The document discusses measuring different levels of understanding from knowledge to deep understanding when constructing test items and tasks. It defines knowledge, simple understanding, and deep understanding and their relation on a continuum. It also outlines cognitive levels from remembering to creating and examples of lower and higher order thinking questions to assess each level. Constructed response and selected response question types are discussed as well as how they can be used to measure different cognitive levels.

1. Selecting and
Constructing
Test Items
and Tasks

2. A. Measuring Knowledge
and Simple Understanding

3. Knowledge
as it appears in cognitive taxonomies as
the simplest and lowest level, is
categorized further into what
thinking process is involved
in learning.
Involves remembering or recalling specific
facts, symbols, details, elements of events
and principles to acquire new knowledge.

4. Remembering
being able to recall.
being necessary in learning
interrelationships among basic
elements and in learning
methods, strategies and
procedures
Make up the
early phase of
understanding
requiring lower
order thinking
(remembering,
comprehending
and applying

5. (McMillan, 2007)
Simple understanding
requiring
comprehension of
“concepts, ideas and
generalizations”
Knowledge as learned
concept
Declarative
Knowledge
Application of skills
and procedures
learned in new
situations
Knowledge as learned
way of doing things
Procedural
Knowledge

6. Levels of Declarative and
Procedural Knowledge
LEVEL DECLARATIVE PROCEDURAL
Knowledge
Remembers, restates, defines, identifies,
recognizes, names, reproduces or selects
specific facts, concepts, principles, rules or
theories
Remembers, restates, defines, identifies,
recognizes, names, reproduces or selects
correct procedure, steps, skills or
strategies
Simple Understanding:
Comprehension
Converts, translates, distinguishes,
explains, provides examples, summarizes,
interprets, infers or predicts in own words,
essential meanings of concepts and
principles
Converts, translates, distinguishes,
explains, provides examples, summarizes,
interprets, infers or predicts in own words,
correct procedures, steps, skills and
strategies
Simple Understanding:
Application
Uses existing knowledge of concepts,
principles and theories in new situations
to solve problems, interpret information
and construct responses
Uses existing knowledge of correct
procedures, steps, skills and strategies in
new situations to solve problems,
interpret information and construct
responses

7. Example
Declarative Knowledge Procedural Knowledge
Able to state the law of
supply and demand
Able to compute the area of
a triangle
Comprehension Able to explain the law of
supply and demand
Able to compare the size of
two given lots in terms of
area
Application Able to explain the rising
prices of vegetable during
summer time
Is able to determine the
number of 1x1 tiles needed
to cover a 50 ft x100 ft hall.

8. Nitko (2001): Categories of LOTS
and Generic Questions for its
Assessment
Low-Level Thinking Skills Sample Generic Questions
Knowledge of Terminologies What is a ______ ?
Knowledge of Specific Facts When did __________ happen?
Knowledge of Conventions Where are _________ usually found?
Knowledge of Trends and Sequences Name the stages in __________
Knowledge of Classifications and Categories Which does not belong with the others?
Knowledge of Criteria By what criterion will you use to judge ______ ?
Knowledge of Methods, Principles, Techniques When _______ increases, what happens to _____ ?
Comprehension What do you mean by the expression _______ ?
Simple Interpretations What makes ________ interesting?
Solving Numerical Problems Use the date above to find the _______
Manipulating Symbols Equations Show that ________ equals _______

9. B. Measuring Deep
Understanding

10. Deep Understanding –
beyond knowledge
and
simple understanding

11. Knowledge
Knowledge-Understanding
Continuum
Simple Understanding
Deep Understanding
Cognitive Levels/Levels of Learning Outcomes
Level 1: Remembering
• Recall
• Recognize
• Name
• Describe
Level 2: Comprehending
• Interpret
• Exemplify
• Classify
• Compare
• Explain
• Infer
Level 4: Analyzing
• Organize
• Distinguish
• Outline
• Transform
• Diagnose
• Deconstruct
Level 3: Applying
• Solve
• Apply
• Modify
• Demonstrate
• Employ
• Calculate
• Generate
Level 5: Evaluating
• Critique
• Assess
• Defend
• Justify
• Appraise
• measure
Level 6: Creating
• Plan
• Generate
• Produce
• Design
• Construct
• Compose
Alignment
of
Learning
Outcomes
and
Cognitive
Levels

12. Knowledge
Knowledge-Understanding Continuum
Simple Understanding
Deep Understanding
Cognitive Levels/Levels of Learning Outcomes
Level 1: Remembering
• Recall
• Recognize
• Name
• Describe
Level 2: Comprehending
• Interpret
• Exemplify
• Classify
• Compare
• Explain
• Infer
Level 4: Analyzing
• Organize
• Distinguish
• Outline
• Transform
• Diagnose
• Deconstruct
Level 3: Applying
• Solve
• Apply
• Modify
• Demonstrate
• Employ
• Calculate
• Generate
Level 5: Evaluating
• Critique
• Assess
• Defend
• Justify
• Appraise
• measure
Level 6: Creating
• Plan
• Generate
• Produce
• Design
• Construct
• Compose
Alignment
of
Learning
Outcomes
To
Test
Types Supply Type
• Completion
• Short Answer
Supply Type
• Completion
• Short Answer
Supply Type
• Essay-Restrictive
• Essay-Extended
Selection Type
• Binary Choice
• Multiple Choice
• Matching Type
Selection Type
• Binary Choice
• Multiple Choice
Selection Type
• Multiple Choice
• Interpretive Items
Performance Tasks
• Written
• Work Sample
• Simulation
• Project

13. Constructed-Response Type
(Short Answer Item and
Extended Essay)
Selected Response Type
(Multiple Choice)
Lower Order
According to the article you just
read, what factors contribute to
climate change?
According to the article you just
read, what contributes powerfully
to climate change?
A. Volcanic Eruption
B. Population Explosion
C. Forest Denudation
D. Carbon Emission
Higher Order
Write an article on how he
government and the community
can work together to mitigate the
factors causing environmental
damage?
Which of the following factors
which affect climate change can be
controlled by man?
A. Strong earthquake
B. Volcanic eruption
C. Melting of Glaciers
D. Carbon Dioxide Emission

14. Miller, Linn &
Gronlund
(2009):
Categories
of Thought
Questions
for Deep
Understanding
and Sample
Item Stems
Types of Thought Questions Sample Generic Questions
Comparing
Describe the similarities and differences between _________
Compare the following two methods for ________
Relating Cause and Effect
What are the major causes of ____?
What would be the most likely effects of ________?
Justifying
Which of the following alternatives would you favor and why?
Explain why you agree or disagree with the following statement.
Summarizing
State the main points included in…..
Briefly summarize the contents of ……
Generalizing
Formulate several generalizations from the following data ….
State a set of principles that can explain the following events …
Inferring
In light of the facts presented, what is most likely to happen when …
How would Senator X be likely to react in the following issue … ?
Explaining
Why did the candle go out shortly after it was covered by the jar?
Explain what the President meant when he said, “The bucks won’t stop me.”
Persuading
Write the school principal to get approval for the class field trip to the state capital.
Why should the student newspaper be allowed to decide what should be printed
without prior approval from teachers?
Classifying
Group the following items according to ….
What do the following items have in common?
Creating
List as many ways as you can think of for …
Make up a story describing what would happen if …
Applying a Principle
Using the principle of …. as a guide, describe how you would solve the following
problem situations.
Describe a situation that illustrates the principle of …