Evaluation of students’ learning under the prism of expected outcomes

Abstract

Evaluation is recognized as a comprehensive, systematic and purposeful process that is an integralpart of teaching and learning. Evaluation procedures must be based on the prescribed learning outcomes andevolve from the instructional strategies implemented to realize these outcomes. They must also enable ateacher to provide an accurate, reliable and justifiable evaluation which reflects students' progress andachievement.Successful evaluation should be based on the following policies: 1. Student evaluation practices willbe based on a philosophy of education which respects the uniqueness of each child and be conductedaccording to current educational theory and practice. 2. Evaluation will consist of (a) pre-instructional, (b)formative and (c) summative activities. 3. Evaluation represents performance in relation to stated outcomesfrom the affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains. Outcomes and evaluation procedures must be clearlystated and communicated to students. 4. Process and product objectives will be evaluated. 5. Differentiatedevaluation will be employed to accommodate students with special needs. 6. For summative evaluation,grades will indicate performance in relation to the stated outcomes.Formative evaluation focuses upon the process as well as the products of learning. Summativeevaluation is used to assess and report student achievement. Such evaluative data, gathered through varioussources, can provide a comprehensive picture of student achievement in progress. A balance must be struckbetween product and process evaluation. When product becomes an end in itself, the balance betweenproduct and process is upset, and process is a slighted partner. When a balance has been struck betweenproduct and process, evaluation becomes comprehensive and complete. The extent to which students knowand comprehend things, and the extent to which they can do such things as think autonomously, use priorknowledge to solve new problems and make decisions are considered integral in this evaluative scheme.Teachers across the world are charged with the responsibility of producing core learning outcomesfor primary school curricula. However, much educational theory exists which deliberates the value of learningoutcomes in education.Assessment for many of us has been an emotional experience and it is not surprising that we shouldreject facing children with such experiences too early in their lives…..so very important in the process ofincluding pupils in the process of self-assessment. This paper also explores the issue of self‐assessment inprimary school and seeks to demonstrate that the principle of assessment as first and foremost theresponsibility of the learner is both valid and can be realistically applied in education from the early years.Having reviewed the arguments for self‐assessment in terms of the important part reviewing can play inpromoting learning, the paper considers how pupils may be trained in the skills of self‐assessment andillustrates various ways in which young children can assess their own progress. Evaluation must be based onoutcomes which represent goals for students. These goals then can provide a basis for student evaluation.