“My Personal Philosophy of Assessment”

“My Personal Philosophy of Assessment”

by vmbacasmot

Being a teacher, assessment has been a big part in my teaching process. It gave me the chance to gauge my students’ progress in learning. Through the process of assessment, it showed me the progress of the students’ achievement. It showed the importance of learning by giving them focus and deep understanding of the subject matter and most importantly, assessment helps in the retention of a subject which in turn will be vital in future learning of advance subjects.

Remember, assessment is not just a requirement that every educator must use as mandated by their educational system. It is not just a means for them to grade their students work and to have a concrete proof of their performance inside a classroom. But,  it would always provide a deeper meaning and significance!

Beyond the grades to show their parents, assessment reveals a deep action where students begins to engage their learning process and starts to evaluate on their own if their work is of quality or not. A significant tool that assessment gives to the students is the process of making every work meaningful by making quality work. I believe that through assessment, students become critical on their work and strive to improve more. For them, it is not just the output of the work that a teacher grades but the amount of time and effort a student used to have a quality work.

“Crash course on giving grades”

by vmbacasmot

An excerpt from the essay by Quinn, T. (2011). Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4) 57-59.

Grades do a sufficient job of telling students how well their rank works in comparison with their classroom peers. But they fail to tell students what they actually might have failed at doing. The author promotes trying new ways to communicating grades to students that would be more helpful to students by telling them which particular skills they need work on and which are strong already. Most importantly, the author says, a new manner of grading could actually shift the focus from the end result to the learning process.

Grades. Almost no one likes them. Most students deplore them, many teachers hate giving them, and I haven’t met one teacher who enjoys the process of determining them. In fact, “grading” is often the bane of a teacher’s existence. Yet, it must be done—at least until we have a major shift in educational philosophy. Nonetheless, grades can be important and useful. Ideally, grades give students constructive feedback on how they performed on an assessment, and, on a societal level, one can argue that we need grades so we can categorize students before we send them to appropriate colleges and hire them for appropriate jobs.

This essay, however, is not about “grading,” it is about the physical act of giving grades. Sure, we all agree that “teachers don’t give grades; students earn them.” Yet, while this adage is correct in spirit, literally, it is untrue. Teachers do, in fact, physically hand students tests, quizzes, and essays, with grades on them. The very manner in which grades are presented or given to students can hold significant implications for a student’s ability to learn from an assessment and the feedback provide. Hence, the manner in which grades are presented is essential to assuring that a teacher assesses not just the learning, but also and perhaps more importantly, provides assessments for learning (Stiggings, 2002).

Unfortunately, grades frequently become the sole focus of a student’s education—often because they’re the sole focus of parents who assume, correctly in many cases, that they’re a primary focus of college admission offices. With so much emphasis on grades students, parents, and even teachers may become unaware of the actual student learning that may or may not be happening. A strong indication that we need not only to concentrate on grades, but not to overlooked the importance of self-monitoring students’ improvements.

 In my class “Speech I” most of the time they ask the equivalency of their performance (writing and oral presentation skills/performance) through the traditional way of numeric and alphabetic grades which in my case is the same old routine. But, new approaches can be used like the rubrics are “powerful tools for both teaching and assessment that can improve student performance, as well as monitor it by making teachers’ expectations clear and by showing students how to meet this expectations” (Andrade, H. G.) which I first experienced here in UPOU (University of the Philippines Open University) on how my teachers assess our learning, and especially a big convenience in my part assessing my students from their authentic learning tasks.

Added ideas from my own experiences on giving grades, with the birth of “American Idol,” –a reality singing competition and the concept of the series is to find new solo recording artists where the winner is determined by the viewers, and series employs a panel of judges who critique the contestants’ performances — in the case of my students they are all winners (not only putting their efforts in grades, also enhancing and gaining more from their performance), not only the teacher who gives scores, but can also be judged by self and peer assessment because it encourages the learning process. Adapting the process made “anew” perspective in giving grades to students, assessed also by constructive criticism (helpful feedback that would increase improvements).

Example and assuming your students are your employees, you, the teacher as their boss. Here are 5 Steps to Providing Good Constructive Criticism extracted from instigator.blog by Ben Yoskovitz as follows:

1.     Plan before you do it. Make sure you know what you want to say, and why. Have a clear path through the discussion. Leave room for questions and dialogue. Keep the conversation open and flexible, but make sure you plan to get your key points across.

 2.     Build the person up. Before you get to the criticism itself, focus on positives. Highlight some of the good work the person has done recently, goals that were met or surpassed. Emphasize positive, solid qualities that the person brings to the table. This isn’t about over-inflating egos or setting a person up for a fall; it’s about making sure the person understands they are valued and important, even if the next thing you’ll be doing is pointing out some problems.

 3.     Provide clear criticism. Now it’s time to bring your concerns to the table. Do it as concisely as possible. And as clearly as possible. Don’t waffle around. Get to the point. Your approach will differ depending on the person you’re speaking to; some would rather you spit it out, others require a slightly more delicate approach. Still, it’s best to make sure your criticisms are as clear as you can possibly make them. Otherwise it makes it difficult to set a clear path towards improvement.

 4.     Build the person up again. Focus on solutions. Focus on re-emphasizing the positive, while keeping an eye on what needs to be done to improve. Open it up for discussion…“What do you think of my assessment?” Or “What do you think of your recent performance?” The goal at the end of a session like this is to leave the employee understanding the problems, and having a path towards resolving them, without feeling like crap.

 5.     Follow up. This exercise should never be undertaken without follow up. It may be another meeting scheduled with the employee. It may be an impromptu session, where you review the progress made. If the person knows there’s follow up, they’re going to feel more confident that the criticism isn’t hanging over they’re heads forever. It’s not a permanent dark cloud. Follow up can erase constructive criticism, if the person has improved and met goals. Always follow up. Even if it’s a quick compliment on a job well-done and not a formal second review. Follow up.

On actual presentation of their speeches through constructive criticism (also preserved notes/feedback written by the teacher in their scripts or piece) may be of best used, and putting the given grade in your class record not at least they are well-informed, first on their skills and how to enrich themselves.

As time goes by the asking of grades shifts to asking themselves on how they have improved as learners, and final outcome the grades —reiterating, not the sole of a student’s education.

For the past two years, every 1^st Semester I have the above subject developing students oral presentation skills and as well as the writings of their piece (Speeches). Before, I’m having a hard time assessing my students individually which it takes a lot of patience likewise time-consuming, but it helped me a lot, that is, meaningful in my teaching profession!

For us teachers, there is always a room for realigning and refining our lessons through the right kind of assessment eventually will give us the final grade that our students ought to have and for the betterment of oneself.

 

References:

Andrade, H.G. Understanding Rubrics. Retrieved from http://www.jcu.edu/academic/planassess/pdf/Assessment%20Resources/Rubrics/Other%20eRubric%20Development%20Resources/rubric.pdf

Quinn, T. (2011). A Crash Course on Giving Grades. Phi Delta Kappan, 93(4), 57-59. Retrieved from http://www.questia.com/library/1g1-282444033/a-crash-course-on-giving-grades-tell-students

Stiggins, R. (2002). Assessment Crisis: The absence of assessment for learning. Phi Delta Kappan, 83 (10), 758-765.

Wikipedia.  American Idol. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol

Yoskovitz, B. (2006). 5 Steps to Providing Good Constructive Criticism. Retrieved from  http://www.instigatorblog.com/5-steps-to-providing-good-constructive-criticism/2006/10/03/

” Assessment FOR Learning “

by: vmbacasmot

Today is finals week in my school (the whole university) through Traditional Assessment (TA) from “forced-choice measures of multiple choice tests, fill-in-the-blanks, true or false, matching and the like that have been and remain so common in education” (Mueller, 2012) to meet not only the standards of the school but to reach their goals as learners.

And, some teachers including myself had given students the Authentic Assessment (AA) which Jon Mueller had stated that “to perform real-world tasks that demonstrates meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills”, early on before taking the final exam.

Last year in my “Listening and Speaking 2” subject which I don’t have yet a formal education in assessment. I remember the Academic Committee and one of its officers had asked us to make a final exam from the scheduled test which most of that time we don’t give written final exams (indirect evidence) as to traditional assessment. We give listening and oral finals (direct evidence) which is authentic assessment (Performance assessment, Alternative Assessment, Direct Assessment others may call it) in its nature.

From this instance, I didn’t quite understand why I have to make a traditional assessment if it is performance-based assessment? Now I do realized what the above officer wants to imply and consider the approach in assessment that is meant to be. Meaning traditional assessment correlates with authentic assessment that I may amalgamate that will necessitate in assessing my students.

From the start of the class until the above finals week, the uses and its purposes let us to rethink what meant by assessment.

The outcome from this gathered information thus give vital evidence through which “assessment as learning” gave students facts from them to self-evaluate as well as “to make adjustments, adaptations, and even major changes in what they understand” (Earl, 2006).

Assessment is clearly not estimation of learning, but to catalyze every learner to be active in learning more with the addendum of “assessment for learning” (assessing students on what to do next in their learning to gain more). We also need to take note that we need to balance the extracted key differences of assessment FOR learning as historically referred to formative assessment from the article “Assessment FOR Learning DEFINED” by Rick Stiggins as follows:

Formative Assessment	Assessment FOR learning
is about more frequent providing teachers with evidence tells users who is and is not meeting state standards	is about continuous is about informing students about themselves tell them what progress each student is making toward meeting each standard (while learning is happening)

The old times who passed and failed is ok. We were assessed to be ranked. The only concern before when assessing is to show who excel more and students who failed is heavily ignored. But, today “must be revised to permit all students to succeed, at least at some level” (Stiggins, 2005).

I’m inside a classroom with a co-teacher (Thai) of mine proctoring students from another department who are taking the final test (Summative Assessment) an “assessment of learning” from their 4 month journey on what they’ve learned in a specific subject that is to know “which students have reached the top of the scaffolding” where Rick Stiggins had explicitly expressed.

I was wondering and observing how they deal with their exams. Some are very serious, others trying to get the attention of their classmate just to get an answer, also a few students finished the test within 20 minutes from a two-hour scheduled exam and all sort of things that the students are experiencing. I can’t blame them for being like that. I don’t know how they were assessed. I was being reflective using the things I’ve learned from this course and if I were their teacher, I will encourage them and be well inform that assessment can be a learning tool and a way to increase achievements. That’s just me. Hopefully they can pass it and are aiming high in achieving things.

Furthermore, learning doesn’t stop there and assessment for learning will further endure its purpose may it be next semester S.Y. 2013-2014, come midterms and finals a continuous approach in assessing our students’ improvement as to augment their success while learning.

Cited sources:

Earl, L. (2006). Webcast on “Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind.” Curriculum Services Canada. Retrieved at http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/april27.shtml

Mueller, J. (2012). Authentic Assessment Toolbox. Retrieved at http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/index.htm

Stiggins, R. (2005). Assessment For Learning Defined. Retrieved at http://ati.pearson.com/downloads/afldefined.pdf

” Rethinking Classroom Assessment with Purpose in Mind “

By: vmbacasmot

Second Semester, S.Y. 2012-2013 has come to close and finals is fast approaching for my 1^st year students in my subject “Communicative English I”. I hope that they can answer the exam with all confidence that it would be a benefit for their future.

Well it is not easy to teach 65 Thai students without the right kind of assessment. Is it only pencil and paper tests that we can say that they are learning? That is, what I fear before. What if I can’t pass or maybe just to pass it, but deep inside I know I have learned something and may apply it to my life.

When it comes to classroom assessment as their teacher, have I asked myself, where are they right now? Am I reflective enough in answering this question? Does it serve my purpose?

In my own little way of expressing assessment thus serves our purpose which may lead to the way on how I teach, and how it can be a tool for learning. A lot of things went to my mind based from my experience with the above class that I have as to:

• know student’s capabilities on how they learn
• look for their strengths and weaknesses
• find things that motivates them in learning
• know how they handle/overcome difficulties in learning
• give consideration (on why students gaining/not gaining from their learning)
• make them self-enduring students
• give rewards (as motivation/reinforcement)
• give enlightenment to students
• learn from them
• know when they have learned things

Now having said that, I could reflect more and these would further enhance my abilities in teaching and using assessment as a learning tool, but where did assessment first all started?

Upon viewing the provided webcast and according to Dr. Earl that history will show us that assessment from the time of Plato through conversations, from performance, moving from rural areas to cities, barter to monetary system, through designing that supports us to ensure, to acculturate, to bring community together, supporting and collecting in deciding who gets more. Using tests, exams, projects, report cards until to the certain point of having “High Quality Education for All” that it is no longer decides who gets more, but an assessment that takes a different route to be able to move forward, well a life time of achievements!

Achievements are reached through overtime of continuous learning and this is the time where assessments are most valued / used with the purposes in mind.

In connection to the Dr. Earl’s symbolic meaning of “Pyramid” built with a solid foundation of assessment like blocks of goal, use, purpose, evidence, outcome, decision point from the developmental stages to learning continuum. This helps us to rethink assessment not only giving marks, standardized tests, etc., but a tool for learning to us teachers and especially our learners. This gives a better understanding of the purposes of assessment. The excerpted purposes from http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/files/April27Guide.pdf as follows:

• Assessment FOR Learning: formative assessment that occurs during instruction to be used in the service of the next stage of learning.

• Assessment AS Learning: assessment that occurs when students personally monitor what they are learning and use the feedback from this monitoring to make adjustments, adaptations, and even major changes in what they understand.

• Assessment OF Learning: summative assessment designed to certify learning and report to parents and students about their progress in school.

assessmenttriangleFINAL.pfd  assessmenttriangleFINAL.pdf

 

The following adapted representation is not to disregard the above illustration “The Pyramid of Assessment”, but a way on how I can understand more its significance of the purposes that is:

• Assessment as learning

The base foundation is where the typical developmental stage of a student (with preconceive knowledge) from the start of the class, assessing them through various types of the right kind of assessment to the learning continuum that helps them to self-assess and self-monitoring students. As the learning goes with a solid foundation, we teachers look for answers that may unlock the barriers in learning as well as make them self-regulated learners.

For instance, in my class they have some difficulties in using some “expressions used” in English when communicating. Example of expressions used excerpted from the book of Kathy Gude, Oxford University Press, “Advance Listening and Speaking” when expressing personal preferences p.17:

• I’d much rather (do)….than…
• I could never do / be ….. but I really enjoy…..
• There’s no comparison between …… and…..
• I’d prefer……. to ……
• I’d be far happier doing….. than……
• Give me ……any time!

Also asking the questions:

1. Which expression sounds as if it is simply contrasting one thing with another but is actually denoting a very strong preference?
2. Which expression is more colloquial and would be used in an informal conversation?

Because of this situation, I don’t intend to make them memorize those “used expressions” only, but use them with feelings in a fitted situation. From gestures to facial expressions and in the long run I see them using (expressions used) in other topics. Sometimes when they have encountered these and their preconceive notions are challenged with new knowledge well I should be aware of that experience can change those information in a more learning experience, an assessment as learning.

• Assessment for learning

After laying out some examples in “expressions used” in English well it doesn’t stop there. While/after students are performing (formative assessment), you need to give feedback and maybe giving suggestions for them to absorb and express more on those expressions used, a learning concept while collecting them (evidence) would help us to know what the next move will be an assessment for learning.

 

• Assessment of learning

This purpose gives us awareness of our student’s growth as a learner. Evidence (running records, observation, worksheets, questioning in class, etc.) that is used to make decisions (decision point) that will answer, where are our students now?

Assessment helps to build a foundation (as a learning tool), collecting evidence with the purposes in mind that may improve the learning of each individual student and through these would be an achievement that we ought to have not only an assessment in gaining to have high marks, but a learning that assessment creates.

References:  

Earl, L. & Katz, S. (2006) Webcast on “Rethinking classroom assessment with purpose in mind.” Curriculum Services Canada. Available http://www.curriculum.org/secretariat/april27.shtml

Earl, L. The Pyramid of Assessment. Available at http://www.hpedsb.on.ca/ec/services/cst/documents/assessmenttriangleFINAL.pdf

Gallagher, A.(2012). Rethinking Assessment for Learning. Available at file:///E:/UP%20EDS%20113/Feb.%203%20-%20Feb.%207,%202013/Innovate,%20Create,%20Educate%20%20Rethinking%20Assessment%20for%20Learning.htm

Gude, K. Oxford University Press (1999). Advanced Listening and Speaking. Module1C/D-Jobs and Training, p. 17 – Expressing Personal Preferences.

Viewing and Discussion Guide. “Rethinking Classroom Assessment with the Purpose in Mind. Retrieved at http://resources.curriculum.org/secretariat/files/April27Guide.pdf

Reflective Log #1: “Usefulness of Informal Assessment (versus Formal Assessment)”

by: Von Michaelo Bacasmot

In my journey being an ESL teacher, my best useful tool in assessing my students is through informal assessment “that is content and performance driven (as opposed to formal assessment that is data driven)” (Weaver, 2006).

mrstrenthamsthirdgrade.blog.

At the moment, I’m teaching “Public Speaking I”, which most of the time my students prepares their speeches that I will be assessing on how they use their oral presentation skills (performance driven). It is most likely that presenting speeches needs assessment techniques or methods used (informal assessment). Speeches are “unstructured methods frequently are somewhat more difficult to score and evaluate, but they can provide a great deal of valuable information about the skills of the children” (Navarete, Wilde, Nelson, Martínez, & Hargett). Another thing is, structured methods can be a helpful technique when knowing how proficient on their presented speeches through “rating scales is an assessment technique often associated with observations……with each elements may be rated on a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 representing the highest level of proficiency” (Navarete, Wilde, Nelson, Martínez, & Hargett).

Informal Assessment is also “used to make judgements” (Morrison, 2008). In my class not only their presentation skills are being judge but also how they write their “piece” where it is about the content of the speech (content driven). Are their writings have used correct grammar? Is it interesting? Are there any facts that will support their presented topic, and all sorts of questions that need to be evaluated?

For me, it is not only valuable, but also “another route to develop your own informal assessment” (Forlizzi, 2004). Informal in its nature meaning it suggests us to use “at anytime without interfering with instructional time” (Navarete, Wilde, Nelson, Martínez, & Hargett). In short I can readily use it, instant assessment!

Informal assessment is valued when we ought to find our students’ individual strengths and weaknesses instead of evaluating and comparing them as a whole (formal assessment).

In the halls of academe, still formal assessment is most valued but informal assessment as a remedy.

Now from the things that I had mentioned, it is a necessity to reflect and connect on how you assess your students to your own way of teaching. While things may not go on smooth in a class at least you know where to look onto. Meaning assessment helps us to be informed in many ways. Know how’s and do’s, may it be formal and informal assessing effectively in facilitating teaching-learning.

Bear in mind, “the term reflective teaching has come to signify a movement in teacher education, in which student teachers or working teachers analyze their own practice and its underlying basis, and then consider alternative means for achieving their ends, and the use of the term reflection in the context of instruction can be interpreted in the sense of thoughtful consideration, as well as in the sense of mirroring, symbolizing or representing” (Pennington, 1992) see Bailey, 1997).

Citations:

Bailey, K.M., (1997). Reflective Teaching: Situating Our Stories. Asian Journal of English Language Teaching Vol. 7, 1997, pp. 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/ajelt/vol7/art1.htm

Forlizzi, L., (2004). Informal assessment: The Basics. Retrieved from http://aded.tiu11.org/disted/FamLitAdminSite/fn04assessinformal.pdf

Morrison, G.,(2008). Informal Methods of Assessment. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/informal-methods-assessment/

Navarete, C., et al. Informal Assessment In Educational Evaluation. Retrieved from http://www.finchpark.com/courses/assess/informal.htm

Pennington, M. C. (1992). Reflecting on teaching and learning: A developmental focus for the second language classroom.  In J. Flowerdew, M. Brock, & S. Hsia (Eds.) Perspectives on Second Language Teacher Education (pp. 47-65). Hong Kong: City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.

Weaver, B.,(2006).  Formal versus Informal Assessments. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/formal-versus-informal-assessments

Assignment #1: Understanding Assessment

by: vmbacasmot

Glossary of Terms under ASSESSMENT

Assessment – It is the way of gathering information of observable performance of the student’s/ teacher’s development and achievement in order to improve teaching and learning.

Example: Students who’ve done something in class might give you feedback about his learning level and getting the result of teacher’s teaching ability.

Reliability – It is about the consistency or stable result of student’s knowledge in a repeatable process.

In short, it is the repeatability of your measurement. A measure is considered reliable if a person’s score on the same test given twice is similar. It is important to remember that reliability is not measured, it is estimated.

Example: It is considered reliable of the person’s score on similar test given twice and getting the same result. If you create a test to your student you should expect that if the student will answer the items correctly, he or she will also get the same correct answer again.

Validity–   It measures the accuracy of the results but does not require knowledge or skills that are irrelevant to what is actually being assessed.

Example: Someone could do the same performance repeatedly and get the similar results, but there is no assurance if they are correct. This would be reliable, but not valid.

Fairness- this is to do the assessment fairly or equally having no discrimination. They have all the right to demonstrate their skills and performance for the assessment.

Students are assessed using methods and procedures most appropriate to them.

Example: The teacher has to do the right assessment for his students, who have put in the effort to learn the material.

Summative assessment– It is a formal way of testing the student’s know and do not know in the previously learned of study. It is usually given in the end or after the instruction every week, end of the quarter, during the middle of the year and as final so, you can get the exact grade of the students you assessed.

Example: Giving them weekly test, unit tests, mid-term test, quarterly test, and final test in the end of instruction.

Formative assessment– it is an informal way of assessing student’s performance and not as easy as summative because it has no exact grade unlike in summative.

Example: It’s not easy to give grade for the projects created by the students because it takes consideration of the teacher’s opinion.

Norm- referencing– It is the process of evaluating which allows the comparison of student’s achievement to others on the basis of their ranking within his age group. This will classify students according to its level whether high or low achievers.

Example: Standardized examinations such as the SAT which goal is to rank the set of examinees so that it can make a decision about their opportunity for success in college.

Criterion –referencing– what test takers can do and what they know, not how they compare to other. These results are usually “pass” or “fail” and are used in making decisions about job entry, certification, or licensure.

Example: Taking the teachers board, driving test, medical examination, etc may usually result pass or fail.

Ipsative assessment- It is measuring the previous performance against the prior performance of a person being assessed to determine whether he is doing better than he has before without necessarily promoting competition amongst students to better each other. This having the options and pick the one that is most preferred. This will give them a challenge to do better and to enhance motivation to learn.

Example: It’s like playing computer games. This will give encouragement to beat their previous scores. Likewise in student’s previous grade in school with less effort, motivation or progress may end up with better grade.

Grading– process of giving student score for their performance on their projects. This will show how well a student has learned a subject and where she continues to struggle in the learning.

Formal assessment– this is to know how much a student improved during the instructional period. They have standard way of managing the tests as well as having a formal way of grading.

Example: exams, diagnostic test, cumulative test, periodical test, achievement tests, etc.

Informal assessment– it is measuring the individual performance by just simply observing their behavior without using any formal test or scoring patterns.

Example: Presentation, debate, speech, projects, homework, oral participation and experiment.

Alternative assessment– modern way of assessing which provides students with giving more chance to learn, using assessments to guide future instruction, giving the students with feedback in order to enhance learning, and to emphasize  what is important. This can emphasize the combination of writing and speaking skills. In short more authentic and challenging.

Example: ability to present with graphs, diagrams, charts, tables, report experimental results

Traditional assessment- old- fashioned of assessing that usually involves the use of tests, quizzes, and daily homework as the means for grading but does not allow learners to focus on critical reasoning skills .Most of the questions are more on procedural and encourage rote learning.

Example: Multiple choice test

Overall, assessment is a way to know, ensure and validates the means of learning and teaching. Lifelong learning!

“Current Personal Perspectives”

by: Von Michaelo Bacasmot

While I was reading books regarding the term assessment, I came across an article which gave me a personal idea of what assessment should be and not just any tool for testing students’ competency:

“Assessment in this spirit does not concern assignment of grades or evaluation of whether instruction was effective. Its assessment designed squarely to feed into the learning process and make the learning stronger.”

David N. Perkins

Making Learning Whole: How Seven Principles of Teaching Can Transform Education

This article gave me a new perspective regarding the significance of assessment. It showed me that assessment is not just a tool to gauge the academic performance of students instead it gives an idea that any lessons learned can be enhanced by the learner through the use of a structured tool. Through these tools, the learner develops not only their critical thinking skills but more so it boosts confidence to answer questions with clarity and certainty and improves self-esteem while answering them. Likewise, assessment helps internalize the value of the lesson learned in a real-life situation. Assessment encompasses both the intellectual and emotional capabilities of students and will help them have a better standard in life.

In my own views, I say that assessment plays a vital role in the teaching–learning process inside a classroom setting. For one, it can detect the strengths and weaknesses of each student. It can determine what course of action to take to enhance the achievers and help under achievers attain a decent grade. All in all, assessment can help students to blossom in time and be a better, and in some way, prepare their way to a better future.

In education, the goals and purpose of teachers are to safeguard; educate and motivate students; to improve their well-being; and to show and develop their hidden potential. These functions are embodied by assessment. Assessment makes students be focused on the goal at hand and drives them to learn with passion and enthusiasm.

In my opinion, assessment is essential and should always be part of the learning process of students. Some educators say that assessment is a means to determine whether a student will pass or fail in a given subject. For me, it’s more than that. Assessment administered in the right time can spell the difference. Through the proper use of assessment, a student can understand fully the lesson and it could be part of his/her stock knowledge. Likewise, the right administration of assessments will lessen the mentality of students to just memorize for the sake of having good grades and tend to forget after its use.