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 .
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 doesn’t. Skills are readily demonstrable. Assessment of
understanding is much more difficult and complex. Skills can be practiced;
understandings cannot.
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
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