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Thursday, March 16, 2023

Different Types of Tests | Uses in Educational Measurement


Q.2 What are the different types of tests and their use in educational measurement?

 

Course: Test Development and Evaluation

Course Code 6462

Level: B.Ed Solved Assignment

Answer:

TEST TYPES AND THEIR USE IN EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT

 

Evaluating students’ performance is a key element of the assessment program. Assessment is an integral part of the educative process. In light of test results, several decisions have been taken by educational managers, classroom supervisors, educational experts,s and classroom facilitators to enhance the student’s performance, improve curricula, to refine pedagogical skills for the healthy growth of the coming generation.

For this purpose, classroom tests are very effective tools. To take a better and more fruitful decision is only possible when we have information about teaching and learning practices and this information is only achieved through tests.

Today, there are several types of tests and it is hardly possible to classify them into different categories. For example, norm and criterion-referenced tests, power and speed tests, aptitude tests personality tests, intelligence tests, and tests for individuals and groups. These tests are being used according to need and situation. There is great significance in each type of test in the field of educational assessment.

Diagnostic tests are used to find weaknesses and strengths. Standardized and teacher-made tests are very popular in the field of educational assessment nowadays. Commercially developed and produced tests normed against standard populations are known as standardized tests. These tests are highly reliable and valid and use to measure students' performance on large scale. It is time-consuming and expensive. The tests used by the teacher in daily classroom practice to assess student achievement levels in concerning achieving objectives are called teacher-made tests. These tests provide feedback that they can assess students’ performance, and their interest in studies, and the result of these tests take teachers' attention to make their teaching interesting and effective. We discuss here subjective type and objective type tests. These tests can be further subdivision as follows.

1.  Essay Type Tests

a. Extended Response Items

b. Restricted Response Items

 

2.  Objective Type Tests

a. Supply Type

i. Completion Items

ii. Short Answer

b. Selection Type

i. Matching Items

ii.   True False Items

iii. Multiple-Choice Questions

Essay Type Tests

 

In essay-type tests, respondents respond freely but in a lengthy way. Through essay-type tests, it is very easy to measure high-level thinking skills such as applying, organizing, and evaluating. It is not appropriate to measure knowledge-level outcomes. Students can integrate and organize their ideas in the form of paragraphs of many pages in detail and the teacher can evaluate the quality and accuracy of their responses.

Essay questions provide a clear picture of complex learning outcomes. Creativity and expression of ideas in written form developed effectively through this typing test. It is easy to prepare and coping is not possible. It can measure complex learning outcomes. Essay-type tests are being used at the end of the semester or take-home tests with flexible page limits maximum range of thirty pages. There are two main types of essay-type tests restricted response questions and extended response questions.

I.  Restricted Response Questions

Restricted response questions are permanently restricted in terms of content and response. It measures more specific learning outcomes and is more objective than extended response questions. Example

i. Describe the qualities of a good teacher.

ii. Explain the causes of ill literacy in Pakistan.

 

Advantages

It is more reliable and objective than an extended response and covers a wide area of content. Scoring is easy and quick as compared to the extended response.

II.    Extended Response Questions.

Extended response questions allow the students to respond freely in extended form in several paragraphs and answer the question in the best way and organize their ideas effectively. Example

i. What measures can be taken to enhance the quality of education in Pakistan?

ii. Evaluate the agricultural development of Pakistan and correlate it to the economic development of Pakistan.

Advantages

These types of questions provide complete freedom to respond. The writing power of students develops and argument presentation ability is created among students. They demonstrate the ability to select and organize ideas, which can be constructed very quickly but scoring is subjective.

 

Objective Type Tests

Objective-type tests are very popular nowadays. They cover a lot of content areas. There are many forms of objective-type tests. It develops all mental capacities of students because students have to select one correct answer in given options. The scoring of items is objective and the biases of the examiner have no effect on marking. The construction of items is needed a skilled person. There are some rules and techniques to prepare the items. There are two types of objective type tests.

1. Supply Type

2. Selection Type

1. Supply Type

 

A.   Completion Items

Completion items are easy to write. It is in form of a sentence in which one or more words have been left out with blanks. The student fills blanks with the correct word. It is presented in an incomplete statement. It is most effective for assessing knowledge and comprehension level learning outcomes. For example.  The capital city of Pakistan is…………..

Advantages

The construction of questions is easy. Guessing is eliminated due to recalling. The greater portion of content can be covered and take less time to complete than multiple-choice items

Disadvantages

Completion questions usually encourage a relatively low level of response complexity. And it is comparatively difficult to score.

B.  Short answers

The short answer items require pupils to supply an appropriate word, number, or symbol to direct questions or incomplete statements. It is very effective to measure knowledge and comprehension level outcomes but can be written for higher-level outcomes. Example

i. The name of the first Governor General of Pakistan is.

Advantages

They are relatively easy to construct for teachers. It reduces the possibility of guessing. It covers a greater amount of content and asses lower level learning outcomes.

Disadvantages

Scoring is tedious and time-consuming. Short answer items provide little opportunity for students to synthesize, apply and evaluate.

2. Selection Type

A.   Matching Items

Corey (1988) defines matching items; “Matching test items are another popular selected response format. These items require students to match the information in two columns. Items in the left-hand column are called premises and those in the right-hand column are called responses. Students are required to locate the correct response for each premise” It consists of two parallel columns . A word, symbol, or number in one column is matched to a word, sentence, or phrase in another column.

Advantages

Matching items are usually simple to construct and score. They are ideally suited to measure associations between facts. It reduces the effects of guessing.

Disadvantages

Matching items emphasizes memorization. It can assess only factual information. It provides clues.

B.   True False Items

Nit8ko (1983) defines, “A true-false item consists of statement or proposition which examinee must Judge and mark as either true or false” There are two answers against each statement right and wrong whatever form is given to it, if one answer is true and other is false, it can be called true/false test. Example

I.  Pakistan is a developed country. T/F

II. Lahore is in Punjab. T/F

Advantages

It takes less time to construct. It covers wide sampling of content. Scoring is mechanical so a high degree of objectivity is possible. It measures simple learning outcomes.

Disadvantages

It allows a high degree of guessing (50 percent) as there are only two choices. Copying is possible. It emphasizes the rote memorization of knowledge and cannot measure complex learning outcomes.

c. Multiple Choice Questions

Gilbert Sax (1989) defines, “Multiple choice items consist of two parts; a stem and number of options or alternatives. Stem is a question or statement that is answered or completed by one of the alternatives. All incorrect or less appropriate alternatives are called distracters or foils and the student's task is to select the correct or best alternative from all options”

Advantages

Multiple choice questions have considerable versatility in measuring objectives from knowledge to evaluation level. Since writing is minimized. A substantial amount of course material can be covered in a short time. The scoring is highly objective. It reduces the chance of guessing. Bluffing is not possible.

Disadvantages

These items are time-consuming to write. They can check superficial and limited knowledge. They cannot measure attitudes and motor skills. Intelligent examinees suffer if they choose incorrect answers due to ambiguities of words while poor examinees choose correct answers due to their limited knowledge.



Related Topics

Role of Assessment in the Teaching and Learning Process

 Concept and Use of Taxonomies in Testing 

Planning the Test for Class 

Types and Uses of Tests

Types and Steps in Portfolio Assessment

Define the term Reliability and its Importance and Scope of Reliability in Testing

Concept of Testing

What are the appropriate tools for Students' Evaluation

Procedure for Developing Standardized Tests

 Difference between Accountability and Evaluation

Consumer-Oriented Approaches

Indicators of a Successful Project

Interviews can be used for Students' Evaluation

Assembling of Classroom Tests

Purpose and Significance of Classroom Observations

Difference between Supply type and Selection type items in the Assessment

Concept, Acope, and Nature of Assessment in School Education

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