ASSESSMENT RESULT INTERPRETATION

Rationale:

Collecting assessment results should not be the end of any assessment task or activity. It is necessary to interpret assessment results in order to guide teachers and learners towards the next steps of the learning process. Within SLMs, this can be achieved
by crafting an interpretation guide for the activities to inform learners of the meaning of scores with respect to their learning.

In interpreting assessment results, it is necessary to determine if a specific component of a competency is according to the learner’s current level of competence and know the corresponding feedback and action that needs to be done in response to this. Because of a great possibility of vast ranges in diversity of learners in a class, we can classify learner competence through whether a competency is within the learner’s Zone of Actual Development (ZAD) and Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) or is something that the learner cannot do even with guidance. The ZAD refers to skills and competencies that a learner can accomplish on his or her own without any scaffolding. On the other hand, the ZPD is the zone where there could be more learning if necessary help is provided to the learners (Vygotsky, 1978). Skills and competencies that a learner cannot do even with guidance, on the other hand, are out of a learner’s capacity range and are too advanced for the learner. Teachers should build on prerequisite skills first until the learner is able to reach a higher developmental level. You may refer to the figure below for reference.

After assessment results were interpreted according to the developmental level of the learners, possible feedback or intervention can be planned.

There are two main interpretation methods for situations like these.

Scaffolded/Unscaffolded: Learners can be assessed with or without scaffolding. If some items assessing a level of the TOS are provided with scaffolding and some without, then:
Those who get the items without scaffolding correctly are working in their ZAD.
• Those who can only answer items with scaffolding correctly are working in their ZPD.
• Those who can do neither are being asked to work on something that they cannot do even with guidance and need support with easier levels from the TOS.

2. Proportion Correct: If items assessing the level of the TOS are provided without scaffolding, then the proportion correct can be used to allocate learners.
• Those with most items (approximately 75% or above) correct are working in their ZAD.
• Those with roughly half correct (approximately 25% to 75%) are working in their ZPD; and
• Those with fewer correct are being asked to work on something that they cannot do even with guidance and need support with easier levels from the TOS.