Educational Assessment
Educational assessment serves as a supportive tool in teaching, aimed at evaluating and measuring a student’s or trainee’s understanding of the subject matter or lecture content. This process provides a framework for assessing the educational performance of both instructors and students. Consequently, educational institutions are required to establish a specific assessment system designed to monitor students over a defined timeframe, commonly referred to as a “term.”
Typically, educational assessments rely on a grading system that can be represented through numbers, letters, or a combination of both, with each grade corresponding to a specific percentage. This system allows for the categorization of students into various evaluation levels, helping to clarify their academic progress in different subjects. Furthermore, it offers educators valuable insights into each student’s skills and performance, both in the classroom and during additional extracurricular activities.
Types of Educational Assessment
There are three primary types of educational assessment:
- Diagnostic Assessment: This type assesses students’ readiness for a particular term or subject by evaluating their foundational skills in engaging with the course material. It often includes questions designed to uncover students’ preferences and dislikes regarding the subject.
- Formative Assessment: Initiated at the beginning of a term and concluding at its end, formative assessment focuses on the development of students’ skills in a specific subject. It allows educators to identify key skills and concepts that students are expected to master in each lesson while also addressing any misunderstandings that arise during the learning process.
- Summative Assessment: Conducted at the conclusion of a term, summative assessment aggregates all grades achieved by the student throughout the academic term or complete academic year.
Methods of Educational Assessment
Educators have a variety of methods at their disposal to assess student performance, including the following:
Examinations
Examinations consist of a series of questions crafted by the teacher or a team of educators, aimed at evaluating students’ understanding of the course material or specific topics covered in the exam. Each examination is assigned a percentage of total marks, determined in advance by the educator or the educational institution. The types of examinations include:
- Quizzes: These are short assessments often administered unexpectedly to gauge students’ grasp of the current lesson or previous material. Quizzes can reveal how well students are keeping up with their studies and reviewing the material; however, this type is usually not favored by students.
- Midterm Exams: Conducted three to four times within a single term, these assessments can also be termed monthly exams since they occur within a month to three-month timeframe. The final exam generally encompasses all material covered during the term.
Assignments
Assignments are a set of questions based on the prescribed curriculum or sourced externally, which students are required to complete within a specified timeframe. Each student must submit their completed assignments, either in written form or via email. The quality of their responses plays a significant role in determining their performance level.
Participation
Participation refers to the level of engagement displayed by students during class or lecture sessions. This involves responding to questions posed by the educator or contributing to explanations of course content. Active participation not only fosters student confidence but also enhances their comprehension of the subject matter, contributing to improved grades throughout the term.