Comparison of Various Types of Assessment

Type

Objective

Essay

Oral Question

Performance Assessment

Portfolio Assessment

Purpose Sample knowledge with maxim of efficiency. Assess thinking and mastery of a structure of knowledge. Assess knowledge during instruction. Assess ability to translate knowledge and understanding into action. Assess student progress over time.

Formats Test items: multiple-choice, T/F, fill-in, and
matching Writing task Open-ended questions Written prompt or natural event framing the kind of performance required. Input ranges from student only to teacher only.

Major Advantages Efficiency -- Can administer many items per unit of testing time. Can measure complex cognitive outcomes. Joins assessment and instruction. Provides rich evidence of performance. Allows for variety of assessment measures.

Possible Limitations Poorly written items, overemphasis on recall of facts, poor test-taking skills, failure to sample content representatively Poorly written exercises, writing skill confounded with knowledge of content, poor scoring procedure Poor questions, students' lack of willingness to respond, too few questions Poor exercises, too few samples of performance, vague criteria, poor rating procedures, time, cost Could become time consuming, storage problems.

Targets Overemphasis on recall encourages memorization, can encourage thinking skills if properly constructed. Encourages thinking and development of writing skills. Stimulates participation in instruction, provides teacher immediate feedback on effectiveness of teaching. Emphasizes use of available knowledge in relevant problem contexts. Emphasizes record of differing student measures.

Keys to Success Clear test blueprint or specifications that match instruction, skill in item writing, time to write items Carefully prepared writing exercises, preparation of model answers, time to read and score Clear questions representative sample of questions to each student, adequate time provided for student response Carefully prepared performance expectations, careful and thoughtful rating, attention to validity and reliability issues Careful determination of how to collect student data, methods of storage, should be limited, portfolios emptied from time to time

Return to Student Assessment.

Type	Objective	Essay	Oral Question	Performance Assessment	Portfolio Assessment
Purpose	Sample knowledge with maxim of efficiency.	Assess thinking and mastery of a structure of knowledge.	Assess knowledge during instruction.	Assess ability to translate knowledge and understanding into action.	Assess student progress over time.
Formats	Test items: multiple-choice, T/F, fill-in, and matching	Writing task	Open-ended questions	Written prompt or natural event framing the kind of performance required.	Input ranges from student only to teacher only.
Major Advantages	Efficiency -- Can administer many items per unit of testing time.	Can measure complex cognitive outcomes.	Joins assessment and instruction.	Provides rich evidence of performance.	Allows for variety of assessment measures.
Possible Limitations	Poorly written items, overemphasis on recall of facts, poor test-taking skills, failure to sample content representatively	Poorly written exercises, writing skill confounded with knowledge of content, poor scoring procedure	Poor questions, students' lack of willingness to respond, too few questions	Poor exercises, too few samples of performance, vague criteria, poor rating procedures, time, cost	Could become time consuming, storage problems.
Targets	Overemphasis on recall encourages memorization, can encourage thinking skills if properly constructed.	Encourages thinking and development of writing skills.	Stimulates participation in instruction, provides teacher immediate feedback on effectiveness of teaching.	Emphasizes use of available knowledge in relevant problem contexts.	Emphasizes record of differing student measures.
Keys to Success	Clear test blueprint or specifications that match instruction, skill in item writing, time to write items	Carefully prepared writing exercises, preparation of model answers, time to read and score	Clear questions representative sample of questions to each student, adequate time provided for student response	Carefully prepared performance expectations, careful and thoughtful rating, attention to validity and reliability issues	Careful determination of how to collect student data, methods of storage, should be limited, portfolios emptied from time to time