A COMPENDIUM OF SCALES for use in the SCHOLARSHIP OF TEACHING AND LEARNING

Chapter 6: Measuring Learning and Self-Efficacy
Pam Marek, Adrienne Williamson, and Lauren Taglialatela
Kennesaw State University
Learning and self-efficacy are closely intertwined. In a meta-analysis of 36 studies in
educational settings (from elementary school through college) with a variety of performance
measures (e.g., standardized tests, course grades, GPA), perceived self-efficacy positively
predicted academic performance (Multon, Brown, & Lent, 1991). Moreover, a burgeoning
literature has revealed that learning and self-efficacy both relate to multiple variables such as
motivation (Pintrich & DeGroot, 1990), self-regulation (Pintrich, Smith, Garcia, & McKeachie,
1991; Zimmerman & Martinez-Pons, 1988), and metacognitive awareness (Schraw & Dennison,
1994) that promote success.
Compared to most constructs addressed in this e-book, the measurement of learning is unique
in several respects. First, the construct of learning is broader than most others addressed.
Second, the definition of learning is debated. For example, Barron and colleagues (2015) have
pointed out that positioning learning as a change in behavior attributable to experience may be
too limiting to apply across disciplines; instead, they suggest that there may be greater
consensus with the definition of learning as, “a structured updating of system properties based
on the processing of new information” (p. 406). Third, measurement of learning varies greatly
within two broad types of assessment: formative and summative.
Formative assessment involves classroom techniques that inform both students and faculty
about how well students are grasping concepts in “real time” (Wiliam & Black, 1996). An
advantage of this type of assessment is that it provides instant feedback that may potentially
highlight ways to enhance the learning process, so students and faculty are able to initiate
immediate changes in their behaviors. This type of assessment can scaffold learning for current
students, whereas only future students may benefit from end-of-semester evaluations (Angelo
& Cross, 1993). Summative assessment involves determining what students have learned in
culmination about a particular topic or unit compared to specific criteria at a particular point
during in the learning process (Dunn & Mulvenon, 2009). Such assessments include both
graded assignments within a course and standardized tests at the end of a program (Wiliam &
Black, 1996).
A major distinction between formative and summative assessments relates to how the results
are used rather than the actual format or type of assessment. In fact, the same type of
assessment may be used as either a formative or summative evaluation, or even for both. For
example, rubrics can be used in either formative or summative contexts. Quizzes may also
serve multiple purposes. Although instructors often use a quiz as a graded, summative
assessment at the end of a unit, if they provide feedback to clarify students’ understanding,
then the quiz would also serve a formative purpose for future examinations.
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