The Meaning of Assessment and its Differences from Evaluation, Also Know its Function

Kapanlagi.com - An institution or organization usually needs assessment to determine the level of understanding or performance of individuals within it. Therefore, if you are an official part of an institution, understanding the meaning of assessment is important.

Don't let yourself not know the meaning of assessment even when the important time comes. There are many things you can gain after going through this process, as long as you know your position and understand its purpose and function.

Therefore, here is information about the meaning of assessment and its intricacies that you can learn.

1. Meaning of Assessment

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The meaning of assessment can be understood as a process that is often used in performance evaluation in a particular field. There are two people involved in this process, namely the assessor and the one being assessed. The assessor in this process is responsible for assessing someone's performance based on established standards.

Actually, this term has been absorbed into "asesmen" in the Indonesian language. The meaning of asesmen according to the Great Indonesian Dictionary (KBBI) is the activity of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data or information about students and their environment to obtain an understanding of the individual and their environment as a basis for understanding the individual and developing guidance and counseling services programs that are appropriate to their needs. In short, assessment can be understood as evaluation.

2. Difference Between Assessment and Evaluation

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At first glance, people might think that assessment is the same as evaluation. However, in reality, the meanings of assessment and evaluation are different. To clarify, you can understand the difference between them in the following information.

1. Assessment is the process of collecting, reviewing, and using information for the purpose of improving performance, while evaluation is based on predetermined criteria and evidence.

2. Assessment provides feedback on performance and ways to improve performance in the future, while evaluation ensures whether standards are met or not.

3. Assessment is diagnostic in nature because it tends to identify only areas for improvement. While evaluation is a comprehensive assessment because it aims to provide an overall value.

4. Assessment is related to the process, while evaluation focuses on the product.

5. The goal of assessment is formative, which is to improve quality, while evaluation aims to assess quality or can be called summative.

6. In assessment, feedback is based on observations, as well as positive and negative conclusions. Unlike evaluation, feedback depends on the level of quality according to established standards.

7. Assessment criteria are jointly established by both parties. Unlike evaluation, where criteria are established by the evaluator.

8. The measurement standards for assessment are absolute. On the other hand, the measurement standard for evaluation is comparative, which distinguishes between better and worse.

3. Meaning of Assessment According to Experts

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To deepen understanding of the meaning of assessment, the following information contains the opinions of experts that you can read.

1. Worthen and Sanders

The meaning of assessment is the activity of finding something valuable about something, including finding useful information in assessing the existence of a program, production, procedure, and alternative strategies proposed to achieve predetermined goals.

2. Nana Sudjana

Assessment is the process of giving or determining value to an object based on certain criteria.

3. Robert M Smith

Assessment is a comprehensive assessment that involves team members in identifying weaknesses and strengths. The results of the decision will be used as educational services needed by the child as a basis for developing a learning design.

4. James A. Mc. Lounghlin & Rena B Lewis

Assessment is a systematic process of collecting data on a child's abilities and difficulties. This data can be used as a basis for determining what is truly needed.

4. The Function of Assessment

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After understanding the meaning of assessment as explained above, you may be confused about what the function of assessment actually is. Well, here is an explanation that may answer your curiosity.

1. As a tool or material to see someone's abilities and difficulties.

2. Useful for finding and determining the location of the problems faced.

3. As material to determine what is really needed in learning.

4. Can help someone understand themselves, make decisions about program selection steps, personality development, and specialization.

5. Assessment can offer a broader view of needs and achievements.

5. The Purpose of Assessment

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Not only the function and meaning of assessment, but you also need to understand its purpose. Usually, companies conduct assessments to provide managers with a basis for decision-making. However, assessments are not only applied in companies. There are several common purposes of assessment that may be applied in various fields as follows.

1. Assessing individual abilities through specific tasks.

2. Obtaining relevant, objective, accurate, and comprehensive data about a condition.

3. Determining learning needs.

4. Helping and encouraging students.

5. Helping and encouraging teachers to teach better.

6. Determining learning strategies.

7. Institutional accountability.

8. Improving the quality of education.

9. Determining the services needed to meet the needs.

10. Monitoring progress.

Well, KLovers, that is an explanation of the meaning of assessment along with information about its functions and purposes that you may need to know.

(kpl/gen/ans)