Assessment is defined by Upcraft and Schuh (1996) as any effort to gather, analyze, and interpret evidence which describes institutional, departmental, divisional, or agency effectiveness. According to Angelo (1995), assessment should be an ongoing process aimed at understanding and improving student learning. Assessment involves: making expectations explicit and public, systematically gathering, analyzing, and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches those expectations and standards, and then using the resulting information to document, explain, and improve performance.
Upcraft, M. L. and Schuh, J. H. (1996).
Assessment in student affairs: A guide for practitioners.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Angelo, T.A. (1995). Reassessing (and defining) assessment.
AAHE Bulletin, 48 (3), 7-9.
EditSummative and Formative Assessment
Assessment is sometimes categorized as either summative or formative.
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment is given periodically to determine student knowledge and skill levels at a particular point in time
[1], typically at the end of a program or academic year.
[2] This may include, but is not limited to, standardized tests and state assessments, benchmarking studies, chapter tests, end-of-term examinations, and report cards.
[3] Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is an on-going review effort.
[4] While summative assessment happens periodically, formative assessment is an intrinsic part of the instructional process itself.
[5] The outcomes of formative assessment efforts may be used to improve the level of instruction or adjustments to the tools and methods used.
[6] As formative assessment can target gaps in learning as they are happening, the information can be better used to inform students and teachers at a time when beneficial changes can still be made.
[7]EditDistinctions
Some ways to distinguish methods of summative assessment from formative ones:
- Think of summative assessment as an “accountability measure” and formative assessment as “practice.”[8]
- Summative assessment is a gauge of student learning relative to content standards at a specific point in time; formative assessment requires student involvement and feedback..”[9]
- Summative assessment may evaluate the overall effectiveness or worth of programs, school improvement goals, alignment of curriculum, or student placement in specific programs;[10] formative assessments modify or validate instruction at its basic foundation throughout the learning process.[11]
Research
Research can be defined as "the general field of disciplined investigation."
[12] It is typically utilized in order to
generalize[13] and make an inference about a larger population based on the findings from a sample population.
[14] Because the ultimate purpose of research is to produce comprehensive knowledge about an entire population based on a small group,
[15] there is an expectation that the reliability and validity of instruments be rigorously tested and established prior to their use in a study.
[16] Traditionally, research, especially in the educational sense, is
quantitative and designed as an experiment (or quasi-experiment) in order to “rule out or limit the plausibility of alternative explanations for results.”
[17] Replication of findings is common and expected in research; public, peer reviews of the theories, instruments, methods, and findings are primary foundations of a successful research process.
[18] Evaluation
Evaluation can be defined as the “systematic investigation of the worth or merit of an object.”
[19] Evaluation typically focuses on the value of a specific internal program or decision and makes no attempt to generalize the findings as they apply to other groups, settings, or situations. While research
generalizes, evaluation
particularizes.
[20] Most evaluations do not have a theoretical, research-based foundation, although there are some evaluations that emphasize theory. As such, evaluation measures are not required to be as rigidly validated as those utilized in research efforts. And, by design, rival explanations for evaluation findings are critically considered as viable alternatives from a variety of perspectives.
As the focus of an evaluation is typically localized and internal, the findings are rarely shared beyond those who have an immediate interest in the results in order to inform decisions. The emphasis here is on providing the highest quality of information in order to estimate the worth of something and enlighten timely decisions.
[21] EditResearch and Evaluation: Similarities
Some points of similarity between research and evaluation:
- Both research and evaluation “involve the collection of observable data.”[22] The questions used in research and evaluation data collection are often the same.[23]
- Both research and evaluation concern the reliability and validity of the methods of data collection, though the instruments used in research efforts are by far more stringently scrutinized and standardized.[24]
- Both research and evaluation use the same tools and methods.[25]
References