EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT:

L

IKE PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT, EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT INVOLVES THE QUANTIFICATION OF CHARACTERISTICS, BUT IN THIS CASE, THE CHARACTERISTIC IS NOT PHYSICAL BUT BEHAVIOURAL, INCLUDING OBSERVATIONS AND EXPERIENCES. THAT IS, EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT IS AN OBJECTIVE AND SYSTEMATIC ASSIGNMENT OF A NUMERAL TO REPRESENT THE QUANTITY, QUALITY OR TYPE OF A CHARACTERISTIC OR BEHAVIOUR POSSESSED OR EXHIBITED BY AN INDIVIDUAL OR EVENT. NUMERAL INCLUDES NUMBERS AS WELL AS TYPE-DIFFERENTIATING SYMBOLS. UNLIKE PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT, EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT INVOLVES THE CONSTRUCTION AND VALIDATION OF THE TOOL WITH WHICH THE QUANTIFICATION IS DONE, WHEREAS IN PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT, THE TOOLS USED FOR THE QUANTIFICATION ARE READY-MADE AND CAN ALWAYS BE PICKED UP IN A STORE ACROSS THE STREET.  AND MUCH MORE SO, THAT TO BE MEASURED IN PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT CAN BE SEEN, FELT, TOUCHED, OBSERVED OR PERCEIVED, BUT IN EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT, THAT WHICH IS TO BE MEASURED ARE MOSTLY LATENT, AND CANNOT BE SEEN, FELT, OBSERVED OR PERCEIVED BUT MAY ONLY BE IMAGINED OR CONCEIVED. IN THAT CASE, WHILE PHYSICAL MEASUREMENT IS SAID TO BE DIRECT AND CONCRETE, EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT IS INDIRECT AND ABSTRACT. HENCE THE CHALLENGE OF VALIDITY IS PARAMOUNT IN THE CASE OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT. IN OTHER WORDS, SINCE EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT IS INVOLVED WITH EXHIBITED BEHAVIOUR, HOW MUCH DOES SUCH EXHIBITED BEHAVIOUR REPRESENTS THE ACTUAL BEHAVIOUR? AND, HOW WELL HAS THE EXHIBITED BEHAVIOUR BEEN ACCURATELY CAPTURED BY THE MEASUREMENT TOOL OR PROCESS? VALIDITY CAN BE VIEWED AS REPRESENTING THE PROPORTION OF WHAT IS CAPTURED THROUGH OUR MEASUREMENT THAT REPRESENTS THE ACTUAL CHARACTERISTIC OR ABILITY THAT IS BEING MEASURED. THIS EXEMPLIFY THE INFERENTIAL NATURE OF EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT.  HENCE, EDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT IS THE PROCESS OF FINDING OUT THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMOUNT AND/OR TYPE OF CHARACTERISTIC OR BEHAVIOUR POSSESSED BY AN INDIVIDUAL, OBJECT OR AN EVENT.  

MEASUREMENT AS A MEANS OF LOCATING THE AMOUNT OR TYPE OF CHARACTERISTICS POSSESSED BY A PERSON ON A CONTINUUM THAT DEFINES THAT CHARACTERISTICS.