How development of table of specifications helps achieve quality assessment

To effectively measure the extent to which learning is taking place, one needs to collect data using reliable instruments. In the physical world, measurement of the object’s feature is easily done using objective instruments such a measuring tape, thermometer or weighing scale. However, the same does not hold for measuring the human mind or psychology.

The practice of measuring what is in people’s minds is called psychometrics and this is done using different aptitude and personality instruments to collect data on the cognitive skills, attitudes and personality.

Aptitude tests such as tests, observation schedules measure the learners’ knowledge, abilities and skills while on the other hand, personality tests such as questionnaires inventory, rating scales and interviews measure and reveal certain aspects of a person’s personality.

It is important that quality data be collected all the time to help craft appropriate learning interventions at classroom level, regional level or system level. Testing can be done using a variety of tests and one major problem most test developers face is how to set valid and reliable items that measure what they are supposed to measure.

Some test developers set items in one area at the expense of others. Others set their own questions to cover only low level objectives such as knowledge and comprehension. Yet some set confusing, complicating and repeat same items every year for different sets of learners.

All these result in a mismatch between content taught and the material assessed. This lack of coherence leads to a test that fails to provide evidence from which test developers can make valid judgments about learners’ progress.

One strategy test developers can use to mitigate this problem of content validity is to develop a Table of Specifications. Sometimes called a Test blueprint, the Table of Specifications is typically constructed as a table, which helps teachers align objectives, instruction, and assessment thus ensuring that a test measures the content and thinking skills that it intends to measure.

The topics to be covered by a test and the number of items or points which will be associated with each topic are described, hence ensuring that the test is representative. The subject matter/ content is listed along the rows and the different educational objectives listed along the column.

Remember not everything taught in class can be set in a single test. Properly crafted, it results in the balance between items that test lower level thinking skills and those which test higher order thinking skills in the test.

Although the strategy is most commonly associated with constructing traditional summative tests, it should also be used for a variety of formative assessment tests. during test construction, test developers need to be concerned that the test measures an adequate sampling of the subject content at the cognitive level that the material was taught.

The Table of Specifications can help teachers map the amount of class time spent on each objective with the cognitive level at which each objective was taught thereby helping teachers to identify the types of items they need to include on their tests.

There are many approaches to developing and using a Table of Specifications. Some contains the description of the types of items, suggests what might be covered under each item, and makes the decision on what types of items to be used. You will need to decide on the one that best suits your situation.

The Table of Specifications can be as complicated as the one designed for the 3- year course or as simple as the one designed for a topic content. Note that it can also vary from one designer to another as long as it serves the intended purpose.

However, the idea of this article is to introduce you to one of the ways to make the classroom assessment more valid especially with regards to content validity.

Validity is the degree to which the evaluations or judgments we make about our learners can be trusted based on the quality of evidence we gathered. Hence the need for the classroom tests to be aligned to the content taught in order for any of the judgments about learner understanding and learning to be meaningful.

When constructing Table of Specifications, one needs to be aware of the purpose for testing and requires the syllabus which defines the content universe. Below is a simplified Table of Specification.

Topic Low- Order Level

( Knowledge Recall) High Order Level

Total

Application of Knowledge ation

Topic 1 10% 5% 10% 25% Topic 2 5% 20% 15% 40% Topic 3 10% 15% 10% 35% Total 25% 40% 35% 100%

Once the Table of Specification has been developed, a Test Plan can be drawn from it and can result in many different tests of the same demand. Depending on the size of the content, the table of specification can sometimes serve as a Test Plan.

For example, the content for a Table of Specification for a topic, can be narrow to an extent that it effectively becomes a Test Plan. Setting tests according to the Table of Specifications guarantees success.

Yes, It’s Possible!

The Author holds PhD in ‘ Assessment & Quality Assurance’ and writes in his personal capacity as a Psychometric Researcher. Contact/ WhatsApp: 71713446 or masoletm@ gmail. com or facebook page: Trust Mbako Masole