Testing and Evaluation

 

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn” 

-Benjamin Franklin

                            The involvement of the student in learning can be considered an essential part of educating oneself. Benjamin Franklin's above-mentioned statement may clearly state the foremost and important thing of the teaching-learning process which is 'involvement'. Teachers often practice the testing and evaluation system to check students' understanding of the proper functioning of the education system. Testing and evaluation, though being considered as not good for liberal education, have been a part and parcel of today's ideal education system. 

                        This blog aims to provide an understanding of the validity and reliability of the test, the practicality of the test, backwash in English Language Teaching and testing, the difference between assessment and evaluation as well as providing a brief understanding of good assessment.

1) Validity and Reliability of the test

Validity

                There are three major concepts in testing. Among the three, one is called validity. The term 'validity' means is the extent to which a concept, conclusion or measurement is well-founded and likely corresponds accurately to the intended outcome. 

             This test is particularly designed in a manner that the questions are directly related to the profession which it ought to test. It is an important criterion for the quality of the test. It checks whether the test measures what it aims to measure or not. 

1. Content validity-

                        The test items and the subject-related tasks are connected with each other. The test is supposed to evaluate only the content which is related to the field of study. A test is considered a good test if there is content validity.

2. Criterion-related validity-

                It puts emphasizes on the pre-designed criteria by the teacher. It is compared with other standard tests. It tends to compare the validity of the test with alternative sources.

Reliability

                                        A useful test is consistent over time.  It aims to show how often the result is desirable during repeated trials. It depends on two factors: whether the test can be used repeatedly and whether the test can be used for various levels of students. 

2) Practicality of the test

                                    It refers to the obvious practical aspect of testing such as convenient in terms of its design, administration, score and results and comparatively less difficult. 

3) Backwash

                                    The effect of testing on teaching and learning is known as backwash. It highlights the learner's conception of being assessed in terms of language proficiency that it involves. 

1. Positive backwash-

                             It is a good test if it produces language learning capabilities in the students. It helps students to learn the language more. 

2. Negative backwash-

                                        If the test creates anxiety and fear among students and doesn't help students to learn the language but actually find means to keep the test can be called negative backwash. 

4) Difference between assessment and evaluation

 

Assessment	Evaluation
It is process-oriented	It is product-oriented
It measures the ongoing learning	It judges at the end of the learning
It aims to find – ‘How’ learning is going?	It aims to find – ‘What’ has been learnt?
It aims to provide a feedback to improve learning	It judges the quality and there is a little scope of improvement
It is conducted during the learning process	It is done at the end of learning process
It generates a collaborative learning environment where peers learn from each other	It generates a competitive environment in learning
It generates the scope of improvement in the areas of learning	It arrives at an overall result of the entire learning process
It is diagnostic	It is judgemental
It is non graded	It is graded
It is individualized	It is applied against standards

5) how do you define a good assessment?

A good assessment is reliable and constructive. One of the several principles of a good assessessment is fairness. To achieve the satisfactory outcome from the learners, it is evident to provide them the criteria on which the assessment shall be done. the assessment criteria should be displayed in advance to achieve the necessary and desired outsome from the learners. The context of the task along with the conditions if there is any, shall be mentioned. To complete the task, the resources, materials, equipment that the learners needs shall be made clear to the learners. A good assessment is that which validates itself in different situations with constructive outsome. 

Thank you.