FACTORS IN CONSTRUCTING EVALUATIVE INSTRUMENTS

 Evaluative instruments are tools used to measure students’ learning, skills,

attitudes, and overall performance. To ensure their reliability, validity, and
fairness, several key factors should be considered when constructing these
instruments. Below is a detailed discussion of each factor.

1. TYPE OF MEASURING INSTRUMENT TO USE

 The type of instrument should align with the learning outcomes and the
domains being assessed (cognitive, affective, psychomotor). Different
types of instruments measure different aspects of learning:
 Objective Tests: Multiple-choice, True/False, Matching, Fill-in-the-Blanks
Best for assessing knowledge, comprehension, and application. Easy to
score and analyze statistically.
 Subjective Tests: Essays, Short-answer questions, Problem-solving
tasks- Useful for assessing higher-order thinking skills (analysis,
synthesis, evaluation).
Require clear rubrics to ensure reliable scoring.
 Performance-Based Assessments: Practical exams, Demonstrations,
Portfolios, Projects
o Assess psychomotor skills and the ability to apply knowledge in
real-world contexts.
o Scoring requires observation checklists or rubrics.
 Affective Assessments: Self-assessments, Peer evaluations, Attitude
surveys Measure values, attitudes, and interpersonal skills. Often use
Likert scales or reflective journals.

2. LENGTH OF INSTRUMENT
 The length of the test should be appropriate for the content covered and
the time allotted. Key considerations include:
 Coverage: Ensure the instrument covers all learning objectives
 Time efficiency: avoid excessively long test that may cause fatigue
 Content- item balance: more questions on important topics, fewer on
less critical ones.

Example: A 1-hour exam could include:

  20 multiple-choice question (40 %)
 2 short essays (30 %)
 1 practical problem-solving item (30%)

3. RANGE OF DIFFICULTY
 A well-constructed instrument should have items of varying difficulty to
differentiate students’ abilities.
 Easy Items (20-30%) – Assess basic knowledge and recall.
 Moderate Items (50-60%) – Assess comprehension and application.
 Difficult Items (10-20%) Challenge higher-order thinking (analysis,
synthesis, evaluation).

Tip: Conduct an item analysis after a pilot test to check for difficulty index and
discrimination unexcluded:

4. TIME LIMITS
 Time limits should be appropriate to the type of assessment and the
cognitive demand of tasks:
 Objective Tests: Short time frames (e.g., 1 minute per multiple-choice
question).
 Essays or Projects: Longer time frames (e.g., 30 minutes for an essay).
 Practical Exams: Time aligned with task complexity (e.g., 20 minutes for
a lab demonstration).
5. OBJECTIVES TO BE ASSESSED
 Each evaluative instrument should be directly aligned with the learning
objectives or goals of the course or unit. The instrument should assess
specific cognitive skills such as knowledge recall, critical thinking,
application, or synthesis, depending on what the educator intends to
measure.
 Cognitive Objectives: Assessing students' knowledge, understanding, and
intellectual skills.
 Affective Objectives: Evaluating attitudes, values, and interests.
 Psychomotor Objectives: Measuring practical skills and application.

By aligning the instrument with the objectives, educators ensure that the
assessment is meaningful and relevant to students' learning.
6. ARRANGEMENT OF ITEMS
 The arrangement of questions within the evaluative instrument should be
logical and organized. This helps students to follow the assessment more
easily and allows for a smoother testing experience.
 Easy to Hard: The instrument should begin with simpler items and
gradually increase in difficulty. This structure helps build confidence and
allows students to warm up before tackling more challenging questions.
 Topic Grouping: Similar questions can be grouped together, particularly
for subjects like social science, where different themes or concepts may be
addressed.

A well-organized test reduces confusion and helps students focus on answering

rather than deciphering the structure.

7. SCORING PROCEDURE
 The scoring procedure must be clear, transparent, and consistent to
ensure fair evaluation of students’ work. There are two main approaches
to scoring:
 Rubric-Based Scoring: Provides clear criteria for evaluating students’
performance on open-ended or subjective items like essays and projects.
Rubrics help ensure consistency and objectivity in grading.
 Point-Based Scoring: Common for multiple-choice and true/false tests,
where each item is worth a set number of points.

The scoring system should reflect the weight and importance of different
sections of the instrument, ensuring that more significant aspects of the course
are weighted accordingly.

8. METHOD OF RECORDING AND REPORTING ASSESSMENT RESULTS

 The method of recording and reporting assessment results should be clear,
concise, and meaningful. This allows both students and educators to
understand performance and areas for improvement.
 Grading Scale: Establish a clear grading scale (e.g., A-F. percentage-
based, or pass/fail) that is aligned with institutional policies.
 Feedback: Providing timely, constructive feedback helps students
understand their strengths and areas for improvement. Feedback can be
 both qualitative (comments, suggestions) and quantitative (scores,
percentages).
 Data Analysis: For large assessments, data analysis tools can help
identify trends in student performance, such as common areas of difficulty.
This can guide future teaching strategies and interventions.

DEVELOPMENT OF ASSESSMENT TOOLS

1. KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING

A. TYPES OF OBJECTIVE TESTS

A) True-False Tests: Simple binary choice questions that assess
students’ ability to recognize accurate or inaccurate statements.
However, these tests may sometimes lack the depth to assess higher-
order thinking.
B) Multiple-Choice Tests: These tests consist of a question followed by
several possible answers, where only one is correct. Multiple-choice
questions are effective for assessing recall, comprehension, and
application, but crafting well-balanced options is critical to avoid
ambiguity.
C) Matching Type: In this format, students match items from two lists.
This type is useful for testing knowledge of related concepts, such as
historical events or geographical locations.
D) Supply Type Items: These include short-answer or fill-in-the-blank
questions that test students’ recall and understanding of key terms or
concepts.

B. PLANNING A TEST AND CONSTRUCTION OF TABLE OF SPECIFICATION

 A Table of Specification (TOS) is a tool used to plan and organize an
assessment. It ensures that the test aligns with learning objectives and
content coverage, balancing the assessment of various topics and
cognitive skills.

Key steps in constructing a TOS:

 1. Identify Learning Objectives: Determine what specific knowledge,
skills, and attitudes should be assessed
2. Content Coverage: Break down the content into different topics or
subtopics and decide how much of the test will cover each area
3. Cognitive Levels: Ensure a balance of cognitive levels (e.g., recall,
comprehension, application, analysis) within the test items.
4. Weighting: Assign appropriate weight to each topic based on its
importance and the time allocated in the curriculum

C. CONSTRUCTING TRUE-FALSE TESTS

Tips For Constructing True-False Tests:

1. Ensure that the statement is unequivocal, without qualifiers like “usually,”

“often,” or “somewhat.”
2. Avoid negative statements that might confuse students (eg., “It is not true
that”
3. Aim for a balance of true and false statements to avoid bias in guessing

D. MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS

1. Question Clarity: Ensure that the stem (the question or prompt) is

clear and unambiguous
2. Plausible Distractors: The incorrect options (distractors) should
be plausible but clearly incorrect upon analysis. Distractors that are
too obvious or unrelated to the stem reduce the test’s effectiveness.
3. Avoid Tricky Items: Refrain from asking questions that are
intended to trick students into selecting the wrong answer
4. Balanced Answer Lengths: Ensure that answers are about the
same length to avoid students guessing based on answer length

E. MATCHING TYPE AND SUPPLY TYPE ITEMS

 1. Matching Type: Typically used to assess students’ ability to connect
related concepts, terms, or ideas. For example, students might match
historical events with dates or philosophers with their respective theories
2. Supply Type: Often used for short-answer or fill-in-the-blank items that
require students to recall specific information. These types of questions
provide insight into students’ ability to retrieve and apply knowledge.

F. ESSAYS

1. Clear Instructions: Provide students with clear instructions about

what you expect in their responses.
2. Focus on Analysis: Craft essay questions that require students to
analyze, synthesize, and interpret the material rather than simply recall
facts.
3. Provide a Rubric: A rubric helps students understand the criteria for
grading and ensures consistent evaluation across all responses.

AUTHENTIC AND ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT METHODS

 Authentic and alternative assessments provide a broader view of students’

abilities by emphasizing real-world application and continuous progress
rather than relying solely on traditional tests. These methods foster critical
thinking, creativity, and the practical use of knowledge. Below is an
exploration of key assessment methods relevant to social science
education.

1. PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT METHODS

 Portfolio assessments are valuable tools for evaluating students’ work over
time, providing insights into their learning processes and growth.

FEATURES AND PRINCIPLES OF PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

1. Comprehensive and Holistic: Portfolios capture a broad range of students’

learning experiences, providing a more complete picture of their capabilities
and progress.
2. Reflection: Portfolios encourage students to reflect on their work,
challenges, and learning strategies, promoting deeper understanding.
3. Student-Centered: Portfolios place students at the center of the
assessment process, allowing them to document their learning journey and
actively engage in self-assessment.
4. Flexible and Dynamic: Portfolios allow for adjustments over time, were
Essential Elements of Portfolio
5. Document Learning: Portfolios serve as a record of a student’s work,
showcasing their progress, achievements, and challenges.
6. Support Reflection: They provide an opportunity for students to reflect on
their learning, identify strengths, and work on areas for improvement.
7. Encourage Self-Assessment: Students can assess their own work and
learning, fostering independence and responsibility.
8. Facilitate Feedback: Portfolios facilitate continuous feedback from both
peers and instructors, which can guide students’ learning and development.

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PORTFOLIO

 Work Samples: These can include essays, projects, reports, tests,

multimedia presentations, or any other form of work that demonstrates
learning.
1. Reflection: Students should provide personal reflections on each work
sample, discussing their learning experiences, challenges, and growth.
2. Self-Assessment: A portion of the portfolio should include a student’s
assessment of their own progress, skills, and achievements.
3. Feedback: Comments from teachers, peers, or external evaluators on the
quality of the work included in the portfolio.
STAGES IN IMPLEMENTING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

1. Planning: Define the objectives of the portfolio, what types of work will be
included, and the criteria for assessment.
2. Collection: Students begin gathering work samples throughout the
course, documenting their learning journey.
3. Reflection: Students periodically reflect on their work, providing insights
into their learning process and progress.
4. Evaluation: The portfolio is reviewed for content, quality, and reflection. It
can be assessed using rubrics or other evaluation methods.
5. Feedback: Provide constructive feedback to students, guiding further
improvement and learning.

TYPES OF PORTFOLIOS

1. Working Portfolio: Focuses on the process of learning and includes

drafts, notes, and other materials that show development over time.
2. Showcase Portfolio: Contains only the final or best work that students
are most proud of, demonstrating their highest level of achievement.
3. Assessment Portfolio: Aimed specifically at assessment, containing
work samples that demonstrate students’ progress in achieving specific
learning outcomes.

ASSESSING AND EVALUATING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

 Evaluating portfolios requires clear criteria and consistent methods.

Common approaches include:
1. Rubrics: Provide a standardized set of expectations and grades for
different components of the portfolio.
2. Holistic Scoring: The overall quality of the portfolio is assessed
rather than evaluating individual items separately.
3. Criteria-Based Assessment: Specific criteria such as content
knowledge, creativity, organization, and depth of reflection are
evaluated.
IMPLICATIONS OF PORTFOLIOS ON SOME ELEMENTS OF SOCIAL
SCIENCES
 Content Mastery: Portfolios allow students to demonstrate a
comprehensive understanding of social science concepts through real-
world applications.