Internal evaluation versus external evaluation
An external test or assessment serves the purpose of providing information about students, information that may be used by teachers and others to see the suitability of students for a subsequent course of higher education or a job in an institution. So the teachers are also very impressed with the adequacy of the exam results. They tend to distort teaching in order to obtain satisfactory results in exams without caring whether students have acquired knowledge or not. Experts feel that in universities there is no education system but an examination system. University examinations either at the end of the year or at the end of the semester assess the ability to recall facts, recall principles, use numerical data, build hypotheses, evaluate hypotheses, and design experiments. But they do not measure students’ abilities to use a single technology they have studied.
Students who appear in higher education entrance tests are tested for their all-round ability. Students studying for final exams or external exams cannot pass these entrance exams.
Some of the potential learning outcomes should be knowledge, understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, drawing and drawing skills, ability to handle tools, communication skills (writing skills, speaking), social skills (teamwork and leadership), personal interest (orderliness, hard work, innovation, originality, initiative), positive and scholarly behaviour, appreciation and creativity.
These qualities cannot be obtained by the end of exams or external exams. So there is a need for continuous internal evaluation. Evaluation is taken as the final decision and grades, while evaluation is a permanent probing of the best way forward.
Basic principles
Internal evaluation is a continuous, periodic and internal process. This means that evaluation is carried out in relation to specific abilities and skills in certain fields on a regular and continuous basis. This should be planned at the time of curriculum development, curriculum interpretation and learning objectives. This is known as internal, because the assessment is done by the teacher at the institute and no external agency is involved. It does not necessarily replace the final exam. The final exam must be taken as part of the internal assessment. Nor does it mean only a few exams in the middle of the term instead of final exams and requires that the learning outcomes of a particular subject be perfectly illustrated. The internal assessment shall test those skills and abilities which cannot be tested through a written examination at the end of the course.
Proper importance should be given to internal assessment and final examinations. The marks or scores for the internal assessment and the external university end examinations must appear separately on the mark sheets. Teachers should carry out an internal assessment of students, taking into account all aspects of students’ work such as assignments, lessons, practical contributions, seminars, project work, as well as periodic tests of achievement.
Students can be tested with questions such as quizzes, objective type questions, short answer essay type, long answer essay type, structured essay type, problem solving type, performance type, assignments, tutorials, and projects.
The success of the internal evaluation system depends to a large extent on the teachers; Their understanding, their training, their potential, their honesty, their unbiased attitude and above all the ‘professionalism’ they bring to their teaching and learning test work.