Much of what people know about quantitative assessment in education is that it is summative, which means that it is used to evaluate students' accomplishments and assign numbers or give marks on their work. But it's more than that. Schools have long been using quantitative assessment in education to accomplish different purposes. Here's everything you need to know about the importance of this type of assessment in education.
Provide diagnostic feedback
Right at the beginning of a school term, quantitative assessment tools are already used by teachers. They provide diagnostic exams to check the students' current knowledge base before the start of the lessons. This will help teachers think of effective ways to instruct and inform learners about their current standing and prepare them for the topics to be covered.
Evaluate the quality of instruction
The exam scores of students can tell many things apart from their skills or knowledge. These scores also speak volumes about the performance of the teacher and the quality of the instruction. If most of the students in the classroom have failing marks, then the teacher or the instruction method may not be effective. It's safe to assume that the lessons are too hard for the students—which means that the learning objectives are not met. The teacher should make adjustments on how he or she will efficiently teach the lessons.
Make informed decisions
Quantitative assessment in education is like a quality assurance tool that guides teachers toward attaining better standards. How? For example, teachers use short quizzes and activities as formative assessments or for developmental purposes. The scores will help them identify learning gaps, hindrances, and progress. They can also tell if the class is ready to move forward to another topic or if they need to repeat the instruction to better understand the concepts.
