Solar System and Allocate Percentage Mark

I. Definition
A two-way chart which describes the topics to be covered by a test and the number of items or points which will be associated with each topic.
A blueprint for an objective selected response assessment.

II. Purpose
1. To coordinate the assessment questions with the time spent on any particular content area, the objectives of the unit being taught, and the level of critical thinking required by the objectives or state standards.
2. To identify the achievement domains being measured and to ensure that a fair and representative sample of questions appear on the test. (Teachers cannot measure every topic or objective and cannot ask every question they might wish to ask.)
3. Allows the teacher to construct a test which focuses on the key areas and weights those different areas based on their importance.
4. Provides the teacher with evidence that a test has content validity, that it covers what should be covered.

III. Use
To increase the validity and quality of objective type assessments. The teacher should know in advance specifically what is being assessed as well as the level of critical thinking required of the students.

IV. Benefits

To Teachers:
1. You can be sure that the questions on your test matched the content taught in class, or in other words, you can better ensure content validity.
2. You can check to make sure that your questions cover higher level objectives, or more than factual recall.
3. You can make sure that the most important objectives are appropriately emphasized by assigning a suitable number of items or giving those items the proper weight in points.
4. You can verify that the test contains a representative sample, or a sample that is as representative as possible of the corresponding content and emphasis given in class for the various areas you are testing

To Students:
1. It improves the validity of teacher-made tests
2. It can improve student learning as well. Why:
It helps to ensure that there is a match between what is taught and what is tested. (Classroom assessment should be driven by classroom teaching which itself is driven by course goals and objectives.)
It helps students at all ability levels learn better. (By providing the table to students during instruction, students can recognize the main ideas, key skills, and the relationships among concepts more easily.)
It acts in the same way as a concept map to analyze content areas.

V. Steps in Constructing TOS

TABLE OF SPECIFICATION

TOPIC

OBJECTIVE

NO. OF HOURS
/DAY

PERCENTAGE
MARK

LEARNING DOMAIN MEASURED

SPECIFIC
DOMAIN
PERCENTAGE MARK
TOTAL NO.
OF ITEMS
ITEM PLACEMENT
Step 1:
List down the topics to be tested.
Step 2:
Set objective/s in each topic you listed.
Step 3:
Deter-mine the amount of time spent in teaching the topic.

Step 4:
Allocate percentage mark in each topic listed.

Step 5:
Determine the specific learning domain as set from the course objective and site at least 3 skills/levels that you want to measure.
Step 6:
A. Allocate percentage mark in each topic listed.

Step 7:
Allocate the number of test items in each skill.

Step 8:
List the placement of items as indicated in the test paper.

Obtain the total amount of time spent in teaching the topic.
Obtain the total percentage mark.

Obtain the total percentage mark.
Obtain the total number of test items.

SAMPLE 1: SCIENCE LESSON

TABLE OF SPECIFICATION

TOPIC

OBJECTIVE

NO. OF HOURS
/DAY

%
MARK

LEARNING DOMAIN MEASURED
(Cognitive)

SPECIFIC
DOMAIN
% MARK
TOTAL NO.
OF ITEMS
ITEM PLACEMENT

SOLAR SYSTEM

1. Locate the sun in the solar system.

2. Indicate the names of the 9 planets

3. Identify the proper order of each planet from the Sun.

3 hrs.

50%

Knowledge

25%

13

#13-25

Comprehension
50%
50
#26-50

Application
25%
12
#1-12

TOTAL
100%
50

MOON
OF EACH PLANET

1. Name the moons of each planet.

2 hrs.

33%

Knowledge

25%

8

#51-58

Comprehension
50%
17
#59-75

Application
25%
8
#76-83

TOTAL
100%
33

SUN AND EARTH

1. Locate the earth in the solar system.

2. Discuss the importance of sun on earth

1 hr.

17%

Knowledge

Comprehension
100%
17
#84-100

Application

TOTAL
100%
17

TOTAL
5 hrs.
100%