Different assessments reflect different social assumptions, impacting learners positively and negatively. Standardized tests assume universal standards, potentially disadvantaging marginalized groups despite offering large-scale comparisons. Classroom-based assessments value diverse learning styles but may lack grading consistency. Portfolios emphasize learning processes and self-reflection but require significant time investment. Optimal assessment uses a balanced approach considering diverse learners and learning styles.

• Glyka Angel Raganas

Different types of assessment in education are based on different social assumptions, which influence the way assessments are designed and implemented. Traditional assessments, such as standardized tests, are based on the principles of objectivity, efficiency and uniformity. These principles encourage the use of multiple-choice or short-answer question formats that can be evaluated quickly and objectively. However, this approach has its limitations, as it can lead to a narrowing of the curriculum, with teachers focusing more on teaching material that fits the test format rather than building deeper understanding. In addition, these tests often create pressure and anxiety for students, especially if the results are used as a deciding factor in important decisions, such as graduation or college admission.

On the other hand, alternative assessments, such as project-based or portfolio-based assignments, depart from the assumption that real-life experiences more accurately reflect students abilities. This type of assessment emphasizes the application of knowledge in real-world situations, thus encouraging the development of critical thinking skills, problem solving, and creativity. Although more flexible and contextualized, alternative assessments have their own challenges. The development process is more complex and takes longer, while the evaluation methods are often more subjective, which can lead to inconsistencies in assessment. In addition, students who have limited access to resources or experience anxiety in the face of performance-based tasks may face additional barriers in this system. Therefore, a balance between traditional and alternative assessments is important to ensure educational evaluations that are fair, comprehensive and reflect students potential more holistically.

@Maria Vanesha,@Ardelia Indriani Putri,@Firda Rizqa Istianah,

• Damselina Setyoaji

The Social Assumptions Behind Different Types of Assessment and Their Impact on Learners: Benefits and Drawbacks
Assessment in education has social assumptions that shape how assessment is understood and its impact on learners. Formative assessment assumes that learning is a continuous and reversible process, helping learners improve their understanding through feedback without the pressure of a final grade. Summative assessment, which is conducted at the end of a learning period, assumes that academic success can be measured through final results, although it can increase stress due to the pressure of getting high grades.


Types of Assessments and Their Social Assumptions

Standardized Testing (Summative Assessment): Standardized testing, as a form of summative assessment, operates on the assumptions that knowledge is measurable, learning is linear, and intelligence can be ranked, with success often linked to socioeconomic status, as students from privileged backgrounds tend to perform better due to greater access to resources. While it provides a common metric for comparing students across different schools and regions and can highlight disparities in education, it also encourages teaching to the test, ignores creative and critical thinking, increases stress, and disadvantages students with test anxiety or different learning styles.

Classroom-Based Tests and Quizzes (Formative & Summative): Classroom-based tests and quizzes, used for both formative and summative assessment, operate on the assumption that learning can be broken down into discrete facts and skills that can be objectively assessed. While regular assessments allow teachers to track student progress and adjust instruction accordingly, they can also reinforce memorization over deep understanding and may demotivate students who struggle with traditional test formats.

Essays and Research Papers: Essays and research papers are based on the assumption that writing ability serves as a proxy for intelligence and understanding and that all students have equal access to language proficiency. While they encourage critical thinking, creativity, and the synthesis of ideas, they can also disadvantage students who struggle with writing or face language barriers.

Oral Exams and Presentations: Oral exams and presentations operate on the assumption that speaking confidently equates to understanding and mastery of content. While they help develop public speaking skills and allow for real-time demonstration of knowledge, they can also be stressful for introverted or anxious students and may prioritize performance skills over content knowledge.

Group Projects: Group projects are based on the assumption that collaboration is a key skill and that learning is inherently social. While they prepare students for teamwork in real-world settings and promote peer learning, they can also lead to unequal participation, with some students taking on more work than others.

Example of an Alternative Assessment: Portfolio-Based Assessment

Description: A portfolio is a collection of student work that demonstrates learning progress over time. It may include essays, projects, reflections, artwork, videos, and other artifacts that showcase different skills.

Analysis:

Social Assumptions: Learning is an evolving process, students learn in different ways, and self-reflection is valuable.

For Better: Encourages creativity, personalized learning, and deeper engagement. Provides a more comprehensive picture of a student’s abilities.

For Worse: Can be time-consuming for both students and teachers, may lack a standardized evaluation method, and can be challenging to assess objectively
@Padma Aulia,@Firda Rizqa Istianah,@Rifki Ariyanto,@Ajeng Citra Larassati Ajeng,

• Fadilla Fadlan

Criterion-referenced assessments are based on the assumption that all students can achieve a certain level of mastery with the right instruction and time. They focus on meeting predefined standards, offering clear expectations and allowing for individual progress. However, these assessments can create pressure to meet specific benchmarks and may neglect broader skills like creativity or critical thinking.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments compare students' performance to their peers, which can motivate students and help identify high achievers and those who need additional support. However, this approach can also lead to stress, anxiety, and inequality, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Self-referenced assessments prioritize personal growth and intrinsic motivation, encouraging individualized learning and reducing stress by eliminating peer comparison. However, they may lack external benchmarks, making it harder to gauge performance against broader standards, and could potentially lead to complacency.

Each type of assessment has its own assumptions and consequences, highlighting that a mixed approach may offer a more comprehensive evaluation of student learning, balancing individual growth with broader standards and peer comparisons.@Firda Rizqa Istianah,@Rifki Ariyanto,@Padma Aulia,

• Salsabila Jamal

Criterion-referenced assessments are based on the assumption that all students can achieve a certain level of mastery with the right instruction and time. They focus on meeting predefined standards, offering clear expectations and allowing for individual progress. However, these assessments can create pressure to meet specific benchmarks and may neglect broader skills like creativity or critical thinking.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments compare students' performance to their peers, which can motivate students and help identify high achievers and those who need additional support. However, this approach can also lead to stress, anxiety, and inequality, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Self-referenced assessments prioritize personal growth and intrinsic motivation, encouraging individualized learning and reducing stress by eliminating peer comparison. However, they may lack external benchmarks, making it harder to gauge performance against broader standards, and could potentially lead to complacency.

Each type of assessment has its own assumptions and consequences, highlighting that a mixed approach may offer a more comprehensive evaluation of student learning, balancing individual growth with broader standards and peer comparisons.@Firda Rizqa Istianah,@Rifki Ariyanto,@Padma Aulia,

• Salsabila Jamal

Criterion-referenced assessments are based on the assumption that all students can achieve a certain level of mastery with the right instruction and time. They focus on meeting predefined standards, offering clear expectations and allowing for individual progress. However, these assessments can create pressure to meet specific benchmarks and may neglect broader skills like creativity or critical thinking.

In contrast, norm-referenced assessments compare students' performance to their peers, which can motivate students and help identify high achievers and those who need additional support. However, this approach can also lead to stress, anxiety, and inequality, especially for students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

Self-referenced assessments prioritize personal growth and intrinsic motivation, encouraging individualized learning and reducing stress by eliminating peer comparison. However, they may lack external benchmarks, making it harder to gauge performance against broader standards, and could potentially lead to complacency.

Each type of assessment has its own assumptions and consequences, highlighting that a mixed approach may offer a more comprehensive evaluation of student learning, balancing individual growth with broader standards and peer comparisons.@Firda Rizqa Istianah,@Rifki Ariyanto,@Padma Aulia,

• Salsabila Jamal

The social assumptions underlying any assessment reflect how students learn and what is done in the educational process. These assumptions guide how assessments are designed and influence the learning process, which can have both positive and negative effects. The social assumptions underlying any type of assessment can shape the learning experience and have profound effects on students, both positive and negative. Understanding these assumptions and their consequences allows educators to make more informed decisions about the nature of assessments and ensure that they are fair and beneficial to all students. Ideal assessment strategies often include a variety of methods to accommodate diverse learners and promote a comprehensive view of student development.

Standardized tests like the SAT and ACT assume that all students have equal chances to learn, focusing on individual abilities. While these tests can be fair and motivate hard work, they may disadvantage underprivileged students and create stress due to their narrow skill focus. Formative assessments, such as quizzes, support the idea that learning is ongoing and varies for each student. They encourage improvement through continuous feedback but can frustrate students when feedback is lacking or misaligned with goals. Summative assessments, like final exams, measure a student's mastery of a subject using uniform standards. They can show overall understanding but may lead to cramming, anxiety, and ignore diverse learning styles. Portfolio-based assessments allow students to showcase their work and reflect on their learning, promoting individuality but may be confusing and time-consuming for some. Peer and self-assessments involve students evaluating each other's work, enhancing critical thinking and collaboration, though biases may arise without training. Authentic assessments connect learning to real-life situations, fostering engagement and skill development. However, they require careful design and resources that may not always be available.

• Shazkya Ivanya Salma

Berbagai jenis penilaian, seperti tes standar tradisional, penilaian alternatif, dan penilaian formatif, didasarkan pada asumsi sosial yang memengaruhi cara penerapannya dalam dunia pendidikan. Tes standar tradisional umumnya dirancang untuk menilai pengetahuan siswa secara objektif dan efisien,tetapi sering kali menyebabkan penyempitan kurikulum serta tekanan akademik yang tinggi bagi siswa. Di sisi lain, penilaian alternatif lebih menekankan pada penerapan pengetahuan dalam situasi nyata, mendorong kreativitas dan pemikiran kritis, namun dapat bersifat lebih subjektif dan memerlukan lebih banyak waktu untuk dilaksanakan serta dievaluasi. Sementara itu, penilaian formatif memberikan umpan balik secara berkelanjutan untuk membantu siswa meningkatkan keterampilan mereka, tetapi jika tidak diterapkan dengan baik, justru dapat menjadi sumber stres bagi siswa.
Setiap jenis penilaian memiliki dampak positif dan negatif dalam dunia pendidikan. Tes standar tradisional memberikan gambaran singkat tentang kemampuan siswa secara keseluruhan, tetapi dapat mengurangi kedalaman pemahaman karena lebih berfokus pada hafalan dan jawaban yang terstruktur. Penilaian alternatif memberikan kesempatan bagi siswa untuk menunjukkan kreativitas serta penerapan pengetahuan dalam berbagai konteks, namun bisa menjadi tantangan bagi beberapa siswa yang lebih terbiasa dengan tes tertulis yang terstruktur. Penilaian formatif mendukung perkembangan siswa melalui umpan balik yang berkesinambungan, tetapi jika diberikan terlalu sering tanpa perencanaan yang baik, justru dapat menjadi beban tambahan bagi mereka.
Secara keseluruhan, semua jenis penilaian ini memainkan peran penting dalam menentukan bagaimana siswa belajar dan bagaimana hasil pembelajaran mereka dievaluasi. Oleh karena itu, pemilihan metode penilaian yang tepat harus disesuaikan dengan tujuan pendidikan, karakteristik siswa, serta sumber daya yang tersedia, agar proses pembelajaran menjadi lebih efektif dan bermakna.
@Ajeng Citra Larassati Ajeng,@Firda Rizqa Istianah,@Salsabila Jamal,

• Padma Aulia

Different assessments are built on different ideas about what learning should look like and how students compare to each other. Norm-referenced tests, for instance, assume that abilities naturally follow a bell curve, meaning some students will always be at the top while others are at the bottom. This kind of ranking can push high performers to excel, but it can also hurt those who aren’t doing as well, making them feel less capable or motivated.

Criterion-referenced assessments work on the idea that every student can reach a set standard if given the right support. The focus here is on whether students meet predetermined goals, not on how they compare to each other. While this approach can boost confidence and encourage learning at one’s own pace, it might also create pressure on teachers to help all students reach the same level, which isn’t always realistic.

Self-referenced assessments look at each student’s progress over time. They assume that improvement is the most important measure of success. This method can help students see their own growth and build self-esteem, but it might leave them unsure of how they measure up against larger expectations or their peers.

In all cases, these assessment styles shape how students see themselves and can either motivate them or contribute to stress and inequality, depending on how well they match individual needs.

@Firda Rizqa Istianah, @Maria Vanesha, @Ardelia Indriani Putri, @Cindy Putri Annisa,

• M. Fakhri Munir

Various types of assessments in education are based on different social assumptions, influencing their design and implementation. Traditional assessments, such as standardized tests, are grounded in assumptions of objectivity, efficiency, and standardization. These assumptions lead to the use of multiple-choice or short-answer questions that can be evaluated objectively and quickly. However, this approach can constrain the curriculum, as teachers may feel compelled to teach to the test, thereby reducing students' deep understanding. Additionally, standardized tests can induce anxiety and stress among students, especially when results are used for high-stakes decisions like graduation or college admissions.

Conversely, alternative assessments, such as project-based tasks or portfolios, are based on the assumption that real-world tasks provide a more accurate reflection of students' abilities. These assessments emphasize the application of knowledge and skills to solve complex problems, fostering critical thinking and creativity. However, alternative assessments can be more time-consuming to develop and implement, and may require more subjective evaluation methods, potentially leading to inconsistencies in assessment. Moreover, students who experience test anxiety or have limited access to resources necessary for performance-based tasks may face additional challenges.

@Cindy Putri Annisa, @Firda Rizqa Istianah, @Ardelia Indriani Putri

• Maria Vanesha