1. Objective and subjective performance measures
Measuring and appraising the quality of a performance can be a challenging task particularly
where the performance is not easily timed or measured.
Performance can be measured for many purposes:
determine the result of a competition
to select individual players for a team
diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses of players
prediction of future performance results
evaluation of the instruction methods.
Skills can be appraised by objective or subjective measurements.
Objective performance measures
Objective performance measures are those that involve an impartial measurement, that is,
without bias or prejudice. Objective performance measures include timing measures such as
stopwatches or electronic timing devices, or distance measures such as measuring tapes to
determine the winner of an event. In these situations the performance appraisal is not
subject to personal opinion or interpretation of results and it is a clear objective measure.
Subjective performance measures
Subjective performance measures are influenced by the observer's personal judgment of how
the skill was performed. These measures are often criticised and scrutinised as they are open
to interpretation and opinion. Subjective measures often refer to the quality and style of
performance such as scoring of dance and gymnastics. While a numerical score may be used
it is open to interpretation of the judge not a clear cut measure.
Objectivity and subjectivity can be seen as a continuum from highly objective to highly
subjective. High jump measurements are highly objective whereas appraising sports like
karate require interpretation of special rules. These sports measures are seen as a
combination of objective and subjective. Team selections where a coach selects a team based
on his or her opinion of a player's abilities is highly subjective.
Measurements can be made more objective by using:
measurement systems - electronic timers or touchpads
checklists - that list elements required in the performance e.g. style and technical
components
rating scales - a degree-of-difficulty sheet that provides a marking scale for
movements
established criteria - a set of rules, procedures or guidelines of how to assess the
performance.
In order that the assignment will serve its purposes, it must be purposive; it is the paramount duty of
the teacher to ensure that all assigned learning tasks are important and meaningful to the learners.
There are a number of functions of assignments. These are:
To set the goal or direction of the learning task: The learners are supposed to know what the
learning activity is all about. The assigned task must be clear, definitive and purposive.

2. To stimulate logical and creative thinking: It is also an opportunity to train and develop good
habits.
To recall previous lessons in preparation for a long test or it may be recall for organization of
ideas and concepts and other relevant information
To motivate the learners and prepare them for the learning task to be done: The preparation
includes giving the background, the coverage and difficulty of the activity, why they are
supposed to do the assignment and the benefit they will experience.
To determine and plan out learning activities to be undertaken: Interesting and challenging
activities and within the capabilities of the learners that will answer their needs should be
chosen by the teacher. These activities may involve practical exercises to reinforce what has
been taught; completion of a project or an experiment began in class; collection of specimen
for biology class, research work for the solution of a problem, preparation of arguments for a
debate forum or research and preparation of materials and literature for a panel discussion.
To provide directions and other requirements for the learning activity: for example, clear
instructions as to steps and procedures, sources and availability of learning materials, and
criteria for evaluation of the finished project. It may be noted that in some cases, many
assignments are left unfinished because directions of how the learning exercise should be
done are not clear and definite. Besides, some materials necessary for the completion of the
project are not available.
To develop attitude and establish desirable habits of studying regularly: The stimulation and
urge to study once the habit has been formed, become powerful motivation especially when
the learner realizes that doing the assignment is a natural growth of past and present lessons.
It has been observed that, some pupils/students study only when they have homework or
lessons to do. By giving regular assignments, will in effect, help them, realize its value and
develop the habit of studying.
robustfood:1 year ago
The importance of a daily quiz, is to keep your brain sharp. If you have a quiz every day
in a certain subject, you are more apt to study and remember what you have learned.
Many educators believe that the best and most effective lesson plans are those which begin with
the final assessment in mind. In other words, teachers should know what they want to test before
creating their actual lesson content. A very important part of this lesson planning process should
be creating pretests.
Pretests are given to students before a lesson or unit to assess what they do in fact already know.
These tests reveal many gems to the savvy teacher.

3. Lessons of Pretests
1.
Pretests allow teachers to see if what is being covered in the lesson or unit is already mastered. For example, if you are
teaching 9th grade geography, you might give a pretest to see how well students understand latitude and longitude. If
they all know how to use these then the teacher can skip that lesson. If only a couple of students have a problem, then
they can individualize their instruction to bring them up to speed. If the majority of students are struggling with the
2.
information then they can continue with the lesson.
Pretests help measure true learning. By comparing pre and posttests, teachers can see what students actually learned
3.
from the lessons that were developed.
Pretests can give students a preview of what will be expected of them. This helps students begin to focus on the key
4.
topics that will be covered.
Pretests can help generate ideas for future lesson. Depending on the way the pretests are created, teachers might find
knowledge gaps that they did not expect. Armed with this knowledge they can make changes to lessons to include
further instruction and review.
Creating Pretests
As you write pretests remember their purpose. If you are going to allow students to skip lessons,
you will want to create very thorough pretests. If you are using your pretest for comparison to
posttests, then you will want very similar (not the same) questions on both. If you are trying to
find gaps in student knowledge, you will want to cover a broad range of topics. In other words,
decide on your focus and how you will use the pretests before beginning their construction.
Pretests can be extremely effective tools and are an excellent way for teachers to grow in their
field. By providing kids with pretests and using that information wisely, you can give students
better and more individualized instruction.
Pre/Post-test: A Teacher Diagnostic Tool For More
Effective Teaching of EFL Students
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What Is A Pre/Post-test?
This is the third year I have used pre/post-tests as assessment tools for measuring the
preparedness and performance of my EFL students. In addition to measuring how much students
have improved in one semester of study, the pre/post-test can be a valuable diagnostic tool for
more effective teaching.
A pre/post-test by design covers all of the topics which a student will be studying during a
semester. While taking the pre-test at the beginning of a semester, students are not expected to
know the answers to all of the questions; however, they should be expected to utilize previous
knowledge to predict rational answers. When taking the same test called a post-test at the end of

4. a semester, students should be expected to answer more questions correctly based on an
increase in knowledge and understanding.
A pre/post-test should be designed to measure the amount of learning a student has acquired in
a specific subject. To do this, questions concerning all of the topics covered during a semester
must appear on the test. When grading the tests, the teacher assigns a numerical score to both
the pre-test and the post-test. To demonstrate that student progress has been made during a
given semester, the post-test score should be higher than the pre-test score.
How Can A Pre/Post-test Be Used As A Teacher Diagnostic Tool?
A pre/post-test functions as a teacher diagnostic tool in the following five ways:
1. It Identifies the Very Weak Students in a Class:
Every time I grade a pre-test I am able to get a very good idea about the weak students in my
class. In most cases their scores are close to the bottom of the class. Many of these weak
students don't even finish answering all of the questions on the test. When these same students
take the post-test, the improvement in their scores over the pre-test is much less than other
students.
2. It Identifies the strongest students in a class:
The students scoring more than 80 percent on the pre-test usually turn out to be the best
students in my class. I have had a few pupils score 95 or above, and in most cases they have
demonstrated gifted and talented characteristics.
3. It identifies topics which the students already know:
If 75 - 80 percent of the students score above 80 on a certain topic, this would indicate that most
of the students already know the subject matter. In fact, I once had a class in which 60 percent of
the students scored more than 75 on the pre-test.
4. It identifies topics which the students don't know:
I have just finished giving pre-tests to EFL students who are taking my reading and writing
course. More than 70 percent of the students scored less than 50 on the mechanics of writing.
This included capitalization, spelling, punctuation, verb tense usage, and other grammatical
errors. This clearly identifies a topic which the students still don't know.
5. It identifies topics which the students have not learned:
in comparing pre-test and post-test scores, a much higher post-test score should indicate that a
student has learned certain topics. If the scores are about the same, or if the post-test score is
lower than the pre-test score, in all indications this measures that topics were not learned in the
course.

5. How Can A Pre/Post-test Be Used For More Effective Teaching?
Pre/Post-tests can be used for more effective teaching in the following three ways:
1. Weak Students Should Be Given Remedial Instruction:
After the pre-test identifies the weak students in a class, it is the teacher's responsibility to give
extra remedial instruction. For example, if a student is not reading at the fifth grade level as
measured by a post-test given at the end of fourth grade, the teacher should find instructional
materials at a lower grade level. A dedicated teacher would then find time during his lunch hour
or breaks during the day to give extra individual help to the student. The teacher would also
encourage the student's parents to assist with remedial tutoring.
2. The Strong Or Gifted Students Must Be Given Extra Challenging Materials:
After the strong or gifted and talented students are identified through a pre-test, it is the teacher's
duty to give these students extra challenging materials. My school in Thailand does not have a
special program or class for the gifted and talented. All students, even the ones with special
education needs, are streamlined into one class. This being the case, it is even more important
for the teacher to make sure the student works up to his ability. If this is not done, the student will
become bored and maybe even present discipline problems.
3. Schemes of Work and Lesson Plans Should Be Revised:
Most teachers draw up a semester scheme of work and individual class lesson plans well before
the first day of class. The pre-test, however, is not given until the first week of class. If the results
of the pre-test indicate that most students know a topic of instruction very well, a good teacher
will be flexible and revise his scheme of work. The teacher would probably arrange to spend less
time on the topic known very well, and he would most certainly arrange to spend more time on a
topic which the students have no knowledge or understanding. If the post-test for a previous
class showed that most students did not learn a topic, a wise teacher would revise his teaching
method and perhaps use different teaching materials for the next class he teaches.
Pre/Post-tests are a necessary teacher diagnostic tool for measuring the learning of EFL and
other students. Teachers must remember to use them as a diagnostic instrument so that
teaching can be more effective.
Periodical Test
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For both A-Level and O-Level students, periodical tests will be conducted every 2-3
months regularly. The purpose of the test is to assess student's academic progress and
evaluate the teaching plan. After each test, student know their strength and weakness,
academic staff learn to adjust the teaching methods. Class arrangement will be modified
after test, this is to group students at the same level for a better teaching

6. outcome. Teachers and students both benefit from it since teachers could teach in
accordance thereafter.
When actual A/O Level Examniations are coming, mock examinations will start to roll 2
months earlier at a high frequency. Student can experience the tension of actuall exams
and as one of FIS' padagogy, this is to prepare students to achieve better results in the
examinations.
The Importance of Self Evaluation
By Stanley C Loewen | Self Improvement Motivation | Rating:
Self evaluation is important at any stage in your life. In today’s world, most organizations use self
evaluation for any project and services they have in place. Furthermore, teachers are now
actively encouraging their pupils to self evaluate. Self evaluation is an important part of being
committed to lifelong learning – the understanding that you will never complete your learning
journey and grab every opportunity to learn new skills. More and more workplaces now
encourage their staff to be committed to lifelong learning, offering learning skills through formal
and informal pathways. Self evaluation is particularly important when choosing learning through
informal pathways, as formal assessments are less likely to take place in such settings.
How to Perform Self Evaluation
Anything you do, be it in business or work or your personal life, can go through a circular
process. The process starts with you developing an idea. Following this, you should consult with
those who will be influenced by your idea to think of the best way to implement this. You then
implement your idea. You then spend some time monitoring how well it is going and then consult
again. Following this consultation, your developed ideas will change and the process starts again
with you consulting about proposed changes, implementing the changes, monitoring the
changes, consulting again, and so on.
A practical example is for example the decision
to enroll on a new course. If you are thinking of
starting a new course, this means you have an
end goal in mind. The end goal could be a
degree, for example. Hence, your starting idea
is the degree. You should then consult by
speaking to friends and families and colleges or
universities about what courses are best suited
to achieve this degree. Once you have done
this, you would enroll on your course.
Courses generally offer examinations, which is a great way to self evaluate as well as receive
feedback from your tutors on how well you are performing. When you do receive feedback,
ensure you read this properly and think of how to implement their suggestions in the rest of your
learning career. When you reach the end of your specific course, you re-evaluate whether you
are still on track towards achieving your end goal, or whether you need to revise your end goal.
From that, you can choose your next course or plan of action, and so on.

7. Some of the questions you could, for example, ask yourself practically are:
• How much effort did you put into the assignment and how long did it take you?
• Where do you think you did very well and where do you think you could do better?
• What could you do to improve?
• What are the most important things you have learned from the assignment?
Why Self Evaluation Is Important
The idea behind self evaluation is that our judgment of what we think we are doing and what we
actually are doing is not always the same. This is why it is so important to perform regular self
evaluation. Did you know, for example, that fighter pilots, politicians and top athletes perform self
evaluation? They do this by reviewing video footage of their performance and identifying where
they could have improved.
One way of performing self evaluation is by mirroring others. If you are out, for example, you
could objectively look around and see if anyone else seems to behave the same way you
normally do. Observe what this behavior really is, and how others around that person respond to
the behavior. This will then show you how people respond to you and could give you some
valuable advice on how to improve your behavior.
How Self Evaluation Contributes to the Learning Journey of Pupils of All Ages
As a student, regardless of your age, the formula for achievement is the sum of goal and effort.
Once you know your achievements, you can self evaluate, leading to self judgment, leading to
self reaction. This process and that is the true importance of self evaluation, in turn will lead to
self confidence, by demonstrating how well you have done. Self confidence, in turn leads to new
goals and more effort, and so the circle is repeated.
How to Teach Self Evaluation in Four Stages
As a teacher, you should firstly explain the importance of self evaluation and how it can benefit a
learning journey. Once this has been achieved, you can teach the process of self evaluation in
four stages.
Firstly, involve your students into determining what specifics will define good performance. Tests
have proven that students – or employees for that matter, as this can be implemented in the work
place – perform better when they have a sense of fairness, achieved by being involved in
agreeing what performance is expected.
Secondly, teach your students how these specifics and criteria can be applied to their learning or
performance. This can be achieved by providing examples. Ensure your examples fit into every
different learning style and remember that some people prefer hearing to seeing, for example, so
have both written examples and video examples. Again, this is fully applicable to the workplace.

8. Following this, provide regular feedback. Perception is an important concept and the perception
of the criteria that were determined earlier will still differ. Ensure you have examples once again.
Furthermore, be open to the possibility that the perception of your student may be better than
yours, in which case you need to be able to self evaluate your own teaching methods and
possibly adapt.
Lastly, teach your pupils how to develop action plans – self evaluation is only useful if it leads to
more, hence the data your students gather from self evaluating should be used to implement new
goals.
As said, all of these steps can and should be implemented in the work place. It has been
scientifically proven that involvement increases performance, benefiting you as an organization,
as well as personal development, benefiting the individual worker. For an organization to grow,
the knowledge and skills of its workforce also needs to grow and one sure way to achieve this is
through self evaluation.
The importance of self evaluation, in conclusion, is that it allows you to further your own learning
journey and career by allowing you to reflect on your own performance from an outside
perspective, enabling you to really learn what your strengths and weaknesses are. This means
you will be able to see what points you have that you can further cultivate and grow, and which
points within you need further attention. This will allow you to further your career and stop you
from being stuck in a rut.
As a student, self evaluation is an important tool to help you stay on track with your learning
goals, as well as adapt towards different paths if necessary. Being able to self evaluate will also
help you in future, as most organizations now use processes of self evaluation. This means that
being able to recognize the importance of self evaluation and being able to implement these
steps is a very marketable skill that you can use to sell yourself to an organization once you start
your career.
By Greg C. Moriates
From the moment you are born, you are tested by the doctor or nurse to make sure all
functions are a go. Then your doctor has you perform milestone testing during each
developmental period. School begins and your teacher tests your performance in subject
matters and doctors test your biological functions.
Testing, testing and more testing. That is what life is about. So if you are serious about
fitness, training, endurance sports, etc., you need to track progress, ability and set training
zones through proper testing. So why would testing be something that you put aside when you
are training in endurance sports, such as triathlons, running, swimming, cycling, etc.
When you are training for endurance sports, testing is just as important to your athletic
performance and fitness as putting in the actual training time. Here are some basic
requirements for testing:
Depending on your training block, performing testing should be completed every six to eight
weeks in every discipline that you are training for.
Testing should be performed at the end of a rest/recovery week and should be able to be
replicated so that each test performed can be compared to the previous one.

9. Testing should be completed in a controlled environment (i.e. treadmill, bike trainer,
stationary bike, pool, track, etc.).
There are many testing protocols available. However, I recommend performing a 30 minute
time trial as follows:
Warm Up
5 Minutes easy. Incorporating 3×1 minute hard efforts with 1 minute easy between sets.
5 Minutes Hard Effort (You need to put out the highest watts/effort/pace that you can
sustain for the 5 minutes).
10 Minutes Easy
The Test
30 Minute Hard Effort. After the first 10 minutes had passed, begin to record your data for
the next 20 minutes. Focus on form to distract you from the pain (music helps).
Cool Down
5-10 Minutes Easy Pedaling.
Basically, go at a pace/effort that you can hold for 30 minutes at the highest level of
pace/heart rate/power. The average power of heart rate of your 20 minute all-out effort will
be your functional Lactate threshold (FTH) or the beginning of Zone 4. To determine your
training zones, use the following table.
Zone
Description
% Average Power
% Average Heart
Rate
2
Aerobic Endurance
56-75
69-83
3
Subthreshold/Muscular
Endurance
76-90
84-94
4
Threshold
91-105
95-105
Notes: To calculate Zone 3 for someone who’s test results determined a FTH to be 300 watts
multiply 300x.76=228 watts and 300x.90=270 watts. Therefore, the individuals Zone 3 range
would be 228-270 watts.
Less than Zone 2 is used for recovery and greater than Zone 4 is maximum anaerobic efforts.
I want to make it clear that these training zones are dynamic. They will change from test to
test and they will increase and decrease with training and de-training. If you are going a
couple of watts over your calculated zones, but feel like you can hold that power, do so and
reevaluate/adjust your training zones for next training session.
Perform testing every six to eight weeks, adjust your training zones as needed and set yourself
up for an epic year!