Phase Two: Implementation (Design and Implementation/Integration)

Designing Assessment Tools or Instruments

Designing assessment tools or instruments involves several steps, including the following:

1. Define the objectives: Clearly define the learning objectives and what skills, knowledge or attitudes you want to assess.

2. Choose the type of assessment: Choose the type of assessment that best fits the objectives, such as multiple choice questions, short answer questions, essays, performance tasks or portfolios.

3. Develop assessment items: Write questions or tasks that measure the desired skills, knowledge or attitudes, making sure to include enough variety to avoid boredom and reduce the impact of random guessing.

4. Pilot test: Try out the assessment items on a small group of people to see if they work as intended and to identify any problems.

5. Refine and revise: Based on the results of the pilot test, revise and refine the assessment items, making sure they are clear, fair and reliable.

6. Determine the scoring method: Decide how to score the assessment items, taking into account the type of assessment, the objectives and the desired level of detail.

7. Test administration: Plan how the assessment will be administered, including the timing, location and materials needed.

8. Data analysis: After the assessment has been administered, analyze the results to determine how well it met its objectives, identify areas for improvement and make changes for future assessments.

It's important to keep in mind that assessment is an ongoing process and that assessment tools and instruments should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they continue to meet the needs of learners and the educational institution.

For further details on the universal design of assessments, please refer to the

website of the National Center on Educational Outcomes (Universal Design of Assessments | NCEO).

Approaches to Designing Assessment Tools/Processes

1. Backwards by Design

Backwards by Design

2. Development Pathway with an ERRE Approach

The Assessment Framework and a Development Pathway