Category: Module 1

Assessment literacy is essential for teachers

I started as a university teacher and eventually became a trainer in a corporation. Though academe and corporate are two different settings, my goal is the same : to impart knowledge and make sure that this knowledge is truly understood and applied.

Easier said, isn’t it?

Fresh from my bachelor’s degree, I embarked on a journey that I was clueless at first. All I know is that, I have to teach different subjects to diverse students at a given set of time. It is more of a job than a vocation. I only learned of teaching methods and techniques as  I perform them in class. I only met Benjamin Bloom as I create syllabi for my subjects. I only discovered that curriculum, instruction,  and assessment are close ties as I prepare exams for my students. For the most part, I performed my “job” based on my personal experiences, from the way my former teachers handled our class, to the type of assessment my learning has been measured.

I am not an Education graduate, I don’t’ know anything about its principles. I realized then the importance of literacy in teaching, and how education concepts affect teaching and learning.

It is true that instruction methods play a vital role in the learning process, but how can we measure its effectiveness? How do we know if the students are learning the things that they are supposed to learn? Assessment is a tool in determining the answers.

What is Assessment?

  • Assessment is the process of documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs, usually in measurable terms. The goal of assessment is to make improvements, as opposed to simply being judged. In an educational context, assessment is the process of describing, collecting, recording, scoring, and interpreting information about learning. (“Differences between Testing, Assessment, and Evaluation”, http://tutorials.istudy.psu.edu/testing/testing2.html)
  • In the context of institutional accountability, assessments are undertaken to determine the principal’s performance, effectiveness of schools, etc. In the context of school reform, assessment is an essential tool for evaluating the effectiveness of changes in the teaching-learning process. (“Assessment Terminology: A Glossary of Useful Terms”, http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/assess/terminology.htm)
  • Assessment is an integral part of instruction, as it determines whether or not the goals of education are being met. Assessment affects decisions about grades, placement, advancement, instructional needs, curriculum, and, in some cases, funding (Why Is Assessment Important?, https://www.edutopia.org/assessment-guide-importance)


What is Assessment literacy?

With the greater role of assessment in education, I believe that assessment literacy is essential for teachers. Assessment literacy is the possession of knowledge about the basic principles of sound assessment practice, including terminology, the development and use of assessment methodologies and techniques, familiarity with standards of quality in assessment. Increasingly, familiarity with alternatives to traditional measurements of learning. (Assessment Terminology: A Glossary of Useful Terms”, http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/assess/terminology.htm)

But Assessment is not limited to knowing students learning.

Assessment literacy is a term which was first coined by Richard Stiggins (1991). He notes that educators with assessment literacy know what they assess, why they assess, how to assess, what the possible problems with assessment are, and how to prevent them from occurring.

Norman Webb (2002) says that Assessment Literacy is defined as the knowledge about how to assess what students know and can do, interpret the results of these assessments, and apply these results to improve student learning and program effectiveness.”

According to Stiggins (2002), these are the teacher competences for assessment:

  • Connecting assessments to clear purposes
  • Clarifying achievement expectations
  • Applying proper assessment methods
  • Developing quality assessment exercises scoring criteria and appropriate sampling
  • Avoiding bias in assessment
  • Communicating effectively about student achievement
  • Using assessment as an instructional intervention

Klenowski (2011) argues that ‘to raise the assessment literacy of teachers there is a need to understand, and practice, the fundamental principles of assessment design’, including fitness for purpose and positive contribution to learning’.

We need assessment literate teachers

Assessment literacy is essential for teachers. This is not just to ensure student learning. By now, we know that a good assessment can empower the teachers themselves to better carry out their role in education. Assessment can improve teaching and learning, and put activities and behaviors in place.

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