It is important to note that the directness of an instrument depends on what is being measured. Measures that are more direct are always preferable to those that are less direct. An instrument's 'directness' is better conceived along a continuum ranging from relatively more direct to relatively less direct. Instead, these instruments rely on indirect evidence to infer that students possess certain skills (e.g., a self-report survey where students are asked to indicate whether they believe they've mastered various writing skills).Īlthough we often talk about instruments as being either direct or indirect, there is no such thing as a 100% direct measure. a writing assignment meant to assess writing skills). In contrast, indirect measures do not call on students to use the skills being measured. We generally consider direct measures of student learning to be instruments that require students to actually use the skills we are interested in measuring (e.g. Indirect Measures Often a distinction is made between 'direct' and 'indirect' measures. More specifically, raters are trained to evaluate the product or performance according to a rubric that specifies various criteria for success.ĭirect vs.

Performance Assessments are used to evaluate students' skills and behaviors as evidenced through certain products or performances. These instruments often use Likert-type scales that ask students to indicate the extent to which they agree or disagree with a certain statement. Other examples include matching items, true/false statements, short essays, and sentence completion items.Īttitudinal Instruments are concerned with the attitudes, beliefs, or preferences students may have. Multiple choice tests are a classic example of a cognitive instrument. As alluded to above, the verbs in your SLOs will dictate which type of instrument you should use.Ĭognitive Instruments are generally used to assess knowledge or reasoning.

There are three main types of instruments: cognitive instruments, attitudinal instruments, and performance assessments.

Valid assessment tool