Lesson 1:

Basic Concepts, Theories, and

Principles in Assessing
Learning Using Alternative
Methods
Assessment is generally
defined as the process of
gathering quantitative and/or
qualitative data for the
purpose of making decisions
Assessment OF learning can be defined as the
systematic and purpose-oriented collection,
analysis, and interpretation of evidence of
student learning in order to make Informed
decisions relevant to the learners.
Assessment FOR learning refers to the use of
assessment to identify the needs of students in order
to modify Instruction or the learning activities in the
classroom. Assessment for learning is formatie in
nature, and it is meant to identify gaps in the
learning experiences of students, so they can be
assisted in achieving the curriculum outcomes.
Traditional assessment refers to the use of
traditional assessment strategies or tools to
provide information on student learning.
Typically, objective (e.g., multiple-choice) and
subjective (e.g., essay) paper-and-pencil tests
are úsed to assess students.
Traditional Assessments are often used
as the basis for evaluating and grading
students. They are more commonly used
in classrooms because they are easier to
design and quicker to be scored.
Alternative assessment refers to the use of
alternative or non-traditional assessment
strategies or tools to collect information on
student learning. Examples of alternative
forms of assessment are performance-
oriented and product-oriented assessment
methods.
At the core of alternative assessment is the
need to design and implement assessment
tasks or activities that refrain from using
traditional paper-and-pencil tests, which
typically assess cognitive learning outcomes
and thus have right or wrong answers.
The following are features of alternative assessment (Silvestre-Tipay
2009, p.58):

1. Assessment is based on authentic tasks that demonstrate

learners’ ability to accomplish communication goals;
2. Instructor and learners focus on communication, not on right and
wrong answers;
3. Learners help to set the criteria for successful completion of
communication tasks; and
4. Learners have opportunities to assess themselves and their peers.
While traditional assessment typically
uses paper-and-pencil tests, alternative
assessment is more concerned with
performance assessment or
performance-based assessment.
Performance assessment refers to assessing
student learning by requiring a student to perform
a task or develop a product as a demonstration of
one’s learning. The focus of the assessment is on
providing opportunity for the students to apply
what they have learned through task performance
and or product creation.
The emphasis is on assessing what students
know and what they can do. If the task to be
demonstrated closely resembles what is
typically performed or experienced in the real
world (high degree of realism), then
performance assessment is also more
authentic.
Another alternative method of assessing learning
is through portfolio assessment, which pertains
to students’ construction and use of portfolios in
a purposeful and systematic manner in order to
document their progress in the attainment of
learning targets
A portfolio is a collection of learning and
performance artifacts by a student and is typically
accompanied by personal narratives and reflections.
The use of a portfolio allows students to document
and demonstrate their accomplishments in the
classroom and provide opportunities to the learners
and their teachers to evaluate the progress in a given
period of time (Tolentino 2009
A portfolio assessment also allows the
assessment of students’ learning processes
and products/outputs in a comprehensive
and integrative manner.
Other alternative strategies for assessing learning
are assešsment of non- cognitive learning
outcomes through performance rubrics (for
psychomotor outcomes) and rating scales and
checklists (for affective or dispositional outcomes).
The use of rubrics and scales may also
provide opportunities for using self-
assessment and peer assessment, which
allow for a more comprehensive
assessment of student learning and
performance in the classroom.
What are the different models of
alternative assessment?

The three most common models of

nontraditional assessment are: () Emergent
Assessment, (2) Developmental
Assessment, and (3) Authentic Assessment.
Emergent Assessment

Emergent assessment is based on Michael Scriven’s goal free

evaluation model (1967). In this model, the assessment focuses on
determining the “effects” of instruction on students. The
emphasis is on the assessment of both the intended and
unintended effects or learning outcomes. Hence, assessment is
not limited to collecting information if the intended learning
outcomes defined were met or not, but also gives importance to
unintended learning outcomes whether positive or negative.
Emergent assessment examines how and what the educational
program and instruction are doing to address the needs of
students. The assessor should have no preconceived notions or
biases regarding learning outcomes or instructional goals. With
this model, assessment is more qualitative and the assessor
uses multiple methods to record all data accurately and
determine their importance and quality
In this model, direct and indirect evidence of student
learning are both collected. Direct evidence refers to
tangible and compelling evidence of what students have
and have not learned, whereas indirect evidence refers to
proxy signs for learning that are less tangible and less
compelling compared to direct evidence.
Developmental Assessment

Developmental assessment, on the other hand, focuses on

determining the extent that students have developed their
competencies from instruction. This model adopts a pre-test and
post-test methodology to collect information if a student has
developed or improved after instruction.
It involves a comparison of what students can do at different time
points and or different contexts to assess if there is progress.
Developmental assessment is said to be useful for assessing learning
outcomes based on students development rather than a final
product. Assessors should have adequate knowledge of how a skill or
attribute develops so appropriate assessment strategies and tools
can be designed.
Authentic Assessment

Authentic assessment is the most popular model for alternative

assessment. It is an approach in the assessment of student learning
that refers to the use of assessment strategies or tools that allow
learners to perform or create a product that is meaningful to the
learners as they are based on real-world contexts. The authenticity
of assessment tasks is best described in terms of degree and not in
terms of the presence or absence of authenticity
Hence, an assessment can be more authentic or less
authentic compared to other assessments. The most
authentic assessments are the ones that allow
performances that most closely resemble real-world
tasks or applications in real-world settings or
environments.
The following can be used as criteria in determining if an
assessment task or activity is authentic or not (Silvestre-Tipay
2009):
The assessment task or activity can..

1. Be built around topics or issues of interest to the students;

2. Replicate real-world communication contexts and situations;
3. Involve multistage tasks and real problems that require
creative use of language rather than simple repetition;
4. Require learners to produce a quality product or
performance;
5. Introduce the students to the evaluation criteria and
standards;
6. Involve interaction between assessor (instructor,
peers, self) and person assessed; and
7. Allow for self-evaluation and self-correction as they
proceed.
What are the different principles in assessing
learning using alternative methods?

There are many principles in the assessment

of learning using alternative assessment or
nontraditional methods. Based on the
different readings and references on these
principles, the following may be considered
as core principles:
1. Assessment is both process- and product-oriented. An
assessment gives equal importance to student
performance or product and the process they engage in
to perform or produce a product. While traditional
assessment methods are focused on assessing student
products or outputs, non- traditional or alternative
methods like performance assessment and portfolio
assessment give value to the product developed by
students, as well as in the process students have
undergone to develop the product.
2. Assessment should focus on higher-order cognitive
outcomės. For assessment to be valid and authentic, it
should require students to demonstrate their knowledge.
However, the focus should be on providing tasks or
activities that would allow students’ demonstration of
higher-order cognitive outcomes (e.g., creating, analyzing)
or skills (e.g., creativity, critical Thinking). The use of
nontraditional or alternative methods of assessment like
performance ássessment allows the assessment of both
lower-order and higher-order cognitive outcomes in ways
that are more authentic.
3. Assessment can include a measure of noncognitive learning
outcomes. Traditional assessment focuses on knowledge and other
cognitive learning outcomes. However, psychomotor and affective
outcomes are also important learning outcomes, and there are
learning targets that are noncognitive in nature. Hence, an
assessment should also consider the assessment of these
noncognitive outcomes. Nontraditional assessment tools like
řubrics, scales, and checklists allow the measurement of
noncognitive learning outcomes that allow a more complete and
assessment of student learning.
4. Assessment should reflect real-life or real-world
contexts. Assessment tasks or activities should be
authentic. The assessment should closely, if not fully
approximate real-life situations or experiences.
Authenticity of assessment can be thought of as a
continuum from least authentic to most authentic, with
more authentic tasks expected to be more meaningful for
students. Performance assessment is optimal if the
performance task to be demonstrated is similar or close
to what is expected in the real world.
5. Assessment must be comprehensive and holistic.
Assessment should be performed using a variety of strategies
and tools designed to assess student learning in a more
integrative way. Assessment should be conducted in multiple
periods to assess learning over time. Moreover, the use of both
traditional assessment and alternative assessment strategies
and tools should be considered. Nontraditional methods of
assessment (e.g., use of rubrics, scales) allow the possibility of
multiple assessors, including the use of self and peer
assessment. This ensures that students are being assessed in a
more comprehensive and holistic way.
6. Assessment should lead to student learning. This means
that assessment should be like classroom instruction. This
principle is consistent with the concepts of assessment for
learning and assessment as learning. Assessment for learning
refers to the use of assessment to identify the needs of
students in order to modify instruction or the learning
activities in the classroom. In assessment as learning,
assessment tasks, results, and feedback are used to help
students practicę self-regulation and make adjustments in
order to achieve the curriculum outcomes.
Thank
you for
listening!
prepared by:

GROUP 1
Angelica Rose Absalon
Jesha Lou V. Patricio
Kurt Owen Balena
Rizalyn Española
Francine Caduada
Rovelyn Galvez
Edwin Nastor