INFORMAL ASSESSMENT

Informal assessment are those that are used to evaluate a student's own performance and progress individually. It is the teachers and parents of measuring the student's progress.Informal assessments are to obtain information that can be used to make judgement about the student's learning.

The Purpose of Informal Assessment

• Enables the teacher to identify student's behaviors, performances, and decision making.
• Provides insight into a particular behavior and a basis for planning a specific teaching strategy.
• Helps obtain more detailed insight into behavior over a period of time.
• Enables teacher to observe and easily check off what student know and their abilities.
• Allows students to explain work sample or particular answer.

Examples of Informal Assessment

• Observation

• Grading

• Portfolios

• Test / Quiz

Opinion and Reflection on Informal Assessment

In my opinion, informal assessments are to observe and monitor students in class during teaching and learning. To gain a deeper knowledge by interacting with the students on what they understand and can do. Also, informal assessment provide opportunity for students to present and explain their learning experiences.

It helps student to motivate and guide in discussion through questions. 

Suggestions to improve Informal Assessment

1. Plan for observation and be clear about the purpose of observation.
2. Record only what is observe and heard, should deal with facts.
3. Maintain objectivity and try to include as much detail as possible.
4. Ask questions at all levels of Bloom's Taxonomy in order to gain understanding in student's learning.

http://faculty.scf.edu/sharric/forpdimages/gL13inform.gif

Reference :

http://www.education.com/reference/article/informal-methods-assessment/

http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/groupwork/docs/TypesOfAssessment.pdf

http://study.com/academy/lesson/informal-assessments-in-the-classroom-examples-types-quiz.html

 

FORMAL ASSESSMENT

                               

             

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• Formal assessments are pre-planned methods of testing students that are used to determine how well students have learned the material that is being taught in class. In other words, formal assessments provide a way to know what the students know.

• Each formal assessment has the same expectations for the students who are being assessed. It has specific criteria used for scoring and interpretation.

The Purpose of Formal Assessment

1. To measure the amount of knowledge that students have gained from what they have taught previously.
2. Finding out new information about students.
3. Identify the student's strengths and weaknesses.
4. Compare the students' achievement to the results of students from the other school.

Examples of Formal Assessment

• Essay test

• Report

• Presentation

• Portfolio

Reflection and Opinion

In my opinion, formal assessment helps the teacher to identify the student's strength and weaknesses in their learning process. It will help the teacher to improve their teaching methods to increase the student's rate of achievement. The data gathered from a formal assessment will allow to compare a student to other student in the classroom. Parents, teachers, and schools should focus more on the learning progress instead of the result so the students will not feel stress by the parents and teachers' expectation in their academic achievement.

Suggestion to improve Formal Assessment

• Identify what students need to know and provide a choice of activities to enhance their learning.
• Teach the students using a simple concept for better understanding and assess their ability by giving them individual task such as writing and artwork.
• Assign the students to work in a group to discuss on what they have learned and gained.

Reference :

http://study.com/academy/lesson/formal-assessments-examples-types-quiz.html

http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/groupwork/docs/TypesOfAssessment.pdf

http://education.seattlepi.com/advantages-formal-assessments-students-1610.html

CRITERION REFERENCED TEST VS. NORM REFERENCED TEST

   

Criterion referenced test and assessment are designed to measure student's performance against a learning standard and fixed set of criteria. it is used to evaluate whether students have learned a specific body of knowledge or acquired a specific skill.  

Norm referenced tests are designed to compare and rank test takers in relation to one another. In other word, norm referenced test is determined by comparing scores against the performance result of a students of the same age or grade level, who have taken the exam.

The Purpose of Criterion and Norm Referenced Tests

Criterion referenced tests are used in many ways. Teacher use them in class to monitor the student's performance in their activities. It is also used in training programs to assess learning and the results provide a basis for determining how much the students have learned and how well the educational system is producing desired results.

Norm referenced tests are often for the purpose of course placement, program eligibility or school admission, because norm referenced test are designed to rank student performance on a relative scale.


Examples of Criterion Referenced Test and Norm Reference Test

• Multiple-choice questions

• True or False questions

• Open-ended questions

• Student's performance

• Short answer questions

Reflection and Opinion 

In my opinion, the assessments are develop to measure the student's achievement. It is used in evaluating the student's progress. The tests are an objective evaluation method that can decrease bias or favoritism when making educational decisions. The teachers and schools practicing proficiency-based learning. These assessments focused on reforming schools and improving student's achievement. 

                      

Suggestions to improve Criterion and Norm Referenced Tests

1. Criterion-referenced assessments are need based, it means that the test are created with what the students' needs are. If a student really need to improve their knowledge of proper nouns, then a test will be created on proper nouns.
2. Teachers can also create their own test which are criterion-referenced as well, tests that comes with textbook because they only test on specific areas of knowledge.
3. Norm-referenced tests can be easy to compare student's progress by giving them a simple test which consist questions that are based on the topic they have learned. They need to answer the questions based on their opinion and it will be easy to compare the students' understanding in learning.

Reference :

http://edglossary.org/norm-referenced-test/

http://www.education.com/reference/article/criterion-referenced-tests1/

http://edglossary.org/criterion-referenced-test/

http://www.brighthubeducation.com/student-assessment-tools/75048-benefits-of-a-criterion-referenced-test/

DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT

Diagnostic assessment is a type of assessment which examines what a student knows and can do to a learning program. It is an ongoing process aimed at improving performance more than evaluation. Improving performance from assessment and through planned activities determined from the assessment data.  

Diagnostic assessment also provides a deeper level of understanding than a surface level of observations. It provides better understanding into how an individual thinks and uses language while engaged in interpreting. Conducting diagnostic assessments is a common tool for mentors and teachers who work to assist students in advancing their skills set.

http://image.slidesharecdn.com/diagnosticassessmentreportpptshow-140103223507-phpapp02/95/diagnostic-assessment-report-pptshow-9-638.jpg?cb=1388788556

The Purpose of Diagnostic Assessment

• Diagnostic assessment is often undertaken at the beginning of a study to assess the skills, abilities, interests, experiences, levels of achievement or difficulties of an individual student or a whole class.
• This assessment informs planning and programming, teaching and learning methods used as well as assessment choices. 
• The result can be used to guide skill development by examining the impact of various patterns on the overall quality and accuracy of the interpretation and determining priorities accordingly.

Examples of Diagnostic Assessment

• Test

• Performance task

• Mind Map

Reflection and Opinion on Diagnostic Assessment

In my opinion, diagnostic assessment can be used to diagnose strengths and areas of need in all students. It is used to develop a curriculum program that builds on students knowledge and skills. Also, it is used to help students monitor their own learning progress during the semester.

Diagnostic assessment is used to match the students learning needs, and assist teachers how to gain knowledge to improve the learning outcomes.

Suggestions to improve Diagnostic Assessment

1. Self-evaluations : Student reflects about his/her own achievement and need motivation to achieve goals.
2. Diagnostic inventories : students responses to a series of questions in any subject in writing, these responses may indicate an ability or interest in a particular field.
3. Checklist : Identification and recording of students' achievement through rubric levels.

Reference :

http://www.det.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/297182/Teachers_Guide_to_Assessment_Web.pdf

http://www.interpretereducation.org/teaching/diagnostic-assessment/

http://sydney.edu.au/education_social_work/groupwork/docs/TypesOfAssessment.pdf