Compiled by Dr JJ, FSG, UiTM, Shah Alam
http://drjj.uitm.edu.my
Mobile: +60193551621
http://www.adprima.com/measurement.htm
Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation in Education
Dr. Bob Kizlik
Updated January 4, 2012
Throughout my years of teaching undergraduate courses, and to some extent, graduate courses, I
was continuously reminded each semester that many of my students who had taken the requisite
course in "educational tests and measurements" or a course with a similar title as part of their
professional preparation, often had confusing ideas about fundamental differences in terms such as
measurement, assessment and evaluation as they are used in education. When I asked the question,
"what is the difference between assessment and evaluation," I usually got a lot of blank stares. Yet, it
seems that understanding the differences between measurement, assessment, and evaluation is
fundamental to the knowledge base of professional teachers and effective teaching. Such
understanding is also, or at the very least should be a core component of the curricula implemented in
universities and colleges required in the education of future teachers.
In many places on the ADPRIMA website the phrase, "Anything not understood in more than one way
is not understood at all" appears after some explanation or body of information. That phrase is, in my
opinion, a fundamental idea of what should be a cornerstone of all teacher education. Students often
struggle with describing or explaining what it means to "understand" something that they say they
understand. I believe in courses in educational tests and measurements, that "understanding" has
often been inferred from responses on multiple-choice tests or solving statistical problems. A semester
later, when questioned about very fundamental ideas in statistics, measurement, assessment and
evaluation, the students I had seemingly forgot most, if not all of what they "learned."
Measurement, assessment, and evaluation mean very different things, and yet most of my students
were unable to adequately explain the differences. So, in keeping with the ADPRIMA approach to
explaining things in as straightforward and meaningful a way as possible, here are what I think are
useful descriptions of these three fundamental terms. These are personal opinions, but they have
worked for me for many years. They have operational utility, and therefore may also be useful for your
purposes.
Measurement refers to the process by which the attributes or dimensions of some physical object are
determined. One exception seems to be in the use of the word measure in determining the IQ of a
person. The phrase, "this test measures IQ" is commonly used. Measuring such things as attitudes or
preferences also applies. However, when we measure, we generally use some standard instrument to
determine how big, tall, heavy, voluminous, hot, cold, fast, or straight something actually is. Standard
instruments refer to instruments such as rulers, scales, thermometers, pressure gauges, etc. We
measure to obtain information about what is. Such information may or may not be useful, depending
on the accuracy of the instruments we use, and our skill at using them. There are few such
instruments in the social sciences that approach the validity and reliability of say a 12" ruler. We
measure how big a classroom is in terms of square feet, we measure the temperature of the room by
using a thermometer, and we use Ohm meters to determine the voltage, amperage, and resistance in
a circuit. In all of these examples, we are not assessing anything; we are simply collecting information
relative to some established rule or standard. Assessment is therefore quite different from
measurement, and has uses that suggest very different purposes. When used in a learning objective,
the definition provided on the ADPRIMA for the behavioral verb measure is: To apply a standard scale
or measuring device to an object, series of objects, events, or conditions, according to practices
accepted by those who are skilled in the use of the device or scale.
Assessment is a process by which information is obtained relative to some known objective or goal.
Assessment is a broad term that includes testing. A test is a special form of assessment. Tests are
assessments made under contrived circumstances especially so that they may be administered. In