Importance and Challenges of Measurement Categories

It allows a more precise description of pupils' performance. In evaluation terms of performance of different pupils may be stated as fairy good.
Teachers easily communicate pupils results to all stakeholders
Measurements are more economical than subjectivity.
Types of Measurements
Norm Reference Assessment(NRA)
A norm is a group .Therefore its comparisons of one child's performance to that of another.It is concerned with arrangement into order of merit.The teacher can be able to position each child according to scores obtained in relation to other classmates.The teacher can place pupils in their appropriate ability groups and helps the teacher to make pupils engage in academic competitions.
Advantages:It is useful for classification ,for example grouping, helps for selection and is useful for decisions making.
Disadvantages:The final grade counts the student's understanding.The class ,cluster or district position doesn't signifies other assessments like national examination or overall outstandings.
Criterion Reference Assessment(CRA)
The form of comparison in this assessment is not between one learner and others,but between what the learner has learnt or achieved and what to be achieved totally.It is concerned with the individual learner and helps the teacher to decide on whether the learner needs more work or remedial work.
Advantages:The teacher can diagonise the student difficulties hence giving remedial work and can evaluate individualised learning programmes.The teacher also estimate the ability of a child on particular concept or topic.
Disadvantages are unrealistic and too much is expected of the teacher to do because of high teacher-pupil ratio. It also discourages the use of problem-solving method.
Frequency of Measurement
Continuous Assessment
Continuous assessment which keeps students on toes.Continuous depends on the school policy and the teacher either weekly,fortnightly or monthly.
Weaknesses of Continuous Assessment
It stresses pupils since pupils should get prepared each and every time especially on weekly Tests.
Periodic Assessment
For example termly examanations.
Terminal Assessment
It is done at the end of the programme ,for example grade seven examinations in Zimbabwe or Ordinary level course etc.
These examinations has wide range of concepts
Methods of Measurements
Written and oral assessments.
Written Assessments
These are written tests ,examination tests,objectives tests and essay tests.
According to Ebel and Damrin(1960:1502)tests are,"...series of question task design to measure the knowledge or skill of an individual."
Tests are meant to measure the extent to which instuctional goals are realised.Tests and examinations are the same.
There are a series of types of tests, but can be categorised into two major categories which are objectives and subjective tests