LESSON 5 written report
LESSON 5
Constructing Objective Paper and Pencil Tests
Constructing paper-and pencil tests is a professional skill. Becoming proficient at it takes study, time and practice. Owing to the recognized importance of a testing program, a prospective teacher has to assume this task seriously and responsibly. He/she needs to be familiar with the different types of test items and how best to write them. This chapter seeks to equip prospective teachers with the skill in constructing objective paper-and-pencil tests.
General Principles of Testing Ebel and Frisbie (1999)listed five basic principles that should guide teachers in measuring learning and in constructing their own test. These principles are discussed below.
Measure all instructional objectives. The test a teacher writes should be congruent with all learning objectives focused in class.
Cover all learning tasks. A good test is not focused only on one type of objective. It must be truly representative of all targeted learning outcomes.
Use appropriate test items. Test items utilized by a teacher have to be in consonance with the learning objectives to be measured.
Make test valid and reliable. Teachers have to see to it that the test they construct measures what it purports to measure. Moreover, they need to ensure that the test will yield consistent results for the students taking it for the second time.
Use test to improve learning. Test scores obtained by the students can serve as springboards for the teachers to re-teach concepts and skills that the former have not mastered.
Attributes of A Good Test as an Assessment Tool A good test must possess the following attributes or qualities; validity; reliability; objectivity; scorability; administrability; relevance; balance; efficiency; difficulty; discrimination; and fairness (Sparzo,1990; Reyes, 2000; Manarang and Manarang, 1983; Medina; 2002).
Validity - It is the degree to which a test measures what it seeks to measure. To determine whether a
Constructing Objective Paper and Pencil Tests
Constructing paper-and pencil tests is a professional skill. Becoming proficient at it takes study, time and practice. Owing to the recognized importance of a testing program, a prospective teacher has to assume this task seriously and responsibly. He/she needs to be familiar with the different types of test items and how best to write them. This chapter seeks to equip prospective teachers with the skill in constructing objective paper-and-pencil tests.
General Principles of Testing Ebel and Frisbie (1999)listed five basic principles that should guide teachers in measuring learning and in constructing their own test. These principles are discussed below.
Measure all instructional objectives. The test a teacher writes should be congruent with all learning objectives focused in class.
Cover all learning tasks. A good test is not focused only on one type of objective. It must be truly representative of all targeted learning outcomes.
Use appropriate test items. Test items utilized by a teacher have to be in consonance with the learning objectives to be measured.
Make test valid and reliable. Teachers have to see to it that the test they construct measures what it purports to measure. Moreover, they need to ensure that the test will yield consistent results for the students taking it for the second time.
Use test to improve learning. Test scores obtained by the students can serve as springboards for the teachers to re-teach concepts and skills that the former have not mastered.
Attributes of A Good Test as an Assessment Tool A good test must possess the following attributes or qualities; validity; reliability; objectivity; scorability; administrability; relevance; balance; efficiency; difficulty; discrimination; and fairness (Sparzo,1990; Reyes, 2000; Manarang and Manarang, 1983; Medina; 2002).
Validity - It is the degree to which a test measures what it seeks to measure. To determine whether a