Educational Measurement and

Evaluation
EDU 506
3(2-1)
B.Ed 2nd Semester
Individual and group Assessment
What is individual assessment?
Individual assessment (also known as IA, Individual
Assessment Center, Individual AC, and IAC) is a systematic
process intended to assess and predict the performance and
behavior of an individual within an organization. It is
currently most often used when selecting new candidates ,new
staff and in staff development (assessment of potential). A
combination of situational and psycho-diagnostic procedures
and the involvement of a further qualified third party (peer
review) provides a consensus of opinion about a candidate's
intellectual potential, motivation to succeed, and social skills.
 When is the right time for individual
assessment?
As individual assessment consultations require considerable time, a
balance must be struck between the effort involved and the return it
brings. For this reason, the process is most often reserved for key
human resources decisions, such as appointments to senior or
management posts where employing the wrong person could have
serious consequences.

A staff-development assessment can provide important indicators of

employees' suitability for promotion to management roles and how
they can be best be supported on an individual basis. Further
personal mentoring after the debriefing may be advisable in some
cases (Coaching).
What is the procedure for individual assessment?

Before the assessment

 Comprehensive discussion of the situation/issues with the client
 During the assessment - Personal characteristics and interpersonal
skills
 Intellectual skills, work style and ability to work under pressure
Analysis of potential
 Other specific points, according to requirements
 After the assessment: analysis of results and conclusions in terms
of
suitability for the job/function in question
 potential identified (analysis of strengths and weaknesses)
 future promotion and development
The following psychological methodology and tests may be used
(according to requirements)
 Structured interview

 IQ and performance testing

 Personality-type questionnaire, including handwriting

analysis
 Work samples/roleplay/observation of behavior

 Presentation of results

 Short oral summary at the end of the assessment

 Follow-up: comprehensive written report (2 copies, one for

the client and one for the assessment participant)

 One-to-one debriefing with the assessment participant

Duration
 The consultation lasts approximately 6 - 7 hours
Group assessment

 It is good teaching practice to occasionally step back and

assess what progress your group of students has made in
understanding patterns.For this purpose, it is appropriate to
give all students the same task. How they approach this task,
without any input from their teacher can be very revealing.
 In a group assessment, teachers may assign students to work
alone, in pairs or in small groups.
 The task may be relatively restricted (e.g. similar to tasks done
in class), a little challenging (e.g. an extension of a classroom
task) or entirely creative . Whatever is done, students need to
record the outcomes of their activity.
When is the right time for group assessment?
Students’ understanding of patterns may be assessed
both by observation of how they approach the task in
class and by analysis of student work afterwards.
However, if students are not clear about the
objectives and expectations of the group work, or are
questioning the validity and fairness of the
assessment, it may cause confusion and competition
among the group. And the educational benefit of
group work will be less effective and may even be
negative.
What is the procedure for group
assessment?
 Group assessments must be carefully designed if they are to
provide useful information about student understanding.
 An open-ended task
 A teacher gave her class the task of making a house with some
pattern or patterns in it. The results were most interesting.
 Teachers in higher education have been grouping students together
to work on specific assignments.
 Clear assessment guidelines and criteria are given.
 The process and product of group work is assessed with valid and
fair grading which is able to reliably reflect the contribution of
individual students.
 Group dynamics among students are efficiently managed.
What is the difference between the group and
individual tests?
 Different children can perform differently on group or individual
assessments. A primary difference is that group testing tends to be
more affordable than individual testing, while individual testing
tends to be more in-depth.
 For group testing your child will typically take tests in a classroom

with other children, and you will receive a one-page printout of

results.
 For individual testing your child will typically see an examiner on a

one-to-one basis for several hours (usually three), and you will
receive a detailed report of several pages offering an interpretation of
test results with recommendations. You will also have a 30-minute
feedback where the examiner will explain the results and answer any
questions you may have. The child does not have to be present.
Advantages of Individual Assessment

 Due to proper attention, the results also come out to be great

and it is beneficial for both the individual as well as the
examinee.
 More attention could be given to them, it is possible for the
examinee to know the behavior of the individual.
 By this manner, the individual can be encouraged and the right
path could be shown to him or her.
 The results that come out by use of the individual testing
process are accurate in comparison to that of the group testing.
Cont..….
 The person does not need to wait for the required result. So,
the result given is an added factor if compared to that of the
group tests.
 As the tests are conducted on an individual level, the
efficiency ought to be great because all concentration is given
overtime on one individual.
Disadvantage of Individual Assessment
If individual testing has some advantages, then at the same
time it also has many disadvantages.
 The individual testing is quite time-consuming. This is
because each and every individual has to be taken into account
during the test and one individual can take as much time as
needed.
 For such individual tests, the experienced and trained
examiners are required.
 Difficult to have the staff which is equally qualified and has
the experience which is required for conducting the test.
Cont……
 Questioning every individual and knowing the
problems of every individual is a big task for the
examinee. So, it forms one of the disadvantages of
individual testing.
 Lots of money and investment is required.
Advantages of Group Assessment
 Group assessment can enhance the quality of learning for
students through collaboration with peers.
 Working as a group allows students to clarify and explain their
understanding of the concepts covered in the course during
discussion with peers.
 It can enhance the motivation of students to contribute their
efforts to the project.
 It helps students develop generic skills such as teamwork,
communication, and project management skills while
engaging in the group process, which are valued by many
employers and important for students' future in long term.
Cont……
 is a particularly attractive option for first year courses which
are typically huge in class size.
 Can be administered to very large numbers simultaneously
 Simplified examiner role
 Scoring typically more objective
 Large, representative samples often used leading to better-
established norms
 A highly verbal group test can have a higher validity co-
efficient than an individual test.
Disadvantages of group assessment
 Scores on the group test are generally dependent on the
reading ability.
 Information obtained by the group test generally less accurate
than the individual tests.
 The examiner has less opportunity to establish rapport, obtain
cooperation, and maintain interest.
 Not readily detected if examinee tired, anxious, unwell
 Evidence that emotionally disturbed children do better on
individual than group Assessment.
Cont……
 Examinee’s responses more restricted
 Normally an individual is tested on all items in a group test
and may become boredom over easy items and frustrated or
anxious over difficult items
 Individual tests typically provide for the examiner to choose
items based on the test takers prior responses – moving onto
quite difficult items or back to easier items. So individual tests
offer more flexibility.
  The results and the information is less accurate.
Jazzak Allah