Concept of Evaluation

Assessment for learning is the part of effective planning of teaching and learning. Thus, the understanding on what, why, and how on assessment seem really urgent for teachers. It is related to the differences between measurement, assessment, evaluation, and testing, cause of assessment, comparing assessment versus evaluation and grading, key concepts in assessment, types and approaches to assessment, assessment on language competence, principles for good assessment, and testing. It is expected to guide the assessment training and professional development of teachers and administrators to run more productive assessment in English Language Teaching (ELT).

Burhan (2009) states, “Evaluation seems to have the broadest coverage”. Citing Ten Brink (1974), he defines evaluation as the process of obtaining information and using it to form judgements which in turn are used in decision making. The process is made up of five stages:

1)      Preparing,

2)      Collecting the data,

3)      Making judgments,

4)      Making decision, and

5)      Reporting.

Burhan (2009) states, that assessment does not include decision making and reporting. It focuses mainly on data gathering and placing a value on something. Assessment seems to cover stages of preparing, collecting date and making judgement in the evaluation process.

The term testing, is the narrowest in scope. It is one of the techniques for collecting the data or scores. It can be used with other techniques such as observation and interviews. It does not deal with making judgements. One connotative meaning of assessment is that it is used or done both in formal situation and in informal ways. As complementary efforts, informal assessment is encouraged to be done to get additional data in addition to the data obtained from formal testing.

Kizlik (2010) elucidates some differences on measurement, assessment, and evaluation. He states that measurement refers to the process by which the attributes or dimensions of some physical object are determined. Assessment is, therefore, quite different from measurement, and has uses that suggest very different purposes. 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. All tests are assessments, but all assessments are not tests. We test at the end of a lesson or unit. Whether implicit or explicit, assessment is most usefully connected to some goal or objective for which the assessment is designed. 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. We can assess a person’s knowledge in a variety of ways, but there is always a leap, an inference that we make about what a person does in relation to what it signifies about what he knows.

Evaluation is perhaps the most complex and least understood of the terms. Inherent idea of evaluation is "value." When we evaluate, we engage in some process that is designed to provide information that help us make a judgement 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 say that the process yields information regarding the worthiness, appropriateness, goodness, validity, legality, etc., of something for which a reliable measurement or assessment has been made.

The concept of evaluation was introduced by Benjamin S. Bloom. Evaluation is broader term in which test and examinations rest. It is not only concerned with the assessment of students’ achievement but with the whole process of education. Evaluation has been defined by different educationists in their own way:

“Evaluation is a new technical term introduced to design a more comprehensive concept of measurement.” – J. W. Wrightstone

“Evaluation is a process of ascertaining or judging the value or amount of something by careful appraisal.” – Good

“Evaluation is a continuous process. It forms an integral part of the total system of education and is intimately related to educational objectives.” – N. C. R. E. T.

 Thus evaluation is a continuous process, of education in relation to the achievement certain pre-determined objectives. It goes on constantly during lesson and units and is closely related to the teachers’ goal and point of views of English teaching. It focuses on the finding out how far students have learned as consequences of teaching.