To know Why should we measure Students Learning….Read on this article…!
To measure students learning is similar to assessment on the student`s academic growth. In this article, we will look at the reasons why we need to measure learning, its impact on the student and other stakeholders and how to measure learning.
Why measure students learning?
A learner`s assessment is very key to academic excellence. It is done across the learning process in various instances. For instance, at the beginning of a grade, there is a measurement of the entry behaviour, continuous assessment tests after a short course work covered, random assessment tests, end of grade exams and major exams such as SATs. All these are done in a pursuit to collect educational data which is significant to the following subjects; students, teachers, school administration, stakeholders, parents, government, investors, the community in general etc.
How does the assessment data help the student?
The assessment data will help the student to achieve the following:
- Help students set informed goals.
Through the assessment data, the student can make informed goals. The evidence of a track record of his academic achievement will make the student know his potential and make goals to realise them.
- Students know their weaknesses.
Having the assessment data, students can track their performance and identify their weaknesses. They will be able to have a clear plan on how to work on their weak areas. When weak points are strengthened, definitely the student succeeds.
- Step by step appreciation
When the student can look at their records and identify progress from time to time, they get encouraged. They will keep making efforts to maintain the great progress step by step. This makes the student feel motivated.
How is learning measurement of significance to the teacher?
The teacher is very significant to student performance. In this case, the student measurement data is of significance to the teacher as well. Some of the impacts are as follows;
- Is learning taking place?
The teacher has no other most effective way of knowing if the student is learning. Through the measurement data, the teacher can see the student’s progress. From one test to another the teacher can evaluate and track the amount of learning that has taken place.
- Adjustment of instructional methods
Through the analysis of the assessment data, a teacher can see if the current instructional method is working well with the students. If the instructional method is not effective, the teacher adjusts to the most viable method.
- Special student needs.
There are students in the process of teaching and learning who require special attention. It is normal to have students acquiring knowledge at different levels. The teacher will be able to identify them and give them special attention to managing their academic performance.
- Teacher & grade transition
For instance, the teacher transfer to another institution, in the case of death of a teacher or the students have transitioned to the next grade. The receiving teacher will need their assessment data to pick them up efficiently. The new teacher will need to understand the student’s entry behaviour, continuous assessment tests data, end of grade exam data, special case students etc. In this case, the students’ measurement data will be very useful.
How do we measure students learning?
We can be able to measure students learning in the following three methods:
Formative assessment
Interim assessment
Summative assessment
We will look at each of them briefly and identify how they evaluate learning. Merits and demerits will also be observed in details.
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment involves use of various methods to evaluate the student’s mastery prowess. In this case, the teacher does not focus on a single method to measure student learning. In other words, formative assessment is done across the teaching and learning process.. For example, a teacher can use class questions to measure how a certain concept has been understood by the students. Other examples include continuous assessment tests, end of chapter quizzes, random assessment tests, group discussion quizzes etc.
The most outstanding advantage of formative assessment is its ability to make a real-time adjustment to the instructional methods to improve performance. Whenever a teacher identifies that the mode of delivery is not effective, they will change to the most effective instructional method.
Through formative assessment, the learner can identify their strengths and weaknesses. This creates a better sense of responsibility in them. They can work on what they are weak in and improve their academic performance.
Interim assessment
Interim assessment is a form of student assessment that will be used by the teachers to understand where the learners have reached in terms of acquisition of knowledge. This is done periodically across the teaching and learning process. In this case the teacher will use the data to predict future performance of the student. Interim assessment complements formative and summative assessment methods.
Summative assessment
Summative assessment is a type of assessment done at the end of a certain instructional period. The learner is expected to complete certain coursework to be evaluated. Examples of summative assessments include end of the semester, unit, term or year exams. These are broad-based exams that test mastery of large content acquired over a certain period. This method of learning measurement has had its debate because it does not identify the daily academic needs of the learner. In other words, it is not flexible enough to adjust instructional methods through the process of teaching and learning. The learner is not likely to identify their weak areas and work on them through the teaching and learning process.
Conclusion:
As elaborated above, it is very important to measure student learning. Learning is not a one day achievement instead it a process. Therefore there is need to include checks on how the knowledge is being acquired through the methods elaborated above. However one method cannot fully measure learning, there is need to integrate the methods to achieve the most relevant data.
FAQS
- What is formative assessment?
Formative assessment is the use of various measurement techniques to measure student learning across the teaching and learning process.
- What are the best student assessment methods?
Formative and summative methods are commonly used. However they complement each other.
- Why is student measurement important?
It is very important for performance monitoring, instructional method adjustments, planning, and class management etc.