Measurement, Assessment, Evaluation

There’s often a misconception with identifying the difference between assessment, evaluation, and measurement.

Measurement, assessment, and evaluation mean very different things, and yet most of students were unable to adequately explain the differences

Measurement

Measurement Is Always Numerical  

Measurement refers to the process by which the attributes or dimensions of some physical object are determined. The verb measure means “to discover the exact size, amount, etc., of something, or to be of a particular size.”

So it means that measurement is how we rate and determine the performance of a student, numerically,

Measurement is simply referred as “the process assigning numbers or symbols to objects for characterizing things according to set of rules”.

• It is used to categorize and or quantify variables.
• It helps to quantify individuals achievement, personality, attitudes, habits and skills.
• It involves quantification of observable phenomena and it is performed on the physical world by observer.

Here, information collected about the characteristics and attributes of things can be determined and differentiated.

 Measurement in education:

Today, measurement in education is much different and more advanced. With the development of many theories in education over time and assessment software systems that can be used in this process, various variables, related to students marks and grades, are measured.

·         Intelligence

·         Interest

·         Students aptitude and personality

·         Aims of education

·         Effectiveness of the curriculum

·         Usefulness of teaching methods

·         Basis of educational policy

·         The various educational activities of administrators and teachers as well

 Types of measurement

 Measurement can be of 3 types.

• Direct measurement
•  Indirect measurement
• Relative measurement

External attributes or characteristics could be directly measured with high precision, using various tools and devices, Example height or length,Volume, weight could be measured directly using appropriate tools. This type of measurement is known as Direct measurement.

However, heat, light, sound cannot be measured directly, but measured only through the effects they produce. Such kind of measurements is called Indirect measurements.

In education and psychology, measurement is very complex. There is direct measurement is not possible. Student’s achievement, comment, elegance, etc. are measured only by comparing them with those of his peers. These are called Relative measurements.

 

Assessment:

Assessment Is Detection and Analysis

Assessment is “a systematic procedure for collecting information that can be used to make inferences about the characteristics of people or objects.  

Assessment is referred as “a process of collecting evidence and making judgments relating to outcomes”.

It is said that assessment has a narrower meaning than evaluation but a broader meaning than measurement.

In its derivation, the word assess means “to sit beside” or “to assist the judge”, it reflects that assessment is a process of gathering data and fashioning them into an interpretable form; judgment can be made on the basis of this assessment. 

It’s detecting, analysis, and interpreting student’s learning and progress.

Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal.

 It is “the various methods used by educators to measure and document the academic achievement and skills of students during preschool adulthood. It is a process of inquiry to collect and synthesize evidence that concludes the status or quality of a program, product, person, policy, proposal or plan.”

 

Evaluation:

Evaluation Is Qualitative

Evaluation is when you start to interpret and judge the results of the data you’ve collected throughout the assessment process or elsewhere. It’s the phase for decision-making

Evaluation is “a systematic process of collecting and analyzing data in order to determine whether, and to what degree, objectives have been, or are being, achieved

" When we evaluate, what we are doing is engaging in some process that is designed to provide information that will help us make a judgment about a given situation

Evaluation is the process of determining the value of a thing or a process based on the assessment of its different aspects or components by employing observation, measurements and tests. 

Evaluation includes the process of assessment and tools and methods of measurement.

Stating briefly, evaluation of a thing or a process involves the assessment of its different aspects or features and based on that, determining it by its value.

Conclusion:

Therefore, evaluation is more broader and comprehensive than assessment. Evaluation includes assessment. Measurement is a tool or method employed in assessment and evaluation

To sum up, we measure distance, we assess learning, and we evaluate results in terms of some set of criteria. These three terms are certainly share some common attributes, but it is useful to think of them as separate but connected ideas and processes.