Continuous Assessments
Continuous Assessment is an on-going process of gathering and interpreting information about students’ learning that you use to make decisions about what to teach, how to teach and how well students have learned. Basic characteristics of Continuous Assessments include the following; * It is an on-going process * It comprises of a variety of assessment methods * It gives timely feedback * Its aligned with curriculum and * Its collaborative with students.
Some differences between Continuous Assessments and Formal Assessments Continuous Assessments | Examinations | Ongoing in the classroom throughout the year | Usually at the end of a unit, semester, term, year or cycle | Many different tasks | One exam or few tests per subject | Carried out by the teacher | Can be administered by someone other than the teacher | May be developed by the teacher | May be written by persons other than the classroom teacher | Marked by the teacher | May be marked by persons other than the classroom teacher | Teachers use assessment results to improve teaching | Don't help teacher to identify learner weakness | Are connected to the syllabus being taught | May not be always be connected to what is taught |
General Advantages of Continuous Assessment
* Learners will be assessed using different and appropriate assessment methods and this will provide a more valid assessment of the learner’s performance. * Assessment will now take place in an authentic context i.e. the learner will be assessed in a realistic situation, which is integral to the learning process. * During assessment, there will be immediate feedback into the learning process, thus promoting the formative role of assessment. * Opportunities are provided that would be impossible in a once-off external examination. * A variety of skills can be assessed by internal assessment, which otherwise would not have been considered for assessment purposes. *
Some differences between Continuous Assessments and Formal Assessments Continuous Assessments | Examinations | Ongoing in the classroom throughout the year | Usually at the end of a unit, semester, term, year or cycle | Many different tasks | One exam or few tests per subject | Carried out by the teacher | Can be administered by someone other than the teacher | May be developed by the teacher | May be written by persons other than the classroom teacher | Marked by the teacher | May be marked by persons other than the classroom teacher | Teachers use assessment results to improve teaching | Don't help teacher to identify learner weakness | Are connected to the syllabus being taught | May not be always be connected to what is taught |
General Advantages of Continuous Assessment
* Learners will be assessed using different and appropriate assessment methods and this will provide a more valid assessment of the learner’s performance. * Assessment will now take place in an authentic context i.e. the learner will be assessed in a realistic situation, which is integral to the learning process. * During assessment, there will be immediate feedback into the learning process, thus promoting the formative role of assessment. * Opportunities are provided that would be impossible in a once-off external examination. * A variety of skills can be assessed by internal assessment, which otherwise would not have been considered for assessment purposes. *