MESE-057

Ans 1: Measurement

refers to the process by which the attributes or dimensions of some physical object are
determined. One exception seems to be in the use of the word measure in determining the IQ of a
person. The phrase, "this test measures IQ" is commonly used. Measuring such things as
attitudes or preferences also applies. However, when we measure, we generally use some
standard instrument to determine how big, tall, heavy, voluminous, hot, cold, fast, or straight
something actually is. Standard instruments refer to physical devices such as rulers, scales,
thermometers, pressure gauges, etc. We measure to obtain information about what is. Such
information may or may not be useful, depending on the accuracy of the instruments we use, and
our skill at using them. There are few such instruments in the social sciences that approach the
validity and reliability .

Assessment

is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal.

Assessment is a broad term that includes testing. A test is a special form of assessment. Tests are
assessments made under contrived circumstances especially so that they may be administered. In
other words, all tests are assessments, but not all assessments are tests. We test at the end of a
lesson or unit. We assess progress at the end of a school year through testing

A test or assessment yields information relative to an objective or goal. In that sense, we test or
assess to determine whether or not an objective or goal has been obtained. Assessment of skill
attainment is rather straightforward. Either the skill exists at some acceptable level or it doesnt.
Skills are readily demonstrable. Assessment of understanding is much more difficult and
complex. Skills can be practiced; understandings cannot.

Evaluation

is perhaps the most complex and least understood of the terms. Inherent in the idea of evaluation
is "value." When we evaluate, what we are doing is engaging in some process that is designed to
provide information that will help us make a judgment about a given situation. Generally, any
evaluation process requires information about the situation in question. A situation is an umbrella
term that takes into account such ideas as objectives, goals, standards, procedures, and so on.
When we evaluate, we are saying that the process will yield information regarding the
worthiness, appropriateness, goodness, validity, legality, etc., of something for which a reliable
measurement or assessment has been made.

To sum up, we measure distance, we assess learning, and we evaluate results in terms of some
set of criteria. These three terms are certainly share some common attributes, but it is useful to
think of them as separate but connected ideas and processes.

Ans 2: Summative Assessment Whats for dessert?

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Assessment can serve many different purposes. Most instructors are familiar with the traditional
way of assessing students, such as by mid-term and final exams (usually using multiple-choice
questions). There is a reason that this type of assessment is so popular it is cost efficient (as in
the example of multiple choice exams), takes a relatively short amount of time to create and
grade, and provides a numerical summary (grade) of how much a student has learned.

The downside of this method is that it does not provide the learner or instructor any feedback on
the learning process that has taken place, only a summative result. This lack of opportunity to
apply new learning and receive formative feedback hinders student ability to learn.

A summative assessment is typically given to children after a specific point in instruction to measure
their understanding of a subject. Some examples of summative assessments include high stakes tests,
standardized state exams, district or interim tests, midterms and final exams. Summative assessments
can also be used to check their mastery of a subject every few weeks or months. Many textbooks
include questions for parents to use for a summative assessment based on the instruction provided.
While summative assessments are important, many people feel that the information gleaned from them
does not occur frequently enough for summative assessments to inform instruction at the classroom
level. This is where formative assessment comes in.

Formative Assessment So, what did you learn today?

Formative assessment is typically embedded within the instructional process. A simplified but perhaps
helpful way to think about formative assessment is that it is given during instruction. Formative
assessment can be used to determine what needs or topics have to be addressed next with a student. A
parent can use a formative assessment to find the gaps between what children have learned and where
they are struggling. A formative assessment not only includes tests and homework but can also be an
interactive process with the students. For example, discussions with children can include letting them
write questions and answers prior to learning a topic. Research shows that descriptive feedback is also a
very valuable component of the formative assessment process. Pointing out to children what specifically
they did well, including links to other resources and specific suggestions for improvement, can help
them reach the next level of learning.

Another type of assessment, known as formative assessment, has a different purpose from
summative assessment. Formative assessments capture learning-in-process in order to identify
gaps, misunderstanding, and evolving understanding before summative assessments. Formative
assessment may take a variety of forms, such as informal questions, practice quizzes, one-minute
papers, and clearest/muddiest point exercises. Formative assessment allows students to practice
skills or test knowledge without the pressures associated with grades.

Diagnostic Assessment: What comes first the chicken or the test?

It might be helpful to think of diagnostic assessment as testing that occurs before instruction. A
diagnostic assessment or pre-assessment often focuses on one area or domain of knowledge. It
can provide educators with information about each students prior knowledge before beginning
instruction. You can use a diagnostic assessment to assist them in developing lesson plans and
providing differentiated instruction to meet childrens needs.

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Ans 3 a): Observation Technique: In marketing and the social sciences, observational research
(or field research) is a social research technique that involves the direct observation of
phenomena in their natural setting. This differentiates it from experimental research in which a
quasi-artificial environment is created to control for spurious factors, and where at least one of
the variables is manipulated as part of the experiment.

Generally, there are three types of observational research:

Covert observational research - The researchers do not identify themselves. Either they mix in with
the subjects undetected, or they observe from a distance. The advantages of this approach are: (1) It is
not necessary to get the subjects cooperation, and (2) The subjects behaviour will not be contaminated
by the presence of the researcher.

Overt observational research - The researchers identify themselves as researchers and explain the
purpose of their observations. The problem with this approach is subjects may modify their behaviour
when they know they are being watched. The advantage that the overt approach has over the covert
approach is that there is no deception.

Researcher Participation - The researcher participates in what they are observing so as to get a finer
appreciation of the phenomena.

Ans 3 b): INTRODUCTION:- The question bank makes available statistically sound questions of known
technical worth and model question papers and thus facilitates selection of proper question for a well
designed to question paper.

A question bank is a planned library of test items designed to fulfill certain predetermined purposes.
Question bank should be prepared with at most care so as to cover the entire prescribed text. Question
bank should be exhaustive and cover entire content with different types. A collection of questions
prepared for a given subject and useful for students and teachers. They are often made available on the
internet.

Question bank should be based on sound ideas, purposes & adapted to the particular objective of mind.
Question bank should be within the range of the students experiences & knowledge.

Ans 3 e): Evaluation is the process of collecting data on a programme to determine its value or worth
with the aim of deciding whether to adopt, reject, or revise the programme The developer or planner
wants to know how to improve the curriculum product. The public want to know whether the
curriculum implemented has achieved its aims and objectives Teachers want to know whether what
they are doing in the classroom is effective

Curriculum evaluation should be concerned with assessing the value of a program of study and a
course of study a field of study

Worthen and Sanders (1987) define curriculum evaluation as the formal determination of the quality,
effectiveness, or value of a programme, product, project, process, objective, or curriculum

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Ornstein and Hunkins (1998) define curriculum evaluation as a process or cluster of processes that
people perform in order to gather data that will enable them to decide whether to accept, change, or
eliminate something- the curriculum in general or an educational textbook in particular

Ans 3 f): A sociogram is a graphic representation of social links that a person has. It is a graph drawing
that plots the structure of interpersonal relations in a group situation.

Sociograms were developed by Jacob L. Moreno to analyze choices or preferences within a

group. They can diagram the structure and patterns of group interactions. A sociogram can be
drawn on the basis of many different criteria: Social relations, channels of influence, lines of
communication etc.

Moreno's sociograms

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

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4th Grade

Ans 4: The Blueprint for Reform is designed to meet the needs of students while accomplishing
objectives that teachers have been concerned about for a long time.

Respecting Teachers as the Professionals They Are

Our Challenge: We all know that not all teachers are alike, nor should they be. Yet, for too
long, many educators have been treated like cogs in the system, interchangeably generic
employees whose strengths and contributions go largely unnoticed. Unlike evaluations in other
professions, teacher performance reviews don't provide meaningful feedback, and they have little
to no impact on your professional development. Furthermore, the most effective teachers are
generally not rewarded for doing a great job or for taking on greater responsibilities.

The Blueprint's New Direction:

Recognizing the Importance of Teachers. The Blueprint is based on two principles that we all
know are true: 1) Great teachers matter; and 2) Not all teachers are equally effective.

Under this plan, teachers are recognized and supported as unique professionals. Principals and
other school leaders will take the time (and they should be given the training) to evaluate
teachers comprehensively and fairly based on individual performance. The plan proposes that
evaluations be based on multiple measures, acknowledge successes, provide meaningful
feedback, inform staff development and staffing decisions, offer teachers more responsibility,
and compensate them more reasonably. Teachers deserve to be evaluated fairly and paid for the
hard work they do.

Broadening the Curriculum

Our Challenge: No Child Left Behind's focus on Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) has put
history, the arts, and other critical subjects on the back burner. Schools spend far too much time
on tests and not enough on lessons that foster engagement, critical thinking, and a well-rounded
education.

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The Blueprint's New Direction:

Better Assessments. The Department is investing heavily in support for states to develop better
assessments that measure complex skills, ensuring that students are gaining the knowledge and
skills they need in the real worldnot just filling in bubbles. New assessments may include
performance items, such as portfolios and projects. States are encouraged to work with a
coalition of state colleges and universities to create standards that are fair and to ensure that
students who meet them have the skills to succeed in college and careers.

Painting With a Broad Brush. The effect of the Blueprint will be to broaden what teachers
teach, not limit it. Because most schools will have relief from the relentless emphasis on year-to-
year test scores, teachers and principals will be able to focus on ensuring a high-quality
education for every student, including long-neglected subjects like art and foreign languages.
The Blueprint also will provide funding to support high-quality instruction in these subjects,
especially in our highest-need schools. Finally, because states will have the flexibility to include
a range of academic subjects in their accountability systems, teachers of these subjects will no
longer feel ignored.

Using Data the Right Way

Our Challenge: Teachers can speak for hours about the misuse of testing data: requiring all
students to be on the same level all at once, labeling schools and teachers as failures even if
scores are growing, using scores as the sole measurement of success, and teaching to the test.

The Blueprint's New Direction:

Focus on Growth. The Blueprint for Reform encourages schools to use data in fundamentally
different ways. Schools are measured not only by achievement level but also by growth. Under
this plan, if a teacher helps a fifth-grade student's reading to move from a second-grade to a
fourth-grade level, he or she is not labeled as a failure but as a model for others to emulate. And
progress over time will matterone bad year will no longer cause a school to be identified as
"failing" because data from several years are reviewed to determine how a school is doing.

Empowering Teachers and Schools

Our Challenge: While NCLB helped schools to focus on specific student groups, its emphasis
was more on punishing than empowering. An effect of the program was that teachers and school
leaders lived in fear of not measuring up on a few key tests and of being reprimanded and labeled
as failures (or even closed) if students did not score well on tests. If they were identified as
"failing," they had no real choices for fixing their plan because the federal government
prescribed only one track"one size fits all."

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The Blueprint's New Direction:

More Funds to Reach High Goals. The Blueprint takes a much more positive and empowering
position on student achievement. The plan encourages states to adopt rigorous goals for student
performance and rewards and provides incentives for accomplishing those goals and for showing
progress. What's more, districts interested in reform can compete for additional fundingbeyond
what they currently receive through regular (formula) programsto achieve their goals through
grant programs, such as Race to the Top, Promise Neighborhoods, and Investing in Innovation.

Fewer Restrictions About How to Get There. In the past, schools not making AYP were
required to follow prescribed programs, but the Blueprint strategy is more fluid, offering school
systems an array of local choices and control. While maintaining a high bar for accountability, it
recognizes that what works in a rural school, for example, may not work in urban areas or other
regions.

Making a Bold Case for Reform

Our Challenge: There have been so many reforms proposed over the last few decades that
teachers may feel at times like they are just going through the latest motions, checking off the
latest "to do" items on an agenda that merely patches problems in education without a clear sense
of purpose or direction.

The Blueprint's New Direction:

A World-Class Education. The president's reform agenda calls on teachers to take even more
bold and courageous steps to completely transform what we offer students in this country so that
all have equal access to a quality education. Others may see the goal of preparing every student
for college or career as pie in the sky, but President Obama believes that education is a great
equalizer. Skeptics say we must first solve our country's economic problems, but the president
knows that we have to educate ourselves into economic security.

What teachers say they like most about the Blueprint is that it asks them to deeply examine their
practice and to be willing to improve it to meet the needs of students today. The Blueprint
challenges us all to live what we believethat all students can learn and that they are all worth
our investment.

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