achievement levels of learners will assist teachers and curriculum designers to plan the scope and sequence of teaching contents or subjects
with respect to the various levels of the learners. • Tests may assist in educational and vocational counseling. – Tests can
assist teachers in educational or vocational counseling. Tests may also assist learners in self-awareness and help learners match abilities and
achievement with job specifications. • Tests may help the administrative staff appraise the educational program.
– Tests, along with other data, can help the administrator evaluate how well the organization or school is reaching its educational objectives and
philosophy.
In addition to these reasons, it is worthy to note that testing can also give learners
a clearer idea of how far they have progressed in their mastery of literacy. Vella et al. 1998:19 pointed out that developing evaluation separately
– particularly as the program is ending
– is usually time-consuming and expensive because it will take additional time to plan and implement and will require spending part of a
limited budget. It is also true for developing a literacy assessment instrument for a literacy program. If it can be developed along with the curriculum and instructional
materials, the assessment development procedure may require much less time and effort to be consistent with what the program actually provides for the participants and the
ultimate goal of the literacy program.
3.1.2 Formulating and documenting critical decisions for an assessment plan
Critical decisions made for planning literacy assessment must be clearly formulated and documented. Vella et al. 1998:15 provide an example of evaluation
planning with the five core questions and several alternatives to be chosen by the planners. These questions and alternatives shown in Table 12 can be adapted to articulate
the purpose, content, methods, and timing of literacy assessment in Nepal as well. Table 12: Questions and alternatives for evaluation decisions
Evaluation decision Alternatives
1. What is the purpose of the evaluation?
1 To aid in the design of the program 2 To provide feedback to learners and instructors during the program
3 To determine if learners developed important knowledge, skills, and attitudes as a result of the program
4 To determine if learners were able to use what they learned after completing the program
5 To determine if the program had the anticipated impact on people and organizations
6 Other purposes important to your program
2. What should be evaluated?
1 Changes in learner s‘ knowledge, skills, and attitudes resulting from the
program 2 Changes and improvements in the organizations for which the learners
work 3 The design of the educational program, methods and procedures used,
and instructor effectiveness 4 Other factors and results important to your program
3. What are the sources of evaluation
information? 1 Learners
‘ demonstrated knowledge, attitudes, and skills 2 Work completed by the learners
3 The instructor ‘s perceptions and observations
4 Evaluation experts 5 Co-workers, supervisors, and others who interact with the learner
6 Other sources that are a part of your program 4. What are the methods
for gathering information?
1 Formal or informal procedures 2 Direct or unobtrusive data collection
3 Designing specific evaluation tools or using existing learning activities for data collection
4 Attitude surveys, knowledge tests, or observations of performance 5 Oral, written, or demonstration activities
6 Other methods appropriate for your program and learners
5. When should evaluation be completed?
1 Before the program begins 2 Anytime during the program
3 Immediately at the end of the program 4 Some time after the program has ended when learners have had the
opportunity to apply what they have learned 5Other times when information is needed
Source: Vella et al., 1998:15
In literacy assessment planning, an operational definition of literacy in a particular context should first be made for the assessment purpose. UNESCO enumerates several
characteristics of essential elements of an operational literacy definition as follows 2005:21:
• Understood in the framework of communication, as one strategy among others;
• Related to text and the written word; • Including the manipulation of numbers - numeracy;
• Giving importance to context; • Implying some ability, skill or knowledge;
• Concerned with use in relation to life goals; • Linked to participation in society;
• Multi-dimensional, with connections among all of these characteristics. The rationale, the purpose or main objectives including target group to be
assessed, the use, and methodology of literacy assessment should also be elaborated in accordance with the identified operational definition of literacy. Lien 1976:120 offers a
comprehensive checklist, as shown in Table 13, identifying factors affecting the success of a test program in school contexts. This checklist indicates crucial elements of literacy
assessment that assessment committees should consider in out-of-school contexts as well. Table 13: A comprehensive checklist for a testing program
1. Purposes of the assessment program - clearly defined
- understood by parties involved 2. Choice of Tests
- valid and reliable - with appropriate difficulty level
- with adequate norms - easy to administer and score
- economical - best available for purpose
3. Administration and scoring - administrators well trained
- all necessary information provided - scores adequately instructed if hand-scored
- arrange for machine-scoring, if possible 4. Physical conditions
- sufficient space - sufficient time
- conveniently scheduled
5. Utilization of Test results - definite plans for use of results
- provision for giving teachers all necessary help in using scores
- provision for systematic follow-up on use of results
6. System of records - necessary for purpose
- sufficient for purpose - convenient form for use
- computer printouts, if possible, with labels for cumulative folders
7. Personnel - adequately trained for the purpose
8. Affiliated research - full advantage taken of results
- provision for special studies, analyses, etc.
Source: Lien, 1976:120-121
In terms of affiliated research and analyses as Lien mentioned above, there may be a number of quality resources of children‘s formal education in developed countries
andor Multi-lingual Education MLE even in developing countries. However, this cannot be taken for granted in the case of Non-formal adult education in Nepal as well as
most third world contexts. Thus, an assessment committee organized to develop a literacy assessment instrument for adults should plan carefully to produce a quality report based
on reliable analysis of valid data.
3.1.3 Capacity building of local and national human resources for an assessment
