Data can be used to gather, interpret, and critically inform practitioners and organisations' decisions at every level of assessment.
In this first blog in a series of four, Researcher, Alejandra Miranda, explores why assessment data can be more than a measure of student performance.
Why do we assess in education?
Assessment is embedded in many everyday activities.
When we make a decision, we assess! That is, we gather, analyse, and interpret information. For example, in the morning you may decide whether to cycle or drive to work. When making this decision, you likely consider multiple factors such as traffic, early meetings, wind, rain and heat, and assess this information before making an informed decision.
In education, the process is very similar. We assess to better understand how education systems, schools, and students are performing in order to make informed decisions about how to improve them. For instance, how do teachers know whether students have learned what was intended? Even with carefully planned and engaging lessons, students learn in different ways. When teachers ask questions during a lesson, set homework, or observe students discussing a topic in pairs, they're assessing! If a government wishes to know whether students finishing secondary school have the necessary maths skills to continue their education, or access employment, then again, some form of assessment will be needed.
Therefore, it's through assessment that we can make informed decisions about students’ performance, lessons, curricula, policies, and education systems. When we appropriately analyse and interpret assessment data, it can be used to provide valid and reliable evidence to support decision making.
How to make the most of assessment data?
After assessing, we end up with lots of data.
This data can be used for various purposes, from understanding students’ learning and misconceptions to evaluating an education system. To make the most of assessment data, we need to identify the right way to analyse and summarise it so that it generates meaningful insights about students or education systems. This requires considering different factors, including the type of data and the purpose of the assessment.
Regarding the type of assessment data, this can be quantitative, typically represented by numbers, such as scores and marks, or qualitative, such as students’ written responses and performance descriptions. For instance, summary statistics like means, standard deviations, and distributions are useful tools for condensing numerical data. In addition, data visualisation tools can further help communicate findings in a more effective and engaging way.
It’s important to remember, though, that numbers don't always represent quantitative data. Sometimes, numbers are just codes for qualitative values (e.g., proficiency levels: basic = 1, intermediate = 2, and advanced = 3). Identifying the type of assessment data you're working with will guide how the data should be analysed and interpreted in order to draw meaningful conclusions.
How can assessment practitioners use assessment data?
Practitioners can use assessments for two main purposes: formative or summative.
Assessments with formative purposes are intended to improve student learning outcomes, that is, assessment data's used to adjust and support teaching and learning. For example, we can look at students’ responses and identify their misconceptions as well as content that needs further attention. Even responses to one item can provide valuable information about students’ understanding.
In contrast, assessments with summative purposes are intended to summarise and evaluate student learning, that is, assessment data's used to provide an overall judgement about what students have learned. For example, we can use assessment data to evaluate the effectiveness of a maths programme by calculating and analysing students' scores.
In addition, assessment data can also be used to evaluate and improve the quality of the assessment itself. For example, we can identify which questions students most frequently skip, determine whether the incorrect options in a multiple-choice question are plausible, or identify items that might be too difficult or too easy.
How can I improve my use of assessment data?
As assessment practitioners, it's important to have the skills and knowledge to critically analyse and interpret assessment data.
Whether the data's used for formative or summative purposes, or whether it's used in the classroom or broader educational contexts, being able to understand and use it effectively is critical. When practitioners and educators are able to do this, they can enhance assessments, support teaching and learning, prevent misuses and misinterpretations of data, and ultimately make informed decisions that improve education for all students.
If you’re interested in learning more about assessment data and the key areas of the topic such as qualitative vs quantitative data, you may be interested in A103: Assessment Data and Statistics which Alejandra helped develop.