Using a measurement paradigm to guide classroom assessment processes

Abstract

Much that has been written on educational assessment and measurement appears to set up dichotomies. Assessments are classified as criterion or norm referenced, or as summative or formative; and more recently, a distinction has been made between “assessment for learning” or “assessment of learning.” Perhaps, the starkest dichotomy is the one created between teaching and assessment. In this chapter, I draw on concepts that are inherent in the measurement paradigm, the concept of a continuum and the concept of latent and manifest ability, to show that the dichotomies discussed in the literature are not fundamental but are rather a matter of emphasis. In doing so, I hope to consolidate some of the present discussion in the literature about the purpose and value of assessment. My overarching aim in this chapter is to show why teacher judgment is at the heart of all our work in assessment.