TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES OF EVALUATION QUALITIES OF EVALUATION

INTRODUCTION

          The word tool literally means implement for mechanical operations. But in educational Evaluation,tool may be defined as an instrument to collect evidences of the student’s achievement. Achievement Test, Anecdotal Record, cumulative Record, Check list, Rating Scale, Questionnaire, etc are the main tools of Evaluation in Education

Achievement test

As far  as teachers are concerned the most commonly used tool is achievement test. In the evaluation approach, the  term achievement has to be understood in relation to the objectives of instruction that are translated in to behavioural changes. The same learning points might have been learnt by different students at different levels. The teacher is interested in knowing the level of achievement of each student in each of the learning points and evaluates these on the basis of his pre-determined instructional objectives. A test meant for the above purpose is known as an achievement test.

Anecdotal Record

Anecdotal Records are Reports of informal teacher observations regarding his pupils. A Teacher will opportunity to observe certain behaviours of his students during specific occations that reveal their attitude or certain personality traits. This may be either in the class room or out side. This should be recorded soon after the incedent is observed. It should be recorded accurately and objectively. It should have 2 columns, one for the description of the incedent and other for interpretation of  the incedent

Cumulative Record

The Progress in the developmental pattern of each student is recorded cumulatively from period to period in a comprehensive record designed for the purpose. Such a record is known as cumulative record. It will have provision for recording the details of a variety of dimention like physical development,health conditions,level of attainment in various subjects participation in co-curricular.

Check List

The Check List is a simple laundry list typeof device, consisting of a prepared list of items. It easy to construct and easy to use. This is a 2 dimentional chart in which the traits measured are noted in one dimention and the names of the examinies in the other.The results can be recorded by putting tick mark against the item.

Rating Scale.

This tool is a check list but a more sophisticated modification in the check list . We simply record the presence of a particular variable. There is no provision for expressing how much that variable is found. In order to overcome this limitations each trait can be score on any number of convenient point each point representing a particular degree such as good average and poor when it is a three point scale.

Questionnaire

It is a flexible tool for gathering Quantitative information. It is possible to cover various aspects of a broad problem or several problems themselves through the Questionnaire. It is very easy to administer and collect the responses using questionnaire. But in adequate coverage,misinterpretation of questions and individual understanding of respondence are the major limitations of this tool

EVALUATION TECHNIQUES

Testing,Observation, Interview, Case study, Sociometry,Projective Techniques,etc are the major techniques of evaluation in education. Of these testing is quite common. The other techniques are being discussed below

Observation

Continuesly observing in an individual and there by measuring different dimensions of his behavior relevant to the teacher is one of the most effective techniques used for evaluation. There are relevant feature noticed in this behavior should be recorded ask objectively as possible. There are different types of observation,they  are controlled and un controlled observation and participatory and non participatory observation.

Inteview

Here the teacher tries to observe the child’s behavior directly and gather information orally. They see one another,here each other’s voice and understand one another’s language. There are several Types of interview

                   Survey interview are used to gather information,diagnostic interview are used to understand child’s problems,Therapeutic Interviews are used to plan suitable therapy and counseling interviews are used to solve personal,educational or vocational problems.

Case Study

The most reliable method of studying a single child in its totality leads the case study method. In this method, the teacher collects datas relating to the individual’s socio economic status,family conditions,study habbits,health and mental conditions etc.

Case study attempts to synthasise and interpret the data collected from several sources using various methods in order to study the problems of the child.

Sociometry

          It is a method developed by J. L Moreno for assessing social relationships among members in a social group. It will help the teacher to identify stars,Isolates and cliques. Stars are goes who are chosen by many.  Isolates are those who are chosen by no body and clique is a small group who has close relationship exclusively among themselves graphical representation of socio metric is called socio-graph.

Projective Techniques

Abnormal cases whose behaviours are often controlled by the unconscious mind are especially not suspectable to such direct techniques. In such cases, what is possible is to provide the clients with some stimulus that might make them respond in such a way as to project their inner self in an unconscious manner. Then these responses may be interpreted. Eg: Rorscharch Ink Blot Test,Thematic  Apperception Test (TAT) etc are examples of projective Techniques.

Qualities of  a Good Test

Objectivity

Objectivity of a question we mean the definiteness in the answer expected. It can be maintained by pinpointing the specific behavior going to be evaluated determining the expected answer by which this behavior can be tested deciding up on the  scoring procedure and then re –examining the questions in terms of the above aspects.

Objective Basedness

Before setting terms for a test intended for measuring the attainment of learner’s in a particular unit of study the evaluated should think of the objectives and the resulting specifications with which the unit was taught a prepare sufficient number of items suitable to measure the degree of attainment in each of this specifications. This is what is meant by sale that a test should be objective based.

Comprehensiveness

The test should cover the whole syllabus. Due importance should be given to all the relevant learning materials. It should also cover all the anticipated objectives. If these two exist the test may be said to possess comprehensiveness

Validity.

A test is said to be valid if it measure what it intended to measure. Different types of validities are given.

1.    Content Validity  : If the test contents agrees with the course content with regard to the dimensions instructional objectives and subject matter the test may be said to possess content validity.

2.    Predictive Validity :

Predictive Validity:  In  order to make the prediction authentic validity of the prediction test has to be established. This is often done by co-relating the test results with some other external criteria that has already been proved to authoritically predict efficiency . This co-relation is statistically determined  and if the test scores are found to be lightly co-related with external criterian ,the test also will be adjudged as valid

Concurrent validity

Here the test results are compared with some other measures of the same phenomina ( Rating Scale) obtain simultaneously high with Co-relation between the 2 sets of score establishes the validity of the test and hence is known as concurrent validity.

Construct Validity :  The trait is associated with something construct by the tester to represent the traits,that is a ‘construt’. Such a test is critically examined by asking the question how well the test score corresponds to the construct and hence such validity is known as construct validity

Reliability:  

Reliability of a test refers to the degree of consistency with which measures what it is intented to measure. Reliability  is a pre requisite for validity but reliability alone cannot ensure validity. When we considered the relation between reliability and validity in the opposite direction a test with high validity and has to be reliable also.

There are different methods for determining the reliability of a test . In the test retest method a test is administered twise to the same group with a short interval in between. The Scores are labeled and the co-relation Calculated when the co-relation is higher these will be more reliability.

In Parallel or equelleed form method, reliability is determined using 2 equalled form of the same test content here also comparison is made by determining the co-relation between the 2 sets of scores.

In Split half method, the scores of the odd and even items are taken and the co-relation between the 2 sets of scores determining the assumption is that these scores are comparable then we get reliability of the half test using Sphereman. Brown Phrophecy formula we can calculate reliability of full test.

Discriminating Power .

A test should be able to discriminate the respondande namely gifted students,average students nd low achievers on the basis of the phenomina measure

Practicability:  To  Make the practicability of a test setter  should plan about economy of time effort and finance required.

Comparability:  A test  possesses comparability when scores obtained by administering can be interpreted in terms of a common base thar has natural or accepted meaning. There are two methods for establishing the comparability of standard tests. They are making available equivalent forms of a test and making available adequate norms.

Utility:  Utility of a test may be considered as the final master criterion. A test has utility if it provides the test conditions that would facilitate  realization of the purpose for which it is meant. For achieving utility it is essential that the test is constructed in the light of well thought out purpose and its interpretations are used in obtaining desirable results

Swathy. S

Social Science