problems of borderline cases by inculcating all the pupils falling with in wider range within a wider range within the same grade.

- Identifies students’ performance level with a wide range.

- Grading involves the use of set of specialized symbols.

Types of grading

Different Types of grading are given below:

Grading

Direct grading Indirect grading

Relative grading Absolute grading

Direct grading

This is the process by which performance of any item, manifestation of a given trait etc. are personally observed by the evaluator and the level of each aspect is directly indicated in terms of grades, usually as A, B, C, D…. i.e. judgment of any given phenomenon skills, personality traits by the evaluator in terms of most appropriate letter grade without assigning the scores. In examination, the evaluator will award a particular grade to the answer for each individual question on the basis of its quality. Finally the grades awarded for the answers of all the questions in the paper are combined to arrive at the grade point average ( GPA) ,from which the grade deserved by the paper as a whole can be determined.

If there are nine grades allotted each grade will be supposed to represent a numerical value.

Letter grade A B C D E F G H I

Numerical value of the grade 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Suppose there are 15 questions in a question paper and a student gets grades in the following pattern

Question no. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Obtained grade F B A G D H E E B F C B E D B

Value of grades 4 8 9 3 6 2 5 5 8 4 7 8 5 6 8

Grade point average=4 +8+9+3+6+2+5+5+8+4+7+8+5+6+8

15

=5.86=6,hence the grade for the paper will be D

Limitations

Massive and time consuming

Mistakes cannot be ruled out

Suitable for small groups

Not feasible for large scale examination

Indirect grading

It is the process of awarding grades through marks. In this procedure, marks are first awarded as usual. The marks are awarded to the individual questions on the basis of the marking scheme and are then added to get the overall score for the paper.

Conversion of this total score into a grade, can be done in two ways- Absolute and Relative.

Absolute grading

In absolute grading some fixed ranges are determined in advance in terms of scores. Then the grade for each examinee is awarded in tune with the range slab in which his obtained score fit into . it is a type of criterion referenced grading. The absolute grading system to be followed in SSLC examination is given below:

Score in percentage grade grade designation



90-100 A+ Outstanding

80-89 A Excellent

70-79 B+ Very good

60-69 B Good

50-59 C+ Above average

40-49 C Average

30-39 D+ Marginal

20-29 D Need improvement

Below 20 E Need improvement

Relative grading

Unlike absolute grading where the grade ranges are determined in advance. In relative grading the grades are awarded on the basis of performance of candidates in particular examination.the fundamental premise of relative grading is that if an evaluation result is plotted on a graph, the graph will assume the form of a normal probability curve.

Procedure to find out Relative grading

Students are divided into different groups.

Find out the number of students in each grade using statistical methods.

Using this number of students in each grade find out the range in each grade

Corresponding grades are given to each students who fall in different ranges.

Relative grading is most suitable for large scale public external examinations conducted by universities and boards of school education.

ACHIEVEMENT TEST

A TEST designed to assess the achievement in any subject with regard to a set of pre- determined objectives is called an achievement test.

Steps involved in the construction of an achievement test.

1) Planning of the test: it should be well planned and systematically developed. The paper setter should aim at testing the degree of realization of his objectives and also to determine the maximum time, maximum marks, and the nature of the test.

2) Preparation of design for the test: weightage to be given to the various objectives , content areas, forms of questions, and the difficulty levels of items are to be suggested by the design.

- weightage to objectives: this indicates what objectives are to be tested and what weightage has to be given to each objective.

- weightage to content: this indicates the various aspects of the content to be tested and what weightage has to be given to each of these aspects.

-weightage to form of questions: this indicates the forms of questions (objective type, short answer type, and essay type) to be included in the test and the weightage to each form of questions.

- weightage to difficulty level: the test should cater to the bright, the average, and the dull. Discriminating power i.e the ability to discriminate high achievers, average achievers, and low

achievers is a quality to be maintained by a good test. Hence the test should contain easy,average, and difficult questions.

3) Preparation of a blue print: a blue print gives the details of the design in concrete terms. Blueprint is prepared as a three dimensional chart indicating the distribution of questions objective- wise, content- wise, and form- wise.

4) Writing of items: the blue print gives a very clear picture about the number of questions to be written from each topic , their forms and objectives. On the basis of the blueprint , the paper setter can start writing items according to the requirements.

5) Preparation of scoring key and marking scheme: in the case of objective type items where the answers are the form of some letter or other symbol, a scoring key is prepared. In the case of short answer and essay type questions, the marking scheme is prepared. In preparing the marking scheme what the examiner has to do is to list out the value points to be credited and then to fix up the mark to be given to each value point.

6) Preparation of question wise analysis: question wise analysis means making an analysis of each item in terms of objective, specification, form of question, difficulty level, marks and estimated time. This analysis is very helpful to check whether all the aspects envisaged in the design and blueprint are satisfied by the test in its final form.