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Assessment vs. Evaluation in Education

Based on dictionary definitions, we can understand that evaluation is often seen as a final judgment on the quality of learning. That being said, by using specific criteria, a pupil’s outcome is graded with markers, letters, or number grades to determine the quality. For example, in the Cooper Test for endurance (a measurement of the distance one can cover in 12 minutes), a standardized norms chart shows levels like "Poor," "Fair," "Average," "Good," "Excellent," "Superior," and "Elite" based on your fitness results. This chart allows for quick categorization of one's fitness level.

In instructional settings, evaluation is an overall judgment that often lacks specific and useful feedback. For example, "While your javelin throw is good, it could have been better if you had exerted more power. As such, you scored a B grade." This provides the student with a grade, but little information on how to improve. Consequently, the grades determine one's current learning performance. The results of evaluation do not necessarily reflect the true nature of one’s capability, especially considering factors such as mood, environment, and the assessor-assessee relationship.

On the other hand, assessment differs significantly from evaluation. The difference lies in the purpose. While assessment also uses specific criteria to determine a pupil’s desired learning outcome, pupils receive feedback and comments on their strengths and weaknesses. For example, if a pupil has yet to master certain learning criteria (i.e., dribble a ball), they will be assessed and provided feedback on areas of weakness, as well as ways to improve. In that sense, pupils are assessed on what they can do based on the rubrics and the information collected, before pupils/assessees recognize areas for improvement. For that, assessment is "viewed as the act of collecting and interpreting information about students" (Northwest Regional Educational Laboratories, 1994, 1998). If pupils are being evaluated to measure their performance skills in the form of grades, then a rigorous assessment is needed to identify what is responsible for their failure or poor performance.

In Physical Education settings, it is important to recognize that rather than a single correct response or performance, there are various ways to satisfactorily perform the designated activity or skill (Hensley, 1997). With that, a student’s learning progression is assessed through observational assessment techniques, using rubrics to help teachers gather information to modify and differentiate teaching and learning activities (Gibbons & Kankkonen, 2011). In other words, assessment is the process of gathering evidence of what the child can do (Baranovskaya & Shaforostova, 2017).

While the orientation of evaluation is product-oriented (usually the end result of learning), assessment is process-oriented, in which assessees/students receive constructive feedback and reflection on how they can further improve their learning performance. That being said, through assessment, it is highly beneficial for both the assessor and assessees to collaborate in setting the learning criteria to be mastered.

Personally, I believe that assessment and evaluation should go hand in hand to produce greater learning outcomes among pupils. Evaluation will encourage students to prepare thoroughly, as they will see direct, tangible results, while assessment is a lengthier process that will ultimately see students improving over the long term as a result of feedback and ongoing improvements on what they can do in the tasks given.

Sometimes qualitative data are far more revealing and helpful than quantitative reports when it comes to understanding how to improve performance in the future1 (Starr, 2014).