Types of evaluation

E-C-402: English Language Teaching-2

Hitesh S. Vaghani

Roll no. - 19

SEM - IV

Paper no. – E-C-402

Year – 2011-12

Topic: Types of evaluation 

Submitted to Dr.Dilip Barad

Department of English,

Bhavnagar University.

                                     

Introduction:-

                       At the end of turn or year the learners appear in the examinations. There is a formal system of examining them. Question papers are set and answers are written in answer books which are later checked by the teacher is believed to be examination. It is the part of evaluation. The evolution is the objective based testing. There are two words used for evolution, validity and reliability. If the evaluation is not based on these two principles of testing, it is not evaluation. The evaluation is based on objectives.

Objective based evaluation:-

                       The objective behind teaching and learning is to bring change into the behaviours of learners. So in the beginning of lesson planning the teacher states two statements; they are known as pre-knowledge and specific objectives. In other words they are known as entry behaviour and terminating behaviour so the teacher can check their behaviour accordingly. Testing the outcome of the teaching learning programme is known as objective based evaluation.

Concept of evaluation:-

                        In modern educational practice the term 'evaluation' is used in place of 'test' and 'examination'. Tests may be held periodically and examination may take place twice in a year while evaluation is regarded as a continuous process or testing pupil’s attainment an amount of grasping and the measurement or learning. The term evaluation, in this way, is much more compressive term than either test or examination. It incorporates only the scholastic achievements of pupils at a particular age or grade but it ranks to measure all round progress of the pupils in view or the objective of curriculum, measure and techniques of teaching and learning etc. It also attempts to offer valuable hints and suggestions for further improvements in teaching procedures. Thus the tests and examination are past of evaluation. Marking for testing learning achievements or the pupils, the tests are used in evaluation further in English.

       Types of evaluation:-

(1)        Oral test:-

               In testing speaking or oral capabilities of learners the teacher have to make them using language in different situations and can conduct the test having following features in it.

               The learners are asked to

               -           read aloud

               -           speak on different topics

               -           Converse with others in given situation

               -           follow direction, commands, request and instructions.

               -           tell story or narrate situation

   Advantages:-

1.            They test the ability of students to express themselves orally.

2.            They test the ability of pronunciation of students.

3.            They test the reading skill of student.

4.            They help the student in the development of personality.

5.            They prepare student to face interviews in future.

6.            They test the understanding of oral and written language.

Disadvantages:-

1.             There is no place of writing in oral test.

2.            They are time consuming because all the students are tested individually. Hence it can not be used for over crowded class.

3.            There is subjectivity in marking.

(2)          Written Test:-

               This test is drawn on the basis of evaluating writing skills of learners. Some of the means of writing exercises are given as under.

-              Writing of formal or informal letters.

-              Picking out the main ideas of paragraphs.

-              Writing down a summary of a passage.

-              Writing an essay.

               In a formal examination, the best and most comprehensive written test is a composition on a particular subject. The main aim of written tests is to test is to test language grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and handwriting. Following are the language items for written test.

-              Vocabulary

-              Comprehension

-              Language study (structure and usages grammar)

-              Composition

-              Translation

::              Types of question:-

                Following are the types of question:

(1)            Essay type questions:-

                Essay type questions are also called along answer question as well as traditional type of questions. This type of question is the most commonly used type of all the types of questions. These types of questions are very much criticized. The reasons for criticism are as noted below   

Limitations\ demerits:-

1.              Students have to write essays to answer the of questions.

2.             This type of question cannot cover the whole course.

3.             The assessment of the answers of this type of questions becomes subjective. The assessment of the same answer by the same examiner at different times also does not remain the same.

4.             This type of questions does not test all the four language skills.

5.             Because of subjectivity in the assessment of this type of tests success in examination becomes a matter of chance for students.

6.             This type of tests encourages cramming.

                Inspite of the above noted limitation of essay type questions they find place in the question paper because this type of questions are not without any advantage or any merits. The advantages of this type question are as noted below:

7.             They encourage guess work.

8.             These question may be vague and the pupil does not understand what the examiner really wants.

9.             They test the student’s originality, his ability to organize the material and to present it in his own words and style.

  Merits/ Advantages:-

-                Essay type question test student’s ability to express.

-                Essay type question test student’s ability to reason and organise their ideas.

-           Essay type question test students knowledge of different language items viz sentence structure, vocabulary, spelling, use of punctuation marks  using capital letters and also paragraphing the answer.

-                They are easy to construct.

(2)             Short - answer type question:-

                  This type of question is a mid - way between the essay type question and the objective type questions. This type of questions overcomes some limitations of the essay type questions.

-                 The assessment of the answer of this type of questions becomes more objective and less subjective.

-                 This type of questions covers a very large content.

-                 As the assessment is less subjective, examination does not remain simply a matter of chance or luck.

-                 The assessment also does not become so bring as the assessment of essay type questions.

                  But the short answer questions do not test student’s ability to express and organise ideas. They also do not test all the four skills of language learning.

(3)             Objective type questions/ tests:-

                  This type of questions are also called new type tests. The objective type questions can be divided into two broad categories; Oral tests and written tests. There are many advantages and disadvantages of objective type questions. They are as noted below:

                   Advantage / Merits:-

-                  The assessment of the answer of this type of questions is always objective.

-                  This type of questions can cover the whole course.

-                  The examination does not remain a matter of chance or luck

-                   It does not encourage cramming.

-                   Objective tests are useful for measuring specific skills and specific items of knowledge.

-                   Assessment becomes easy and less tiring for teachers.

                    Disadvantages / Limitations:-

-                   Objective tests are difficult to construct.

-                   Objective tests require special sitting arrangement for the students. In the absence of special sitting arrangements for the students copying answers in the examination hall becomes easy.

-                   Objective tests, if not properly framed, would encourage students to indulge in guess work.

-                   Here no attention is given to language.