MAE104M
EXAM
PACK 2023
QUESTIONS WITH
ANSWERS
,MAY/JUNE 2018
QUESTION 1
1.1 What is the difference between assessment and evaluation? (2)
Assessment is ingoing, provides quality, is not graded, provides feedback and is process oriented.
Evaluation provides closure, judges quality, is graded, shows shortfalls and is product oriented.
Or
Distinguish between assessment and evaluation (2)
Assessment of teaching means taking a measure of its effectiveness. “Formative” assessment is
measurement for the purpose of improving it. ... Evaluation is the process of observing and
measuring a thing for the purpose of judging it and of determining its “value,” either by comparison
to similar things, or to a standard.
1.2 Give 4 general underlying principles that assessment should be based on (4)
1. Assessment practices that are linked closely to the intended curriculum
2. An assessment of a variety of skills and attributes
3. Elevating the importance of formative assessment practices
4. Providing advice to the teacher on the level of learner understanding in a way that might
encourage a more appropriately focused teaching approach
(SG P5)
1.3 The assessment process can be explained in terms of four interrelated phases. State and
discuss each of these phases. (12)
1. Plan the assessment
Assessment must be planned on the basis of the outcomes expected of the learner. The
teacher must decide on the purpose served, the methods that are going to be used for
gathering and interpreting evidence, and on the criteria to be used for evaluating
performance
2. Gather the evidence
The teacher must decide on how activities and tasks are to be created/selected and the
procedures to engage learners in the activities
3. Interpret the evidence
The teacher must decide on how to determine quality of the evidence, to infer an
understanding of the performance from the evidence, to apply the criteria appropriately, and
to summarise the evaluation in terms of results
4. Use the results
The teacher must decide on how to report the results, make inferences from the results,
and what action to take based on the inferences made
(SG P8)
Or
1. Plan the assessment
The following are important during this phase:
→ Assessment must be planned on the basis of the outcomes expected of the learner.
→ The teacher must decide on the purpose served by the assessment.
→ The teacher must decide on the methods that are going to be used for gathering and
interpreting evidence.
→ The teacher must decide on the criteria to be used for evaluating performance.
2. Gather the evidence
The teacher must decide on how
→ activities and tasks are to be created or selected
→ procedures are to be selected to engage learners in the activities
3. Interpret the evidence
, The teacher must decide on how
→ to determine quality of the evidence
→ to infer an understanding of the performance from the evidence
→ to apply the criteria appropriately
→ to summarise the evaluation in terms of results
4. Use the results
The teacher must decide on how
→ to report the results
→ to make inferences from the results
→ what action to take based on the inferences made
1.4 Explain how effective assessment can be implemented in a mathematics classroom (10)
Teachers select the methods, tools and techniques used on the basis of
→ the purpose of assessment
→ the specific learning area
→ what the teacher wants to assess
→ knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes
Assessment should make a meaningful contribution to learning and teaching. The teacher should
convey to the learners that what matters most is not so much passing or failing, but what can we
learn from the past to improve future learning.
Assessment must incorporate a sufficient range of methods, tools and techniques to meet the
teacher's obligations. In particular, such assessment must attend to language, tools, level of
sophistication, task type, context and communication mode. No single task or practice can
adequately cover all these dimensions.
OCT/NOV 2018
QUESTION 1
1.1 State and discuss four purposes of assessment (12)
1. Monitoring student progress
Assessment should:
→ provide the learner and teacher with feedback on the progress being made towards
reaching the goal of instruction
→ inform each learner and teacher about how the learner's problem-solving abilities
and mathematical power are developing, and not merely whether the learners have
mastered a particular procedure or skill
2. Making instructional decisions
Assessment provides the teacher with:
→ ongoing information about how learners are thinking, and what ideas they are using
and developing
→ data to improve his or her instruction
3. Evaluating student achievement
Assessment involves:
→ the teacher's evaluation of the learner's achievement
→ recognizing the accomplishments of the learner
4. Evaluating programs
Assessment should show the teacher how well the program worked in enabling him or her
to achieve his or her goals. This will assist him or her to modify his or her instruction and
program to achieve effective or optimum learning.
(SG P 14)
, 1.2 In the context of mathematics teaching and learning, what is problem solving? Draw up two
tasks that can be used in a mathematics problem-solving lesson. State the grade level for each
task. Label your tasks as task A and task B (7)
1.3 State and discuss two main purposes of assessment in the school context (10)
1. Baseline assessment
→ is used to measure learners' existing ideas, knowledge, experiences and skills
→ is used at the beginning of a new set of learning activities to determine what the learner
already knows
→ is used to assist in determining what levels of demands to build into the learning plan
→ is not always formally recorded, but occasionally takes the form of standardised tests
→ is used to enable teachers to identify learners with special needs early on in the learning
programme
→ can involve the interface between teacher and parents when collecting information or
when providing feedback
2. Formative assessment
→ is assessment of learning which results in process evaluation
→ allows teachers to inform the learner to plan future learning
→ involves a developmental approach
→ is designed to monitor and support learning progress
→ occurs throughout the learning process
→ involves both the teacher and learner in a process of continual reflection and reviewing
of progress
→ helps to determine the learners' strengths and needs
→ provides quality feedback to empower learners to take appropriate action
→ allows teachers to adjust the learning/instruction process according to the response to
formative assessment
→ can be done by the teacher, learner, peer group and parents
→ has the potential to have the greatest impact on learning
→ can be formal or informal
(SG p16)
1.4 Assessment plays an important role in educational settings, especially in mathematics
curriculum. Discuss how assessment can empower learners, teachers, and parents (6)
→ Values and culture transferred to child
→ Teamwork is encouraged.
→ Learner attendance will improve
→ Parent-teacher relationship strengthened
→ Parent directly involved in learning process
→ Parent aware of how child is performing
(SG p35)