Integrated Assessment in Enhancing Tertiary Learning Experience (original) (raw)

From Principle to Practice: Assessment for Learning in Malaysian School-Based Assessment Classroom

2014

School-Based Assessment (SBA) has been implemented in Malaysian schools in 2011 with attempts to (i) achieve the aspiration of National Philosophy of Education towards developing learners' physical, emotional, spiritual and intellectual abilities, (ii) reduce exam-oriented learning, (iii) evaluate learners' learning progress and (iv) enhance teachers' integrity in assessing, recording and reporting of learners' learning. Malaysian SBA system laid emphasis on features like Standard-Referenced Assessment, Holistic, Integration, Balance, Robust and Assessment for Learning (AfL). The purpose of this study is (i) to investigate teachers' AfL competencies across gender, teaching experience and measurement training and (ii) to examine the effect of gender, teaching experience and measurement training on the AfL practices. A set of questionnaire consisted of 30 items on 4 point frequency scale was used to collect data from 408 respondents which have been randomly selected using the cluster sampling procedure from 10 districts. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Overall results showed that the competency levels of AfL practices were mainly at the basic level. Effect of gender were found statistically significant on the level of practices. The implications of the results that underpin AfL are discussed to enhance teachers' overall assessment competency.

Malaysian Public University Lecturers’ Perceptions and Practices of Formative and Alternative Assessments

International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 2020

Successful teaching and learning are highly dependent on assessment as it provides necessary information for making informed decisions in a higher education program. University lecturers should be equipped with skills and knowledge on different methods of evaluation to assess their students effectively. Only few researchers have investigated the assessment methods employed by lecturers in universities in Malaysia. Traditional class-based assessments are the most common mode of assessment although this form of assessment fails to measure students' learning adequately. This qualitative study aims to determine the level of lecturers' awareness of the different kinds of assessments at the University Puta Malaysia (UPM). The study sampled 48 lecturers from various faculties at UPM. They responded to a selfreporting questionnaire that required them to indicate their perceived competence in alternative and formative assessments. The result of the thematic analysis revealed that lecturers were utterly aware of formative assessment practices. However, despite the significance of alternative assessments in the learning process, some lecturers were not aware of alternative assessment practices. The implication is that the literacy level of lecturers in alternative assessment methods should be improved.

The Role of Assessment Fisseha Mikre 101 THE ROLES OF ASSESSMENT IN CURRICULUM PRACTICE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LEARNING

Assessment is indispensable component of curriculum practice. In systems of education, one of the prime considerations of administrators, teachers, and students alike are the outcomes of learning, what ability students can demonstrate because of increase in their knowledge and changes in understanding because of experiences in school or college. Concern for how learning takes place in higher learning institutes and how instruction and assessment affect the quality of learning is desirable, for students need to acquire knowledge and competencies that can be transferable in the work place. Therefore, educators need to think carefully about the quality of curriculum practice and learning assessment in higher education. Much of current teaching and assessment in higher learning institutes seems to induce passive, reproductive form of learning that is contrary to the aims of instructors themselves. Most of the time instructors emphasize on factual knowledge, bind students too firmly within currently acceptable theoretical framework, and do the same while assessing learning. To the contrary, transferable skills valued by employers such as problem solving, communication skills, and working effectively with others are highly essential. Educators are suggesting that instructors will be more effective if assessment is integral to teaching and how learning activities are structured. Performance assessment, portfolios, authentic assessment and student self and peer assessment together with feedback and comments have been advocated as procedures that align assessment with current constructivist theories of learning and teaching. For instance, teachers are responsible for providing feedback that students need in order to re-learn and refine learning goals. Hence, this article reviews, roles of assessment in operating and experiencing the curriculum, importance of continuous assessment for enhancement of student learning, and the roles of feedback and comments for curriculum practice and learning enhancement.

Assessment for the 21st century in higher education institution: way forward

2020

Malaysia's education system has been known as being vey exam oriented; written exams have always been our culture in assessing learners' understanding, knowledge and skills. However, with the 21st century, not all can be assessed through examination since the results do not really reflect their competency especially in their employment skills (ie, social skills, critical thinking skills). This 'wrong signal' given to the employers are said to be affecting the construction industry as most employers believed that the graduates were still far from reaching their expectations and demands. Therefore, by using content-based analysis, this paper will make a comparative study on various types of assessment used in HEIs (Higher Education Institutions) and tease out the similarities and differences in embedding each assessment in the classroom management. From the findings, it was found that the existing types of assessment contain some challenges in the process of implementing it towards learners. Due to this reason, it has been considered failed to fully measured the learners' competency in soft skills. Looking into all issues, a conceptual framework related to holistic assessment is proposed, which aims to improve learners' competency for better employability skills.

Assessment Literacy: A Catalyst to the Success of School-Based Assessment in Malaysian Schools

Proceedings of the International Conference on Science, Technology and Social Sciences (ICSTSS) 2012, 2014

The Malaysian Education Ministry has proposed to implement the School-Based Assessment (SBA) in public schools in an attempt to have a holistic approach in assessing students achievement and performance. Due to that, this study was conducted with the purpose of identifying the level of teachers' assessment literacy on 465 secondary school teachers in the state of Johor from three categories: Subject Teacher, Subject Panel and the Examination Secretary. Data collection was done by administering Literacy Assessment Test (LAT) which consists of 45 multiple choice items covering five assessment dimensions -Assessment Concepts (ASC), Measurement Methods (MEM), Testing (TET), Scoring & Grading (SCG) and Statistics and Reporting (STR). Data was analyzed using Quest 2, a program which combines the principles of two measurement theories; Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory. Findings from the study indicated that 13.33% of teachers are at a high literacy level, 68.82% are at a moderate literacy level and 17.85% at a low literacy level. In addition, the results also identified mean differences on four demographic factors and five assessment dimensions with values between 46.66-50.97. Several implications and recommendations were drawn to enhance teachers professionalism in assessment in order to ensure the smooth-running of the school-based assessment in Malaysian public schools.

Enhancing Malaysian Teachers’ Assessment Literacy

International Education Studies, 2014

Currently, in order to reform the Malaysian education system, there have been a number of education policy initiatives launched by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (MOE). All these initiatives have encouraged and inculcated teaching and learning for creativity, critical, innovative and higher-order thinking skills rather than conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and rote memorization. The reform in teaching and learning approaches in Malaysian teacher education should also be reflected in the method of assessment as assessment is seen as a vital part of instruction in the culture of learning. In view of the need for changing school assessment culture, teachers' assessment literacy becomes one of the main concerns. Assessment literacy is regarded as the sound knowledge and skills in educational assessment required by teachers in assessing students' learning outcome. This article presents practical suggestions concerning knowledge and skill target of teachers' assessment literacy. Assessment literacy should not be fully addressed in theoretical fashion, but in a more practical and real-life manner. The five knowledge and skill targets that teachers should seriously focus on are: 1) validity of assessment, 2) reliability of assessment, 3) transparency of assessment, 4) fairness of assessment, and 5) using of assessment information.

Assessment in Higher Education: To Serve the Learner

1985

The idea of assessment as learning is discussed, along with the practical history of assessment, and how student assessments should be conducted. Background information covers the use of assessment in'business and government, as well as in education and psychology. It is proposed that assessment include: multidimensional sampling of students' abilities in action; observation and judgment of those samples on the basis of explicit criteria; and structured feedback, administered sequentially in relation to a learner's development. Each of these elements in turn must contribute to the growth of the students' ability to self-assess. Issues relevant to beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners are identified, and research on criteria, feedback, and self-assessment is reviewed. To help faculty design individual classroom assessments, consideration is given to: determining a specific ability or expected outcome, identifying component abilities, selecting or designing a stimulus and context, attending to developmental levels, developing criteria, providing for self-assessment, and judging performance and giving feedback. Included are guidelines for judging whether criteria are effective and an example of extending assessment beyond the classroom to a wider curriculum context. (SW)