Beliefs in realism include the
regularities of material environment are the chief source of all human
experiences as well as in order to reach the level of real knowledge one must
analyse and experience down to the level of sensations and if this is done
there will be no difference of opinions among the individuals. Aims of the education
according to realism are to give the pupil a complete knowledge and
understanding of human society, human nature, motives, and institutions.
Subject matter consists of modern languages because they enable individuals to
read, write and conduct all types of social interactions. Branches of natural
sciences are suggested to be offered in realism to give the pupil requisite
skills and knowledge to apply in real situations. Regarding teaching methods,
Synthetic method of teaching is applied in classroom. The teacher begins with
parts and tries to show the whole under given conditions. The teacher’ role in realism is dual as
recognizing the demands of the students as well as every aspect of the teaching
should be dominated by reality. The teacher is a helper of the students in
discovery of realities. The role of learners according to realism is of a
discoverer under the facilitation of the teacher. Their needs are given great
importance in realism. Epistemology in realism is the knowledge discovered from
the material things through inquiry and it is applicable in real situations. Ontology
is about the nature of material things, their structure and changes in them due
to environment. Axiology revolves around caring the environment and valuing the
experiences in real situations.
Monday, August 14, 2017
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Working collaboratively with teams
One of the dimensions of a professional learning communities is about working collaboratively on assigned specific tasks to be done by the workers in teams. A collaborative team as defined by Hunt (2006) is a group of people with
a single common goal to achieve for which all the individuals have to work.
There is a genuine possibility for the group to achieve the goal. The
individuals and groups perform various functions at workplace for a meaningful
learning where they need to exercise some form of overall co-ordination to
maintain focus on the common goal.
A collaborative team meeting is more than getting the
members of a group together to share a collected data. Jessie (2007) claimed
that in a collaborative team the individuals meet to achieve a common goal in
which instead of sharing data about their practices they respond to data. Responding to data requires a sense of mutual
accountability and change in practices. Sergiovanni (1994) contented that
members enjoy working together, being useful to each other as they engage in
interdependent work and sharing commitments to a common good.
Learning
within professional learning communities is viewed as a process of supporting
and developing the capacities of a team to ensure the attainment of results
which the members truly desire. The people need to be able to act together for
learning which builds on personal mastery and shared vision. When teams learn
together there cannot be seen only good results for the group but also the members
professionally grow more rapidly. Team
learning starts with a dialogue and with the capacity of members of a team to keep
assumptions apart and they enter into a genuine thinking together. Working collaboratively also helps the members to recognize the patterns of
interactions in teams that lessen learning.
Saturday, July 8, 2017
Interpretability
Linn
& Gronlund (2000) defines the interpretability as the degree to which the
scores of a test are assigned a meaning based on a criterion or norm for a
particular purpose is known as interpretability. Raw score is simply the number of points
perceived on a test when the test has been scored according to the directions. For
example, a student X answered 25 items correctly on an arithmetic test, therefore
the students X has a raw score of 25. To make a raw score meaningful it is
converted into a description of the specific task that the student can perform is
the process of interpretability.
Criterion-referenced
and standard-based interpretation
A
test about the specific kind of domain is directed at a desire for criterion–referenced
and standards-based interpretations. Criterion-referenced and standard-based
interpretation of test results is most meaningful when the test has been
designed for this purpose. This involves designing a test that measure achievement
domain, which is homogeneous, delimited and clearly specified, enough items for
each interpretation, Items neither easy nor difficult, Items not only selection
type but all other types and Items directly provide relevance to objectives (Linn
& Gronlund, 2000).
Norm-referenced
interpretation
Swian
et al (2000) asserts that norm-referenced interpretation tells us how an
individual compares with other persons who have taken the same test. Simplest
way of comparison in classroom is ranking from highest to lowest where an
individual score falls. For more meaningful and well defined characteristics of
interpretation, raw scores are converted into derived scores which are
numerical reports of test performance on a score scale.
Uses of
interpretability
Teachers keep records of the students, overtime
and improve their instruction by interpreting the scores of a test. The
students can see their level of performance related to other colleagues in
their class looking at the interpretation of their test scores. Parents easily understand the actual
performance of their children and decide what to do and what not to do. Administration uses the interpretation of a
test scores to present the position of the school in terms of students
learning. The Researchers make
inferences by interpreting the scores of tests as their data collection tool
(Linn & Gronlund, 2000).
Strengths
Swain et al (2000) shares the following strengths
and weaknesses of interpretability of a test scores.
•
More information can be presented
to the audience using through small number of illustrations.
•
Students achievements are
qualitatively expressed other than numerical values.
•
Students are measured relative to the average
group.
•
Tables for norms are already
given, so looking at the tables, interpretation becomes easy.
Weaknesses
•
If the task is not selected
appropriate to the domain being measured the scores will be misinterpreted.
•
A large number of items are needed to ensure
correct interpretation, which takes time to carry out calculations.
•
If item analysis is not done properly which
means easy items are included, then the low achievers will not know about what
they can do or cannot do.
•
Norms are generalized for all
students by a pilot test but not taken care of individual differences in
overall educational settings.
References
Linn, R. L., & Gronlund, N.E.
(2000). Measurement and assessment in teaching (8thed.). Delhi: Pearson Education.
Swain,
S. K., Pradhan, C., & Khotoi, S. P. K. (2000). Educational measurement:
Statistics and
guidance.
Ludhiana: Kalyani.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Objectivity: A characteristic of a good test
The
degree to which a test’s results are obtained the same by scoring different
scorers without influences of their biases or beliefs on scoring is known as
objectivity. Most standardized test of aptitude and achievement tests are high
in objectivity. In essay type tests requiring judgmental scoring, different
persons get different results or even a same person can get different results
in different times (Linn & Gronlund, 2000). For example, a student writes
an answer involving all required information to a particular question using
different headings and subheadings. Two
persons check that response. One person likes the answer in headings and
subheadings and another person likes the answers in essay form without headings.
The person who likes the headings and subheadings will assign more marks while
another will assign less mark. The test lacks in objectivity.
Objectivity
of a test is determined by carefully studying the administration and scoring
procedures to see where judgment is basic or bias may occur. Objective type
tests such as true/false, multiple choice and so on are developed to overcome
the lack of objectivity in tests. In essay type tests objectivity may be
increased by careful phrasing of questions and by a standard set of rules for scoring
(Swain et al, 2000).
Uses/ importance
of objectivity
The
teachers can judge and improve their own teaching and learning process through
finding real strengths and weaknesses among the learners. Scorers of the tests reach a consensus
about the performance/achievement of a student in a particular area of content
being objective in scoring. The parents looking at the true results of test which
have been assigned the scorers objectively may arrange for further improvement
of their children if their children need an extra input. The Administration use trained clerks and machines
to score the test in case of objective type test (Swain et al, 2000).
Factors
affecting objectivity
Beliefs
and biasness of the scorers affect the scoring or style of scoring of a score
influences the scoring process which affects the objectivity of a test. Ambiguous
directions in tests and unavailability of a sound criteria regarding scoring a
test also affects the scoring which lead a threat to objectivity. Scoring of
the tests by untrained teachers also affect the objectivity (Linn & Gronlund,
2000).
Merits
•
Objectivity reduces biasness of
scorer in the test results.
•
Reliability of test scores is
ensured.
•
Scoring essay type tests are improved
•
Instructions are given clearly
how to score the responses to items and other related topics are shared during scoring
of test.
•
Scorers are given training to
score and interpret the test results (Rehman, 2007).
Limitations
Objectivity
lacks in teacher made tests particularly when untrained teachers score the
test. Whatever the measures taken, there is still lack of objectivity in essay
type tests than objective type tests, so the students with poor writing skills
will be suffered. If scoring is done by clerks, professionalism of the teacher is
challenged (Swain et al, 2000).
References
Linn,
R. L., &Gronlund, N.E. (2000). Measurement and assessment in teaching (8thed.).Delhi:
Pearson Education.
Rehman, A. (2007). Development and validation of objective test items analysis in the
subject physics for class IX in
Rawalpindi city. Retrieved May 12, 2009 form International
Islamic university, Department of
Education Web site:
Swain,
S. K., Pradhan, C., &Khotoi, S. P. K. (2000). Educational measurement:
Statistics and
guidance.
Ludhiana: Kalyani.
Sunday, June 11, 2017
Practicality/usability: A characteristic of a good test
According
to Rehman (2007), Usability or practicality is another important characteristic
of a good test. It deals with all practical considerations that go into
decisions to use a particular test. While constructing or selecting a test,
practical considerations must be taken into account. Rehman (2007) has given
the following five practical considerations of a test.
Ease
of administration
The
test should be easy to administer so that the tester may easily administer. For
this purpose there should be simple and contain clear instructions. There
should be little number of subsets and appropriate (not too long) time for
administering the test.
Time
required for administration
In
order to provide appropriate time to take the test, if the time is reduced,
then reliability of the test will also reduce. A safe procedure to allocate as
much time as the test requires for providing reliable and valid results.
Between 20 to 60minutes is fairly good time for each individual score yielded
by a published test.
Ease
of interpretation and application
Another
important aspect of practicality of test scores is interpretation and
application of test results. If they are misinterpreted that will be harmful
for the students. On the other hand if they are misapplied or not applied at
all, then the test is useless.
Availability
of equivalent forms
Equivalent
forms tests help to verify the test scores. Retesting at the same time on the
same domain of learning eliminates the factor of memory among the
students. The availability of equivalent
forms of the test should be taken into mind while constructing/selecting a
test.
Cost
of testing
A
test should be economical in terms of preparation, administration and scoring.
Importance
of practicality of a test
The
teachers, particularly untrained teachers can easily administer the tests which
have been constructed/ considering practicality. The parents can be informed
with right test results if the practical considerations have been taken care
while constructing a test, which they will use in decision making about their
children. Economical tests may save unnecessary expenses on stationery, print
materials, photocopies and so on. True interpretations of test scores will be
used by the students in their own plans and decisions (Linn & Gronlund,
2000).
Limitations
• There are chances of giving wrong
directions to students by untrained teachers while constructing or
administering the tests.
•
If time is reduced for taking
test, the reliability of the test is reduced.
•
Chances of misinterpretation and incorrect
scoring in the absence of uniform criteria.
•
Cost of testing is sometimes
given far more weight than it deserves. Tests are relatively inexpensive and
cost may not be a major consideration (Swain et al, 2000).
References:
Linn, R. L., &Gronlund, N.E. (2000).
Measurement and assessment in teaching (8thed.). Delhi:
Pearson Education.
Rehman, A. (2007). Development and validation of objective test items analysis in the
subject physics for class IX in
Rawalpindi city. Retrieved May 12, 2009 form International Islamic university, Department of
Education Web site:
Swain,
S. K., Pradhan, C., &Khotoi, S. P. K. (2000). Educational measurement:
Statistics and guidance.
Ludhiana: Kalyani.
