Assessment of Learning in The Cognitive Domain

Assessment of Learning in the Cognitive Domain
Learning and achievement in the cognitive domain are usually measured in school through the use of paper and pencil tests (Oliva, 1988). Teachers have to measure students achievement in all the levels of the cognitive domain. Thus, they need to cognizant with the procedures in the development of the different types of paper and pencil tests. This chapter is focused on acquainting prospective teachers with methods and techniques of measuring learning in the cognitive domain.
Behaviors Measured and Assessed in the Cognitive Domain

There are three domains of behavior measured and assessed in schools. The most commonly assessed, however, is the cognitive domain. The cognitive domain deals with the recall or recognition of knowledge and the development into six hierarchical levels, namely: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
Knowledge Level -behaviors related to recognizing and remembering facts, concepts, and other important data on any topic or subject.
Comprehension Level -behaviors associated with the clarification and articulation of the main idea of what students are learning.
Application Level - behaviors that have something to do with problem solving and expression, which require students to apply what they have learned to other situations or cases in their lives. Analysis Level -behaviors that require students to think critically, such as looking for motives, assumptions, cause effect relationship, differences and similarities, hypotheses, and conclusions.
Synthesis Level: -behaviors that call for creative thinking, such as combining elements in new ways, planning original experiments, creating original solutions to a problem and building models. Evaluation Level: -behaviors that necessitate judging the value or worth of a person, object, or idea or giving opinion on an issue.
Preparing for Assessment of Cognitive Learning

Prior to the construction of paper and pencil test to be use in the measurement of cognitive learning, teachers have to answer the following questions (Airisian, 1994)
What Should Be Tested.

Identification of the information, skills, and behaviors to be tested is the first important decision that a teacher has to take. Knowledge of what shall be tested will enable a teacher to develop an appropriate test for the purpose. The basic rule to remember, however, is that testing emphasis should parallel teaching emphasis.
How to Gather Information About What to Test.

A teacher has to decide whether he should give a paper and pencil test or simply gather information through observation. Should he decide to use a paper and pencil test, if he decides to use observation of students performance of the targeted skill, then he has to develop appropriate devices to use in recording his observations. Decisions on how to gather information about what to test depends on the objective or the nature or behavior to be tested.
How Long the Test Should Be.

The answer to the aforementioned question depends on the following factors: age and attention span of the students; and type of questions to be used.
How Best to Prepare Students for Testing.

To prepare students for teaching, Airisian (1994) recommends the following measures;
1. providing learners with good instruction 2. reviewing students before testing 3. familiarizing students with question formats 4. scheduling the test 5. providing students information about the test.
Assessing Cognitive Learning

Teacher use two types of tests in assessing student learning in the cognitive domain: objective test and essay test (Reyes, 2000). An objective test is a kind of test wherein there is only one answer to each item. On the other hand, an essay test is one wherein the test taker has the freedom to respond to a question based on how he feels it should be answered.
Types of Objective Tests

There are generally two types of objective tests: supply type and selection type (Carey, 1995). In the supply type, the student constructs his / her own answer to each question. Conversely, the student chooses the right answer to each item in the selection type of objective test.
Supply types of Objective Tests

Completion Drawing Type an incomplete drawing is presented which the student has to complete.
Completion Statement Type an incomplete sentence is presented and the student has to complete it by filling in the blank
Correction Type a sentence with underlined word or phrase is presented, which the student has to replace to make it right.
Identification Type a brief description is presented and the student has to identify what it is.
Simple Recall Type a direct question is presented for the student to answer using a word or phrase. Short Explanation Type similar to an essay test but requires a short answer.
Selection Types of Objective Test

Arrangement Type Terms or objects are to be arranged by the students in a specified order. Matching Type A list of numbered items are related to a list of lettered choices
Multiple Choice Type this type contains a question, problem or unfinished sentence followed by several responses.
Alternative Response Type A test wherein there are only two possible answers to the question. The true false format is a form of alternative response type. Variations on the true false include yes no, agree disagree, and right wrong.
Key List Test A test wherein the student has to examine paired concepts based on a specified set of criteria (Olivia, 1998). Interpretive Exercise It is a form of a multiple choice type of test that can assess higher cognitive behaviors. According to Airisian (1994) and Mitchell (1992), interpretive exercise provides students some information or data followed by a series of questions on that information. In responding to the questions in an interpretive exercise, the students have to analyze, interpret, or apply the material provided, like a map, excerpt of a story, passage of a poem, data matrix, table or cartoon.
Essay Test
-This type of test presents a problem or question and the student is to compose a response in paragraph form, using his or her own words, and ideas. There are two forms of the essay test: brief or restricted; and extended.
Brief or Restricted Essay Test This form of the essay test requires a limited amount of writing or requires that a given problem be solved in a few sentences.
Extended Essay Test This form of the essay test requires a student to present his answer in several paragraphs or pages of writing. It gives students more freedom to express ideas and opinions and use synthesizing skills to change knowledge into a creative idea.
According to Reyes (2000) and Gay (1985), the essay test is appropriate to use when learning outcomes cannot be adequately measured by objective test items. Nevertheless, all levels of cognitive behaviors can be measured with the use of the essay test as shown below.
Knowledge Level Explain how Siddharta Guatama became Buddha. Comprehension Level What does it mean when a person had crossed the Rubicon? Application Level Cite three instances showing the application of the Law of Supply and Demand.
Analysis Level Analyze the annual budget of your college as to categories of funds, sources of funds, major expenditures; and needs of your college.
Synthesis Level Discuss the significance of the Peoples Power Revolution in the restoration of democracy in the Philippines. Evaluation Level Are you in favor of the political platform of the Peoples Reform Party? Justify your answer.
Choosing the type of test depends on the teachers purpose and the amount of time to be spent for the test. As a general rule, teachers must create specific tests that will allow students to demonstrate targeted learning competencies.
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Assessment of Learning in the Cognitive Domain

Behaviors Measured and Assessed in the Cognitive Domain

Preparing for Assessment of Cognitive Learning

What Should Be Tested.

How to Gather Information About What to Test.

How Long the Test Should Be.

How Best to Prepare Students for Testing.

Assessing Cognitive Learning

Types of Objective Tests

Supply types of Objective Tests

Selection Types of Objective Test

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