What do you understand by evaluation? Describe in brief the different types of tests and examinations in teaching English.
Examination testing and evaluation are essential in a teaching-learning process.
Meaning of Evaluation in English
Evaluation is a means to judge the achievement of the student in the field of education. The measurement of achievement is generally done through tests and examinations. A test verifies a pupil's progress during a specific period of time.
An examination on the other hand is a formal evaluation of the pupil's learning. According to Wright Stone, "Evaluation is a relatively new technical term introduced to design a more comprehensive concept of measurement implied in conventional tests and examinations."
According to God, "Evaluation is a process of ascertaining or judging the value of something by careful appraisal." "Values' imply the outcome of the learning activity whereas 'amount signifies the 'acquisition of knowledge of skill. If means that evaluation concerns itself with scholastic achievement as well as with behaviour changes."
Problems of Evaluation:
Mr Benjamin writes to the teacher: "The problems of evaluation of learning or in other words the problem of examination has always been a controversial one. The traditional essay type of examination has been found rather unsatisfactory, and its limitations are well known. Scientific investigations have proved that these examinations are frustrating and extremely unreliable for the evaluation of pupil's achievement and abilities."
The Types of Tests and Examinations in the Teaching of English
In the teaching of English, the tests and examinations following three types:
(1) Essay type questions
(2) Short answer type questions.
(3) Objective type questions:
Essay Type Tests
In these types, of tests and examinations all the questions are long like an essay type.
In the essay-type tests, essay-type questions are set in different papers and the examinees are expected to write their answers in the form of essays. The examiner judges the student's ability by the subject matter, method of expression and style of writing.
Advantages of Essay Types Tests
These types of tests have the following advantages:
(1) They are easy to construct.
(2) They facilitate language development.
(3) They give opportunity to pupils to express their views.
(4) They help in measuring the higher mental abilities such as imagination and reasoning.
Disadvantages of Essay Type Test
Essay-type tests have been subjected to much criticism due to their following demerits:
(1) Essay-type tests cannot be asked for the whole course.
(2) They have very low reliability, as pointed out by Dr Bollard, "No one doubts the instruction, in composition as part of the school curriculum in English but in view of the evidence as to the unreliability of essay questions as part of the examination, hesitation is left in recommending the inclusion of such question."
(3) The name essay ie, the student's answer written in the form of an essay. When marked by different examiners fields different marks. Even the same essay, when marked by the same examiner at different times and different modes, shows different results. This means that the subjectivity of the examiner is involved in it.
(4) They emphasise more on long answers than correct ones.
Type of Questions in Tests and Examinations:
In tests and examinations of English, the following three types of questions are asked:
1. Essay type.,
2. Short answer type.
3. Objective type.
1. Essays Type
The answers to essay-type questions are long like an essay. The forms of questions are mostly as follows:
(i) Write the meaning of prose and poetry with an explanation.
(ii) Write a critical description of a prose passage,
(iii) Write an essay.
(iv) Express your views on some lessons.
(v) Translate the passage.
(vi) Write the main idea of the passage in your own words.
(vii) Compare the views of the first passage with the second passage.
These types of questions have the following advantages:
(i) They are easy to construct.
(ii) They help in measuring the higher mental abilities, such as imagination and reasoning.
(iii) They facilitate language development.
(iv) They give the opportunity to pupils to express their views.
But essay-type questions have been subjected to much criticism, due to their following demerits.
(i) Essay-type questions cannot be asked from the whole course.
(ii) There is individuality in giving marks to answers of essay-type questions. A teacher gives 50% marks to one answer. Another teacher may give as much as 80% marks to the same answers.
(iii) They have very low reliability, as pointed out by Dr Ballard", "No one doubts the Instruction in composition as part of the school curriculum in English, but in view of the evidence as to the unreliability of essay questions as part of the examination, hesitation is felt in recommending the inclusion of such questions."
(iv) They emphasise more on long answers than on correct answers.
2. Short Answer Type:
Short answers are given to such types of questions, e.g., write definitions, questions on grammar, and comprehensive questions.
3. Objective Type
Objective-type questions have the following Characteristics:
(i) Answers of questions are definite and' very short. Answers are given in one or two words.
(ii) There is objectivity in marking answers of objective-type questions.
(iii) There is less possibility of copying the answers.
But these types of questions have the following demerits:
(i) No attention is given to language.
(ii) The setting of a paper with objective-type questions is difficult.
(iii) They need a lot of paper and money for printing.
(iv) There are many chances of giving answers with guesses.
Objective-type questions are of the following types:
(a) Recall Questions-e.g., Who is the writer of...... poem?
(b) Completions Questions-e.g., Dinu went to ........ to purchase.....
(c) True or False Questions-e.g., Which item is. true and which one is false?
(i) Jawaharlal Nehru was born in 1954.
(ii) Jawahar Lal Nehru was the first prime minister of India.
(d) Multiple Choice Questions-e.g., Which answer is correct:
Grape means………………………..(सेब, संतरा, अंगूर)
(e) Matching Questions-erg., Pair the following:
A B
Beautiful Big
Small Misery
Day Ugly
Pleasure Night
Since both essay and objective-type questions have merits as well as demerits, it is suggested that a test or examination in English should have all three types of questions. Prof. C. S. Bhandari and others have expressed this view, "An examination at the secondary school level should aim at a fair and consistent estimate of the pupils' command of the essentials of the language; so in every examination question paper, there should be a judicious combination of (a) Objective Type Questions, (b) Questions requiring Short Answers and (c) Essay Type Questions.
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