MODULE ONE, LESSON 2:

ASSESSEMENT IN LEARNING 2

CONTEXTUALIZED &
DECONTEXTUALIZED ASSESSMENT

In education, assessments play a critical role in determining students'

understanding of content and their ability to apply knowledge. Two key types
of assessments are contextualized and decontextualized. This module will
guide you through understanding the differences between these two
approaches, their purposes, and how to implement them effectively in the
classroom.

CONTEXTUALIZED ASSESSMENT
• The focus of this assessment is on students’ construction of
functioning knowledge. They are designed to reflect real-life
situations or authentic tasks that learners might encounter in their
daily lives or future professional fields.

• This assessment makes use of “performance-based tasks” which

are authentic in nature, and requires students to use higher order
thinking skills.

• Its purpose is to assess not just the acquisition of knowledge but the
ability to apply it in practical, real-world contexts.

Scenario 1:
• A science teacher assessing students' ability to create a
project that applies scientific principles to solve a
community problem, like water purification.

Scenario 2:
• English teachers may require their students to perform
‘extemporaneous speaking’ tasks after teaching lesson
on SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT in order to assess
students' understanding and application of the rule in
real-time communication.
 DECONTEXTUALIZED ASSESSMENT
• Decontextualized assessment measures students' understanding of
abstract knowledge or skills without a direct connection to a real-life
context. This assessment includes assessing written exams which
are suitable for assessing declarative or procedural knowledge in
artificial situations detached from the real work context.

Declarative knowledge is the understanding of factual information or "what" something

is while procedural knowledge is the understanding of "how" to perform tasks or actions.

• This assessment focus on general knowledge, concepts, or skills in

isolation, typically through traditional testing methods such as
multiple choice exam.
• Its purpose is to assess students’ acquisition of knowledge.

Example
• A decontextualized assessment might ask students to
solve mathematical equations or answer multiple-choice
questions about agricultural theories without situating the
problems in a real-world context.

. KEY DIFFERENCES
Aspect Contextualized Assessment Decontextualized
Assessment
Nature Situational and practical Abstract and theoretical
Focus Real-life applications, Knowledge recall, isolated
problem-solving skills
Purpose Preparing students for Testing comprehension of
professional scenarios basic concepts
Example "Design a crop rotation plan "What is the formula for
Questions considering soil and weather calculating crop yield?"
data."
Conclusion
Contextualized and decontextualized assessments each have
their place in educational settings. Choosing the appropriate
type depends on the goals of your lesson and the skills you
wish to evaluate. Strive to balance both approaches to provide
a comprehensive assessment strategy that equips students
with the knowledge they need and the ability to apply it.

LET’S TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

ACTIVITY 1:
Identify whether the given scenario presents a contextualized
assessment or decontextualized one.

______________1. A student is asked to create a poster explaining the life cycle

of a butterfly based on observations from the school garden.
______________2. The teacher provides students with a math worksheet that
asks them to solve basic multiplication problems (e.g., 6 x 7 = ?).
______________3. A student writes a story about their summer vacation and
how they helped their family with chores.
______________4. Students are asked to fill in the blanks with the correct parts
of speech in isolated sentences (e.g., "The cat __ across the yard").
______________5. A student must use a recipe to bake cookies during a class
cooking project, following specific measurements and instructions.

ACTIVITY 2:
As a future elementary teacher, create five examples of contextualized
assessments and five examples of decontextualized assessments in different
teaching scenarios.

CONTEXTUALIZED ASSESSMENT DECONTEXTUALIZED ASSESSMENT

MODULE ONE, LESSON 3:
ASSESSEMENT IN LEARNING 2

ESTABLISHING HIGH QUALITY

ASSESSMENT

High-quality assessment is essential in accurately measuring student

learning and progress. This module will guide you in understanding the key
principles of high-quality assessments, helping you develop effective
assessments that are fair, reliable, and aligned with learning objectives.

ESTABLISHING HIGH QUALITY ASSESSMENT

1. QUALITY ASSESSMENTS AE IN ACCORDANCE WITH

CONTEMPORARY VIEW OF ACTIVE LEARNING AND MOTIVATION
• Learners discover and construct meaning; set plan and work to
realize their goals’ associate and link new information with existing
knowledge in meaningful ways; think critically and creatively;
develop self-monitoring skills; have positive expectations for
learning and confidence in their skills; are enthusiastically ad
internally motivated to learn; apply what they learn to real-world
situations’ and communicate effectively. (Santrock, 2009)
• High quality assessment involves promoting student engagement,
encouraging deeper understanding, and supporting intrinsic
motivation. In active learning, students take an active role in
constructing their knowledge through problem-solving,
collaboration, and hands-on activities. Quality assessments reflect
this by going beyond rote memorization, measuring students' ability
to apply their knowledge in meaningful, real-world contexts. They
also foster motivation by providing relevant and challenging tasks
that allow students to see the value of what they are learning and
take ownership of their progress.

2. ASSESSMENT OF HIGH QUALITY IS VALID

• Assessment of high quality is valid when it accurately measures
what it is intended to assess. This means that the assessment
effectively evaluates the specific learning objectives and outcomes
it was designed to measure. Valid assessments ensure that the
tasks or questions are aligned with the learning goals, and they
accurately reflect students' knowledge, skills, and abilities in the
context intended. Validity can be assessed through different types,
 such as content validity (coverage of the curriculum), construct
validity (measuring the intended concept), and criterion-related
validity (correlation with other measures of the same construct).

3. ASSESSMENT OF HIGH QUALITY IS RELIABLE

• Assessment of high quality is reliable when it consistently
produces stable and accurate results under similar conditions.
This means that if students take the same assessment multiple
times or if the assessment is administered by different educators,
the results should be similar, reflecting the students' true abilities
rather than random errors.

• Suppose a teacher gives a math quiz on addition skills to students.

If the quiz is reliable, students who perform well on the quiz should
score similarly if they take a comparable quiz on the same topic at
a later date or if another teacher administers the quiz. For instance,
if a student scores 85% on the quiz this week, they should score
around the same percentage on a similar quiz next month, provided
their understanding of addition has not changed significantly.
Reliability ensures that the quiz consistently measures students'
addition skills, regardless of when or who gives the test.

4. ASSESSMENT OF HIGH QUALITY IS FAIR

• Assessment of high quality is fair when it provides equal
opportunities for all students to demonstrate their knowledge and
skills. Fair assessments are free from bias and accommodate
diverse learning styles, backgrounds, and needs, ensuring that no
student is disadvantaged.

• Example: If a teacher gives a written test on a science topic, the

assessment is fair if it includes a variety of question types (e.g.,
multiple-choice, short answer, practical tasks) to cater to different
learning styles. Additionally, providing accommodations such as
extra time for students with specific needs ensures that all students
can showcase their understanding without unfair barriers.

LET’S TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING

ACTIVITY III. TRUE OR FALSE

Part 1: True/False Questions. Identify whether the given scenario indicates
establishing a high-quality assessment
__________1. A test question asks students to identify the main idea of a
passage without providing a summary or any context. This question is fair
because it tests students' ability to understand the main idea of a passage.
__________2. A test includes a question about a cultural reference that is not
explained or familiar to all students. This question is valid because it assesses
students' general knowledge.
__________3. Scenario: Ms. Black gives a spelling test with clear, simple
instructions that all students can easily follow. The test is reliable because the
instructions are clear and understandable.
__________4. Mrs. White includes questions in a geography test that cover
material not discussed in class. The test is valid because it challenges students
to use outside knowledge.
__________5. The test allows extra time for students who need it due to a
learning disability. This practice is valid because it ensures all students have
equal opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge.

ACTIVITY IV. ANALYZING AN ASSESSMENT TAKS

Assessment Activity
Scenario: Ms. Johnson is designing a quiz to assess students' understanding of basic
arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) in her 3rd-grade
math class. Here is the quiz:
Quiz Questions:
1. Multiple-Choice Question:
o What is 5 + 7?
§ a) 12
§ b) 15
§ c) 10
§ d) 13
2. Fill-in-the-Blank:
o 8 × _____ = 64
3. Short Answer:
o Solve this problem and write your answer: 15 - 6 = ____
4. True/False Question:
o 9÷3=4
§ True
§ False
5. Practical Task:
o Draw a number line and use it to solve the problem: 7 + 3 = ____

Analysis Worksheet
1. Reliability
o Does the quiz provide clear and consistent instructions?
§ Yes / No
Comments: __________________________________________
o Are the questions straightforward and unambiguous?
§ Yes / No
Comments: __________________________________________
 2. Validity
o Does the quiz measure students' understanding of basic arithmetic
operations as intended?
§ Yes / No
Comments: __________________________________________
o Are the questions aligned with what has been taught in class?
§ Yes / No
Comments: __________________________________________

3. Fairness
o Are the questions free from bias and accessible to all students?
§ Yes / No
Comments: __________________________________________
o Does the quiz accommodate diverse learning needs, such as
providing visual aids for understanding?
§ Yes / No
Comments: _________________________________________

Reflection
1. Reflect on Your Analysis:
o How did you determine if the quiz was reliable, valid, and fair?
o What improvements would you suggest to enhance the quality of
this quiz?

GOOD LUCK!

Prepared by:

RAJI-UN A. PEDTAMANAN
Course Instructor