This presentation deals with various issues in academic assessment. It handles issues related to the institution, the instructor and the student.

1. Anup K Singh, PhD

2. Assessment and Learning
 Assessment determines what the student would learn
 Feedback from assessment can boost learning
 Bases on assessment results, an instructor can modify
his teaching strategy
 Elaborate assessment enriches learning
 One shot assessment does not result in learning. It is
there just for certification
 Multi-trait, multi-method assessment is better than
content-based, paper and pencil assessment

3. Ws of Assessment
 Why should be assess? Assessment for learning vs.
assessment of learning
 What should be assessed? Rubrics based assessment;
cognitive, affective and psychomotor dimensions of
assessment
 How learning should be assessed? Individual vs. group
assessment; formal vs. informal assessment; classroom vs.
non-classroom assessment; written vs. oral assessment;
classroom vs. online assessment
 When assessment should be done? In the beginning; in
the middle; and towards the end of a course
 Who should assess? The instructor; another instructor;
peers; self

4. Rubrics and Assessment
 Rubrics are the attributes of learning
 It helps the instructor to be clear and focussed in the
process of assessment
 It must be related to learning outcomes of the course
 There are different levels of each attributes
 Each level can be assigned a range of marks to
differentiate the performance of students
 Easier to develop for essays and assignments
 Each assessment components should have some
rubrics

5. Rubrics and Assessment
 Rubrics are the attributes of learning
 It helps the instructor to be clear and focussed in the
process of assessment
 It must be related to learning outcomes of the course
 There are different levels of each attributes
 Each level can be assigned a range of marks to differentiate
the performance of students
 Easier to develop for essays and assignments
 Each assessment components should have some rubrics


6. Educational Systems in the 80s
 Annual examination system
 One instructor teaches, another teacher sets the
examination paper and third one assesses the answer sheet
 Total reliance on paper and pencil test, with some practical
examinations
 As a result, focus was on rote learning and examination
orientation
 Both learning and assessment were individual based
 Students had slow start in the beginning of the academic
year and worked at the end for success in examinations

7. Reforms in the Educational System
 From annual system to semester system
 Two semester end examinations in lieu of one annual
examination
 Semester end examinations are supplemented by
continuous evaluation
 Continuous evaluation consists of quizzes,
assignments, projects, etc.
 Focus on accreditation that emphasises outcome-
based education

8. Current Issues in Assessment
 A weaker relationship between learning outcomes and
assessment
 No right of the student to know how he has been assessed
and graded
 Lack of transparency in assessment system
 Regulator and prompt feedback on assessed work is
missing
 New philosophy with old systems
 Little use of authentic assessment
 Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs) are rare
 No involvement of students in the assessment process

9. Contd…
 Most systems are still based on marks
 Grading is generally criterion based
 Lesser stress on formative assessment (i.e., assessment
for learning)
 As a result, there is a less focus on improvement in
learning on a continuous basis
 Students hardly receive feedback to improve their
learning
 Very less use of informal and alternative assessment

10. Issues in Grading
 For effective assessment, both criterion-referenced grading
and norm-referenced grading are necessary
 Pass/fail grading is required in some courses
 Various components of continuous evaluation measure
different competencies. Therefore, they need to be graded
separately
 All assessed works need not be graded
 Grading should take care some dip in the performance of
students; and, develop system to support the student in
such a situation.
 Flexibility in programme grading is needed

11. Quality Issues in Assessment
Institution Student
 Quality of questions
 Consistency in assessment
 Zero copying
 Zero plagiarism
 Transparency
 Quick and detailed feedback
 Quality of invigilation
 Timely conduct and declaration
of results
 Strong process orientation:
PDCA
 Consistency in learning and
demonstration of evidence
 Academic integrity
 Zero absenteeism
 Continuous improvement
 Consistent performance
across different components
and courses
 Meta-learning about
assessment

12. Assessment and IT
 Questions are generally of two types: open and close
 Open-ended questions require judgement, while close-
ended questions don’t require any judgement
 Teaching Assistants used to assess close-ended questions
 Now technology has replaced them and assesses them
much faster. Students get the results instantaneously. The
instructor can do analysis of the question paper and give
feedback to the whole class
 The instructor can also administer the test as per the
convenience of the students
 The administration of IT-enabled test is much convenient
and requires little invigilation because the instructor can
jumble the questions for each student

13. National Level Testing
 It is required to certify that students have achieved
minimum level of learning (NET of UGC; AIPGMEE;
BCI exam)
 It can also be used as merit base for advanced courses
 It is also used to provide scholarship (NET, GPAT, etc.)
 As the modern trend is to provide autonomy to
educational institutions, such testing become crucial
to compare students graduating from different
institutions

14. Assessment
For Learning
Of Learning
Learning
Outcomes
Content
Feedback to students
Feedback for the instructor
Continuous
Multi-method
Classroom test
Outside classroom tests Change in teaching
strategy
Improvement in learning
Graded
Ungraded
Certification of learning
After learning assessment
Can be done by the instructor
or any other teacher
Done by the
instructor
Rubrics
IT Enabled