CHAPTER THREE
CHARACTERISTICS OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment, if it is to adequately fulfil its purose should satisfy the requirements of three key characteristics: validity. reliability . and practicality. The_test which is appropriate in terms of our objective is a valid test. If the evidence it provides is dependable it is a reliable test. And if it can do this with ease and economy it is a
practical test. We shall now examine .the qualities of validity, reliability, and practicality in detail.
3.1 VALIDITY
hich it is
Validity is the degree to which attest measures what it is SUPPOSED to measureor can be used successfully for the purpose for which it is intended -Two questions must always be considered: ( precisely does the test measure? well does it do it?
There are. in fact, four kinds of validity the first: Consent validlily: — being concerned with what is being tested , and the remaining three: Construct Empirical arid Face validity - with the extent to which the measurement is satisfactory,
content validity
Almost certainly the most important for the practicing teacher is the extent to which a test adequately covers, the syllabus to be tested a .valid test must be based upon get or skill we are testing ." It must also be constructed as to represent adequately each portion of this analysis for example, a test is to measure students mastery of English grammatical
structure, the teacher has to study the unit and pick out the new structure points. He has, then, to plan how the students are to demonstrate mastery of these structures in behavioural terms. This
is achieved by the use of a specification) table)of content and behaviour (i.e., recognition or projection
b) Empirical validity
If we are to check the effectiveness of a test and to determine how well the best measure- weshould related the test score to some independedt outside criteria such as scores givin at the end of the course :or the teachers judgment of his students bran external
C. Face validity
This simply means (the way the test looks to the examinees supervisors or in general to ..the_people concerned with
education of the students Obviously face Validity can never replace content validity or empirical validity; yet its importance should not be underestimated
(d) construct validity
A test is said to posses^ construct validity if it is designed in accordance .with a heQ.ry_of language behaviour and learning. For example, if the course of study is based on the assumption that systematic language habits are best acquired_ by means of the structural approach then a test, which emphasizes the situational meaning of language will have low construct validity
, 3.2 RELIABILITY
Reliability means the stability of the score Presumably if the
same test is given twice to the same group_of students, under the same condition it would give the same rsults. the requisites of a
dependable test are the following:
(l)Multiple sampls
The more samples of student is performance we take the more reliable will beour assessment of their knowledge and ability.
Consequently the test must be long enough to provide a generous sampling of the areas tested. And it should also contain a wide variety of levels of difficulty.
(2) Standard conditions
The reliability of the test scores can be assured only if all students take the examination under identical conditions . in a listening test, for example, all students must be able to hear the items clearly.
(3) Standard tasks
All students must be given the same items or items of equal difficulty. In other words, the tests must.be identical so as the format."
(4)Standard scoring
all tests must be scored in an identical manner. The scorer should give the same or nearly. the same score repeatedly for the test performance Two or more scorers should give equivalent score for the same performance. Objective tests tend to be more reliable than free response tests like composition, where individual judgement must be made.
3.3 PRACTICALITY
A third characteristic of assessment is its practicality or usability. A test whiciijsvalid and reliable but difficult to administer or score
or which isj^xp_ensive may fail to gain acceptance.
(ft Economy1: the cost in time , money and personnel of administrating particular test • ..
Ease.,the digree of difficulty experienced in the administrat-ing!~and scoring of the test, for example, an oral "test that
demands the use of a tape recorder is not practical if it has to be administered to thousands of students
questions for discussion
1. What is meant by validity?
2. What are the characteristics of a reliable test?
3. Practicality is one of the main features of a good test. how could it be fulfilled?
questions for discussion
1. What is meant by validity?
2. What are the characteristics of a reliable test?
3. Practicality is one of the main features of a good test. how could it be fulfilled?
المادة المعروضة اعلاه هي مدخل الى المحاضرة المرفوعة بواسطة استاذ(ة) المادة . وقد تبدو لك غير متكاملة . حيث يضع استاذ المادة في بعض الاحيان فقط الجزء الاول من المحاضرة من اجل الاطلاع على ما ستقوم بتحميله لاحقا . في نظام التعليم الالكتروني نوفر هذه الخدمة لكي نبقيك على اطلاع حول محتوى الملف الذي ستقوم بتحميله .