Page 63 - DEDU504_EDUCATIONAL_MEASUREMENT_AND_EVALUATION_ENGLISH

Unit 5 : Planning for Different Types of Test

(i) Identifying the students who are having trouble or need help Notes
First, one must know the learners who require help. For this you can administer a general
achievement test based on the topics already taught. After evaluation you will be in a position
to make lists of students who are below average, average or above average. Next, one has to
locate the area where the error occurs in order to have a deeper insight into the pupils’
difficulties.
(ii) Locating the errors or learning difficulties
After identifying the students who need help and visualising the necessity of additional
instructional material to improve the quality of learning, your main role is to find out the area
where the learner commits mistakes or which is the area where learning difficulties lie. For
example we examine the pupils’ responses as follows :
3 5 8 2 5 7
(i) + = (ii) + =
4 4 4 3 3 3
7 4 11 4 5 9
(iii) + = (iv) + =
12 12 12 13 13 13
3 5 8 3 4
(v) + = (vi) 1 + =
4 4 4 4 4
5 8 1 6
(vii) 3 + = (viii)5 + =
7 7 7 7
1 1 2 3 4 7
(ix) + = (x) + =
2 3 5 7 5 12
From the above example you would realize that the learner has the knowledge of adding
fractions having the same denominator but the concept of addition of fractions having different
demoninators is not clear to him even through it was taught in the classroom. Thus you have
located the area where the learning difficulty lies.
(iii) Discovering the causal factors of slow learning
In some cases of learning difficulties, the causal factors are relatively simple. A student may be
inattentive during teaching-learning or may be committing errors due to insufficient practice
or irregular attendance.
Sometimes the cause is ill-health or faulty work habits etc. It has also been observed sometimes
that the basic cause of low achievement is a feeling of helplessness or the complexity of the
subject-matter which perhaps is much above the level of their comprehension.
Sequential presentation in Figure 1 shows how diagnosis leads to improved quality of learning.
Teaching-learning Evaluation Unsatisfactory
performance of pupils

Identify Administer a A case for
students General Achievement diagnosis
who need Test or use the data
help of previous testing

Locate Identify Provide Improved
the area causal remedial quality
of difficulty factors measures of learning
Figure : 1

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